Improved seeds have played vital role in augmenting agricultural production in developing countries like India. These seeds not only help in increasing agricultural production by 10 to 20 per cent but introducing new characteristics in the biological structure of the plant. For example, researches have made it possible to develop such seeds which are quick maturing, provide higher agricultural yield and are resistant to insects, diseases and droughts.
In India the success of green revolution is partly associated with the use of HYV seeds. The HYV programme has led to 4.84 times increase in the output of wheat from 1966-67 (11.39 million tons) to 1990-91 (51.1 million tons) and 1.98 times increase in the production of rice from 1967-68 (37.61 million tons) to 1990-91 (74.3 million tons).
The High Yielding Varieties Programme (HYVP) was started in 1966. Between 1967-68 and 1996-97 the area under HYVP has witnessed 12.6 times increase (from 6.04 million ha to 76 million ha). The success of the programme remains most marked in the case of wheat and rice. In 1994-95 over 90 per cent of the area under wheat and over 73 per cent of the area under rice was covered by HYVP.
But in case of jowar (60.7%), maize (55. and bajra (53.5%) it has not gained required pointy. Comparing the area under HYV seeds in I 71 (Table 8.XIII) with that of 1995-96 and 199 under individual cereals one can easily observe that there has been remarkable increase in HYV area. Introduction of high-yielding long-staple varieties of cotton has not only made the country self-sufficient in long-staple cotton but left sufficient surplus for export (production in 1996-97 being 14.2milIion bales). But the HYVP has not been able to achieve desired success in respect of pulses and oilseeds.
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The Government is giving considerable attention to: (a) research in evolving new HYV seeds suited to Indian conditions, (b) production and distribution of quality seeds, (c) adequate credit facilities to poor farmers, and (d) expansion of irrigation, fertilisers and pesticides in HYV areas to popularise HYVP. The Government has set up the National.
Seeds Corporation (NSC) in 1963 and the! Farms Corporation of India (SFCT) in 1969 to duce and supply improved seeds. There are stages in the HYV seed production cycle, viz, production of breeder seeds by ICAR, NSC, S agricultural universities and research institutes, production of foundation seeds by NSC and (iii) production and availability of quality to the farmers.
The distribution of quality seeds witnessed a phenomenal increase from 1.41 quintals in 1979-80 to about 13.85 million quoin in 2005-06 (Table 8. XIV). There are 101 testing laboratories and 22 seed certification functioning in states for checking and certify” the quality seeds. As from 1978, the government launched a scheme for maintenance of adequate qualities of buffer stocks of seeds to meet unforeseen contingencies like floods, droughts, and disease etc.
New Seed Policy-the Government of India announced the New Policy on Seed Development in October, 1988. The thrust of this policy is to secure for the Indian farmer high quality seed available anywhere in the world with a view to maximise the crop yields, increase agricultural productivity and farm income.
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It also aims at providing suitable quality seeds to different agro-climatic regions of the country. The new seed policy permits the import of the best seeds under open general license (OGL). It lays special emphasis on the import of quality seeds of coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetable and flowers and of planting materials so as to facilitate up gradation of seeds and planting materials supplied to farmers.
It provides incentives to the domestic seed industry to make the country self- reliant in the production of quality seeds. Under the policy the State Seeds Corporations have been permitted to maintain buffer stocks of seeds to be made available to the farmers at short notice in the event of national calamities like floods, droughts, crop-diseases, etc.