India must speed up hybrid technology adoption in pulses oilseeds to reduce imports P K Mishra

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) India needs to accelerate adoption of hybrid technology in pulses and oilseeds to address production deficits, while acknowledging the challenges faced by farmers in implementing these advanced farm practices, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister PK Mishra said on Wednesday.
     Mishra highlighted that despite showing promising results, hybrid varieties, particularly in crops like pigeon pea('toor dal'), have not achieved widespread adoption among farmers.
     "These two crops need our attention much more than what we did so far," he said while inaugurating the national symposium organised by Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS) here.
     While some hybrid mustard seeds are available in the market, their performance compared to open-pollinated varieties requires further investigation, he said.
     Addressing the limitation of annual seed purchases - a requirement for hybrid crops - Mishra mentioned ongoing global research efforts to develop technologies allowing farmers to save and reuse hybrid seeds. "This will help saving on the cost of seeds."
     Highlighting challenges faced in adoption of hybrid seeds, Mishra said India's pioneering work in hybrid technology, which revolutionized crops like maize and cotton, faces uneven adoption across different crops despite its proven potential to boost productivity and climate resilience.
     The country's early achievements in hybrid technology, starting with the first cotton hybrid in 1970, demonstrated significant success in cross-pollinated crops. However, adoption rates remain surprisingly low in key staples like rice, where hybrid varieties cover only 8 per cent of the total cultivated area despite 35 years of technology introduction.
     "Hybrid technology has shown remarkable superiority in many cross-pollinated, low-volume and high-value field and horticultural crops," he said. "However, in field crops except maize, pearl millet and cotton, hybrids have not occupied larger areas."
     India's vegetable production success story underscores hybrid technology's potential, reaching 213 million tonne in 2022-23 with an average productivity of 19 tonne per hectare. The official attributed this achievement largely to hybrid variety adoption.
     The country's hybrid rice programme, launched in 1989 with the support of UNDP and FAO following China's success, has yielded several varieties from public sector institutions. However, he said hybrid rice varieties must significantly outperform pure line varieties under optimal conditions to drive wider adoption.
     ICAR's hybrid development programmes have shown particular strength in 'bajra', sorghum, and maize. "The concept of single cross hybrids in maize has revolutionized maize productivity."
     Public sector institutions have successfully released hybrids in various crops including rice, pigeon pea, mustard, tomato, and cauliflower. However, experts emphasize the need to understand farmers' reluctance to adopt hybrid varieties in certain crops.
     "Unless the hybrids successfully compete with best pure line varieties at optimum management conditions and higher profits, area expansion will not happen," the official added, highlighting the need for focused research to improve hybrid yield potential.
     Research priorities now include developing hybrids that offer clear advantages in productivity, nutrition, and stress resistance while remaining economically viable for farmers.
     The government has introduced guidelines for gene editing technology, which could potentially accelerate crop improvement. These advanced tools, including marker-assisted selection, are expected to enhance breeding precision and expedite hybrid development with targeted traits.
     Mishra emphasized the need for robust public-private partnerships (PPP) to overcome implementation challenges. Key areas requiring attention include strengthening intellectual property rights, protecting plant varieties, and developing efficient seed production systems.
     Despite inherent complexities in hybrid breeding programmes, including inbreeding depression and infrastructure requirements, Mishra expressed optimism about recent advancements in genomics and biotechnology offering solutions to these challenges.
     The focus remains on making scientific research relevant to farmers' needs while working towards reducing India's dependence on pulse imports, the official added.
     TAAS Chairman R S Paroda called for a clear policy on genetically-modified crops and incentives like tax exemption for seed industry.
     ICAR Director General Himanshu Pathak, Federation of Seed Industry of India Chairman Ajai Rana, ICRISAT Director General Standford Blade were among others present at the three-day event ending January 10.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)