Understanding Hybrid Seeds
The hybrid seeds derived from controlled cross-pollination between the different varieties of plants have improved their characteristics for better yield, uniformity, and resistance to diseases. They are easier and faster to grow when compared to Heirloom Seeds, which are derived from open-pollinated plants.
Benefits of Hybrid Seeds
They provide their harvests with possible increased yield, predictability of ripening of fruits, drought tolerance, pest resistance, and rapidly breeding improvement.
- Hybrid seeds, quality seeds, mechanization, and advanced technology have given a new dimension to agriculture.
Hybrid Seed Demand
Hybrid seeds are increasingly demanded by farmers due to a growing population.
Hybridization aims to improve grain quality, reduce pests, and enhance crop production.
Origin and Current Market Status
- Hybrid seeds were born out of the Green Revolution in India in the 1960s.
- During the financial year 2017-18, the Indian seed market rose from 57.3 to 64.5 per cent in 2020-21.
- Hybrid seeds occupy only 6 per cent of the 44 million hectares of rice cultivated across India. Advantages of Adopting Hybrid Seeds in India
- Hybrid seeds are vulnerable to temperature and rainfall sensitivity, which harm crop diversity across India.
- Cases have been reported regarding crop failures and poor yields on hybrid varieties across select regions.
- Demand growth makes manufacturers increase the prices of hybrid seeds.
- Domination of hybrid seeds while local and traditional types of crops have decreased.
- Hybrids have shown erosion and replacement of crops because of the changed genetic composition. Conclusion
- Further research is needed to develop hybrids tolerant of various climatic changes.
- Conservation of landraces should be done.
