Surinder Sud: The seeds of growth

FARM VIEW

The ICAR project will have a far-reaching impact on the seed sector as it aims at expanding vital infrastructure for aspects such as seed production, storage, processing and quality testing.

The critical role that good-quality seed plays in crop production is well known, more so to the farmers. Yet, no more than 12 per cent of the farm land is planted with freshly produced good quality seeds every year. The remaining 88 per cent of farm land is sown with the seeds saved by the cultivators from their previous harvest.

This, indeed, is not the only problem where seeds are concerned. The rate of substitution of old seeds with fresh ones (technically called the seed-replacement ratio), too, is woefully low. This is especially so in the case of self-pollinated crops that include several crucial ones such as wheat, rice, groundnut and pulses.

In wheat, for instance, the present seed-replacement ratio is merely around 9 per cent where as it should be at least 20 per cent, if not more. Even in the case of hybrids, where fresh seed is needed for every crop, that is 100 per seed replacement, the actual level varies from 20 to 40 per cent in different crops "" the maximum being 50 per cent in hybrid bajra. What is really disquieting is that such a dismal situation prevails despite the country's vast agricultural research network having churned out a whopping 3,200 improved varieties of various crops.

It is, therefore, obvious that the seed sector has not developed the way it should have. While the research institutions engaged in breeding new seeds have been producing ample quantities of the breeder's seeds and foundation seeds, subsequent multiplication of these seeds into certified and quality seeds has been wanting. Besides, the production of seeds of high-volume-low-value crops such as wheat, rice and several other foodgrains has remained confined largely to the public sector. The private sector has been interested mainly in the seeds of high-value crops. Moreover, the infrastructure for post-production handling of seeds, too, has been inadequate.

These issues are now sought to be addressed through an ambitious Rs 200-crore seed project that got off to a modest beginning last year and is expected to go full steam this year. This project has been launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) with the partnership of 85 institutions, including agricultural universities, ICAR's research institutes and even non-governmental organisations. While the research bodies will produce breeders' seeds and foundation seeds, the other public and private sector organisations will be involved in further multiplication of these seeds for delivery to the farmers. The government allocated nearly Rs 61 crore for it last year and about Rs 138 crore in the current year's Budget.

Significantly, this project is not restricted to production of seeds of field crops alone, but is also taking care of fast-growing sectors such as horticulture and fisheries. Though the inland fisheries output is growing at a healthy annual rate of over 6 per cent, the availability of scientifically produced fingerlings (fish seed) is rather low. As a result, the fish seed sector is suffering from disabilities such as inbreeding and depression in hatcheries, depriving the entrepreneurs of the much-needed broodstock replenishment and sound management. This is true in particular of the seeds of carp fish species such as rohu, catla, mrigal and others that are used predominantly in inland aquaculture.

According to seed project mission leader and ICAR Deputy Director-General G Kalloo, this project will have a far-reaching impact on the seed sector as it aims at expanding vital infrastructure for seed production, storage, processing, quality testing and other aspects. For this, it will facilitate introduction of latest technology in all these areas. And, what is most significant, its impact will endure even after the two-year project ends. For, a revolving fund is proposed to be created from the proceeds of this project that will continue to grow with time, making the necessary financial resources available for further expansion and strengthening of this sector.

The project targets a production level of 3,61,800 quintals of good-quality certified and truthfully-labeled seeds of field crops, 27,500 quintals of vegetable crops, and nearly 1,800 lakh saplings and other planting materials of other horticultural crops, including fruits. Besides, it will facilitate production of 400 million fingerlings of carps, 1.2 million of cat fishes, 25 million of fresh water prawns, 5 million of ornamental fish species and 0.8 million of cold water fish species such as trout and masher.