Volume 10 No. 2 May - August 2017
Journey of
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SEED Journey of Seed
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ABOUT NSAI
National Seed Association of India (NSAI) is the apex organization representing the Indian seed industry. The vision of NSAI is to create a dynamic, innovative and internationally competitive, research based industry producing high performance, high quality seeds and planting materials which benefit farmers and significantly contribute to the sustainable growth of Indian Agriculture. The mission of NSAI is to encourage investment in state of the art R&D to bring to the Indian farmer superior genetics and technologies, which are high performing and adapted to
a wide range of agro-climatic zones. It actively contributes to the seed industry policy development, with the concerned governments, to ensure that policies and regulations create an enabling environment, including public acceptance, so that the industry is globally competitive. NSAI promotes harmonization and adoption of best commercial practices in production, processing, quality control and distribution of seeds.
NSAI Governing Council Members
NSAI Office Bearers President: M. Prabhakar Rao (Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd.)
G.V. Bhaskar Rao Kaveri Seed Co. Ltd.
Ashwin Garg Super Seeds Pvt. Ltd.
Vice President: Sameer Mulay Ajeet Seeds Ltd.
N.P. Patel Western Agri Seeds Ltd
Kamal O. Zunzunwala Safal Seeds & Biotech Ltd.
Janak Peshrana Seeds India
K.S. Narayanaswamy Karnataka Maize Development Association
General Secretary: Pranjivan Zaveri Farm Tech Biogene Pvt. Ltd. Treasurer: Pawan Kumar Kansal Kohinoor Seed Fields India Pvt. Ltd.
K. Niranjan Kumar GARC Seeds Pvt. Ltd. Arun Kumar Agarwalla West Bengal Hybrid Seeds & Biotech Pvt. Ltd.
Dr. Manish Patel Integrated Coating and Seed Technology
NSAI SECRETARIAT Kalyan B. Goswami Executive Director
Nilendri Biswal Deputy Director - PR & Social Intervenion
Manisha Negi Asst Director - Scientific Affairs
Yash Pal Saini Sr. Manager - Admin & Accounts
Priyank Samuel G Asst. Manager - Brand Alliance & Communication
Sher Singh Office Assistant
Compiled & edited by: Nilendri Biswal & Manisha Negi Designed Coordinated by: Priyank Samuel G | Advertisements Coordinated by: Yashpal Saini The views and opinions expressed by the authors are their own and NSAI by publishing them here, does not endorse them. The editorial correspondence should be sent to, National Seed Association of India, 909, Surya Kiran Building, 19, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi-110001 (INDIA); Ph.: 011-4353 3241-43 Fax : 011-43533248; E-mail : info@nsai.co.in Designed and Printed YUKTI 2017 PRINTS, 338 First Floor, Old Four Story Building, Tagore Guarden Extn., New Delhi - 27 | E-mail: yuktiprints@gmail.com Seed Times May -at:August
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from Desk of President M Prabhakar Rao
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Message from Executive Director
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Preface: Role of National Seed Association in Indian Seed Sector Kalyan B Goswami, Nilendri Biswal, National Seed Association of India
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Seed: An ambassador of Science, Technology, Trade and Agrarian Revolution 16 R.P. Singh, Birsa Agricultural University Role of Seed Industry in Improving Agriculture Production in the Country Pawan Kumar Kansal, Kohinoor India Seeds Fields(I) Pvt Ltd
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Maintenance breeding & its role in Seed Sector 28 Shourabh Joshi and Rajani, NIMS University Advances in Seed Testing for Quality Assurance Omvati Verma and Manisha Negi, G. B Pant University of Agriculture, NSAI
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Advancements in Seed Treatment and its effect on quality Rajani and Shourabh Joshi, NIMS University
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Biofortification: Sowing Seeds to Deliver Solutions for Public Nutrition 49 Binu Cherian, Harvest Plus Seed Certification System in India 58 D K Srivastva, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare Indian Legislations and Policies Governing the Seed Sector 62 Malavika Dadlani, Former Joint Director (Research) and Head, Seed Science & Technology Indian Agricultural Research Institute Regulatory challenges for Seed Industry 71 R. K. Trivedi, Consultant (Seeds) & Former Deputy Commissioner (QC) & Registrar, PPV & FRA, Deptt. of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Plant Variety Protection & Farmers’ Rights in India 75 R. R. Hanchinal and Jyoti Jaiswal Former Chairperson, Technical Examiner, Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers’ Rights Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India Harmonization of Seed Certification Standard for Global Seed Trade Prabha Shankar Shukla, and Kamendra Singh Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, GBPUA&T, Pantnagar
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Routes Of Seeds Trade Between India And Bangladesh: A Case Study 97 Of Existing Scenario And Way Forward Suvayan Neogi, CUTS International Role of the Seed Industry for Doubling Farmers Income 108 Elangovan Mani, Advanta Seeds, A UPL Seeds Division
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Message from Desk of
President The Journey of Indian Seed Industry over the years has been incredible. The seed industry has consolidated its strengths and is fast improving in areas of concern to emerge as one the fastest growing industries of Modern India. Seed industry in India today has traversed its foundation stages and is currently at an inflection point to scale up into growth phase. While the learning curve has been steep at times, today we are part of a vibrant seed industry with strong foundation to take-off into the growth phase. The progress achieved since the New policy on seed development 1988 and national seed policy 2002 in terms of developing capacities by Indian Seed Industry in terms of R & D, product development, supply chain management and quality assurance has been phenomenal which has positioned India as the fifth largest seed industry globally. However the need of the hour is updation of policy with changing times. Both public and private sector has played a vital role in laying a strong foundation to Indian seed industry, which is poised to become an important global player in the future. Indian industry has also been highly agile in adopting new varieties and hybrids which have delivered value. The journey and growth of Indian Seed Industry and National Seed Association of India (NSAI) has been hand in hand. To speak of journeys over the last one year with continuous support and encouragement of members NSAI too, has grown by leaps and bounds. NSAI in the past one year has emerged as a credible voice of members in various forums be it public as well as private. We have left no stone unturned to ascertain that no issue of concern for the members has gone unheard. NSAI has emerged as the apex body representing the seed industry in the country. Our interaction with Government has earned us regular representations in various forums and meetings. This has helped us leverage our efforts in seeking a positive environment for industry’s growth. NSAI has now started coordination and collaboration with various Associations and Industry houses for greater convergence. Due to the enhanced credibility of NSAI, today NSAI is representing the seed industry in many decision-making bodies of the government and are significantly contributing for creation of a positive environment. This edition of Seed Times focusses on the Journey of Seed. The content lays stress on enumerating to the reader the various important segments of Seed Sector. These articles would enable the readers to understand the Seed sector better and undertake new research and inventions. Best Wishes M Prabhakar Rao
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Message from Desk of
Executive Director Dear Readers, I am glad to present before you this edition of Seed times “Journey of Seeds”. This edition is important from the point of view that Seeds are vital link in the agriculture production chain. Seed being a vital element around which increased productivity, nutritional aspect and livelihood of millions revolves; over the years Indian Seed Industry has successfully proclaimed the position of research driven entity. Today India is a food grain surplus country; the farming community, Government and Private Seed sector have all played their part to make this a reality. The Seed Industry has played a key role to in synergising efforts towards realizing the goal of food security in India. Seeds are critical in India’s fight against malnutrition and ensuring higher returns to famers. The Seed industry is always at the forefront in making quality seeds available for the farmers. The Prime Minister’s dream of Per Drop More Crop can only be realised if quality seeds are available. The Journey of Seed is journey of life itself. Right from inception to full-fledged plant which produces food for masses. While farmers sow seeds in fields, seeds sow the seeds of prosperity in life of farmers. I hope the current issue of this magazine will play its role well and enable seed producers to enhance the scope of quality seed production in India. Happy Reading! Dr. Kalyan B Goswami
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PREFACE Role of National Seed Association of India in Indian Seed Industry Kalyan B Goswami* & Nilendri Biswal** *Executive Director, Email - kalyan.goswami@nsai.co.in& **Deputy Director, Email - nilendri.biswal@nsai.co.in
a. National Seed Association of India Over the Years The National Seed Association of India(NSAI) is the apex body of Seed Producers of India. NSAI was established in the year 2007 with the merger of Seed Association of India, Association of Seed Industries, All India Crop Biotechnology Association and Indian Seed Industry Association. Over the years NSAI has grown as an association representing Seed Companies across India. The vision of NSAI is to create “A dynamic, innovative, internationally competitive, research based industry producing high performance, high quality seeds and planting materials which benefit farmers and significantly contribute to the sustainable growth of Indian Agriculture”. The Association is also working towards the responsible use of biotechnology. Increasing the general awareness about crop biotechnology amongst the many stakeholders, technology up-gradation and engaging in a continuous dialogue with regulators for the establishment of a transparent, fair and equitable regulatory system. The Mission of NSAI is to ‘Encourage investment in “State of the Art” R&D to bring to the Indian farmer superior genetics and technologies, which are high performing and adapted to a wide range of agro-climatic zones. It will actively contribute to the industry policy development, with the concerned governments, to ensure that policies and regulations create an enabling environment including public acceptance so that the industry is globally competitive.
b. What We Do? The Key activities of National Seed Association of India are organising Scientific Seminars & Interactive Meetings across the globe, Communication & Knowledge Dissemination through Seed Magazine, News mailers, Seed Handbook and other publications, Policy Advocacy by engaging with Government and scientific entities in enabling the favorable policy environment and furthering the stakeholder’s interest, Brain Storming Sessions/ Roundtables/ Conferences & Seminars and Works towards globalizing the seed industry, harmonization of regulatory environment, promoting export of seed and investment in seed industry. Promoting international collaborations with stakeholders and industries. Apart from the above NSAI also does a lot of Knowledge and skill enhancement of Human resources through training & Capacity building of agrientrepreneurship, training & capacity building of Government Officials and Collaborative trainings with various institutes, organizations & universities. NSAI actively engages with all stakeholders for taking up issues of National interest pertaining to Indian Seed Industry.
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c. NSAI and Key Stakeholders
Farmers
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
NITI Aayog
NSAI Key Stakeholders
Ministry of Science and Technology
Seed Producers and Ancillary Sector
Ministry of Finance Minsitry of Environment & Forest
National and State Level Asociations
Apart from various Ministries of Government of India. The other key stakeholders in Seed Sector are National Seed Corporation, State Seed Corporations, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, State Agriculture Universities, Private Companies, International Seed Testing Agency and Dealers and Distributors, Cooperatives and Ancillary industry partners (Seed Coating, machinery etc.). For seed quality certification, there are State Seed Certification Agencies (SSCAs) and State Seed Testing Laboratories (SSTLs).
Media
d. KEY NSAI Initiatives/Industry Issues at present
• With Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Finance for Exemption of all Seeds under Goods and Service Tax
• For extension of validity period of revalidated certified seeds till December, 2017.
• With Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare for getting permission for Jute Seed Export from India to Bangladesh.
• With Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare for release of gazette notification specifying genetic purity of mustard from 85% from 95%.
• With DDG (Crops Science) for sale permission of new Bt cotton Hybrids in north zone and got sale permission.
• NSAI being as Nodal Agency continues to promote for Breeder Seed Indent for more 48 Crops to more than 150 companies.
• For Extension of Implementation of amendment of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011.
• To GEAC to dispense away NOC and GEAC shifted the process of Bt Cotton hybrid approval to ICAR
• To PPVFRA to dispense away NOC norms for registration of Bt Cotton Hybrid.
• In various Govt. Forums about Section 3 (j) of IP Act, that, Seeds are not Patentable.
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• Indian Seed Congress 2017
• In the Indian Seed Congress 2017, six technical sessions were conducted on 13th and 14th February, 2017. A total of 39 eminent speakers from both government and private sector participated in the technical session. The technical session was focussed on “Doubling Farmers Income by 2022”. A total of 566 Members attended ISC 2017, Kolkata.
e. NSAI Membership
• NSAI continues to be patronized by the major seed sector players and requests for our membership is increasing. Currently National Seed Association has 483 members spread across 18 states of India. Among 483 members are 10 State Seed Associations who represent issues of larger concern of respective states to NSAI.
• Gujarat State Seeds Producers Association
• Karnataka Maize Development Association
• Northern Seed Association
• Rajasthan State Certified Seed Producers Association
• Seed Industries Association of Maharashtra
• Seed Association of Bengal
• Seed Association of Madhya Pradesh
• Seedsmen Association of Bengal
• Seedsmen Association
• Tamil Nadu Seed Association
f. Philanthropic Endeavours NSAI members have actively contributed to the cause of helping farmers during times of dire need. The various seed donation undertaken by NSAI members are as follows: 1. Wheat & Maize Seed Donation (November 2016)
• UPL/Advanta Ltd.
• Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd in Bihar.
• Delta Agri Genetics Pvt Ltd.
2. Vegetable Seed Donation to Uttar Pradesh farmers (February 2017)
• Dayal Seeds Private Ltd.
• Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd.
• Known You Seed (India) Pvt Ltd.
• Univeg Seed Technologies Pvt ltd.
• Nobel Seeds Pvt Ltd
• J K Agri Genetics
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3. Fight Malnutrition in Mayurbhanj District of Odisha, (August 2017)
• Bharat Nursery Pvt Ltd.
• Nuziveedu Seeds Limited
4. NSAI Members Participate in CSR Activity – Seed Donation in Bihar, (November 2017)
• Ajeet Seeds Ltd.
• Ankur Seeds Pvt Ltd.,
• Crystal Crop Sciences Ltd.
• Kaveri Seeds Co Ltd.,
• Nath Biogene India Ltd. Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd.
g. Communication NSAI Publications/ Magazines/ Website NSAI regularly communicates with its members through various tools. At NSAI we have the following tools and publications i.e. Seed Times magazine, NSAI website, daily / weekly mailers, monthly newsletter etc. The NSAI website is an important source of information for members to remain updated on various issues of importance of Seed Industry.
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Conclusion Our journey over the last one year with your continuous support and encouragement NSAI has been exciting. NSAI in the past one year has emerged as a member’s voice in various forums be it public as well as private. We have left no stone unturned to ascertain that no issue of concern for the members has gone unheard. NSAI has emerged as the apex body representing the seed industry in the country. We deeply thank our member for their support
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Seed: An ambassador of Science, Technology, Trade and Agrarian Revolution R.P. Singh Directorate of Seed & Farms Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi-834006, Jharkhand E-mail- dsfbau@rediffmail.com Historical perspectives: Agriculturally, any biological material having the capacity to perpetuate itself comes in the category of seed, biologically-seed is a plant in embryonic form, while botanically ‘seed’ is a fertilized mature ovule. Since, ancient times, seed has been on the center stage for agriculture and carried forward the history of progress since the dawn of civilization along with the expression of art, culture and indigenous traditional knowledge and transformed agriculture from peasant farming to modern intensive agriculture. Since Neolithic times, farmers have kept aside some of their harvested seeds for replanting. The seed journey started about ten to twelve millennia ago when our ancestress moved away from hunting and gathering to agriculture for which the domestication of crops was prerequisite and in the process possibly both unconscious and conscious selections were made during adaptations of crop plants. The initial and important traits for which selections made had been seed dispersal and dormancy. Other traits like seed size, disease resistance, drought and or frost tolerance and organoleptic properties had also been given due importance. Over the generations, this practice resulted in ever increasing quantities of locally adapted varieties known as the ‘landraces’, ‘folk varieties’, ‘heirloom varieties’, ‘traditional varieties’, ‘local varieties’, or ‘farmers varieties’ etc. In its journey, seed travelled across the continents and countries through travelers, invaders, explorers, traders and via diplomatic means to get introduced outside their centre’s of origins/ diversity and acclimatized into the new agro-ecosystems where in addition to natural selection, farmers also applied selections based upon their skill, art, wisdom at individual level and traditional knowledge at family/group/ community level into the new environments’ for increasing local adaptations and ultimately enhanced productivity.
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The systematic improvements among crops based on scientific principles started in the late 18th century when German botanist Joseph Kohlreuter made controlled crosses in an ornamental plant Dianthus herbatus. The evolutionary theories of Darwin and the description of heredity by the Austrian monk Gregor Mendel in the middle of the 19th century laid down the foundation for methodical plant breeding which started thenceforward. Since then various classical breeding methods have been developed based on the pure line theory proposed by Wilhelm Johannsen for the genotype/phenotype distinction, as one of the most important founding contributions to genetics and Mendelian plant breeding (Berry, 2014). Immediately after the rediscovery of Mendel’s insights into the laws of heredity, scientists sought to apply genetics to crop improvement. This led to the directed development of ‘pure lines’ of self-pollinating crops. According to Robin Pistorius and Jeroen van Wijk (1999), ‘while’ Mendelian breeding allowed for a controlled mixing of genetic characteristics, pure line breeding offered a practical methods to “fix” them in succeeding generations. Similarly, the contribution made by G. H. Shull by applying the rediscovered principles of Mendelian genetics, putting forward a phenomenon commonly referred as ‘hybrid vigour.’ Which is manifested in increased yields in addition to provide a uniform crop compared to the open-pollinated populations became apparent with large-scale agricultural mechanization (Dutfield, 2008), and revolutionized the seed industry through development and marketing of hybrids starting during 1920s was the first technology in plant breeding to offer better plant varieties and converted seed into the global commodity. The conventional breeding involves ‘crossing and selecting’ and through conventional means the development of a new variety take at least 10-15 years, today crop breeders have various modern tools and technologies to accelerate the process of transferring genes of interest and/or identifying potential candidates at genetic level to develop new varieties, thereby using modern laboratory methods, statistical models and sophisticated bioinformatics (STOA, 2013). The invention of modern biotechnology has speeded up breeding process immensely and even transgenic varieties are being developed and deployed globally to fulfill the major breeding goals viz. yield potential, yield protection and quality. Plant breeding is a cumulative science and seed accumulated the progress made during tens of millenniums. Moreover, cultural, scientific and technological inventions/innovations are imbedded into the ‘seed’ which serve as vehicle/carrier of scientific and technological innovations for increasing production and productivity world over. When scientifically bred seeds came onto the market, subsistence agriculture had largely been replaced by commercial farming anyway. Mechanized harvesting and the consolidation of landholdings had made seed selections non-viable compared to the greater convenience of purchasing mechanically cleaned seed from dealers. In the US during 1890, 596 firms were involved in commercial seed production. In the Europe, introducing the new species and formal experimental breeding were carried out first by wealthy landowners, and from the second half of the 19th century by small family seed firms which descended from farmers that made it their main business to provide seed for other farmers and who then started breeding programmes to meet the demand of their customers. Similar to US, in the early 20th century public research institutions and universities were also carrying out breeding work, which benefited the emerging private plant breeding sector. Several of the world’s major seed companies first came to prominence through their successful breeding of hybrid corn varieties (Dutfield, 2008). In the first decades of 20th century seed traders felt a clear need to establish harmonized trade rules, and this led to the establishment of the International Seed Trade Federation (FIS) in 1924. In the late 1960s and 1970s in the developed countries, a first wave of consolidation in the seed industry can be witnessed in which chemical and oil industry companies began acquiring seed companies. During the 1980s biotechnology mainly in the form of DNA marker assisted selection and genetic engineering were being used more and more by seed companies. A second wave of consolidation took place in the 1990s with the establishment of the so called ‘life science’ companies. It should be noted that besides these consolidations also a lot of small and medium sized breeding companies were established and while summing up the seed industry today can be characterized by developments such as (i) Increasing global seed market (ii) Growing use of hybrid seed with several technological components (iii) Growing international seed trade (iv) Increasing number of regulations and (v) Increasing number of multinational companies (Bruins, 2010). The increasing use of seed treatment from the 1960s onward further improved yields, as the use of the plant protection products was more precise and therefore more effective. Nevertheless, scientific and technological inventions demand heavy Seed Times May - August 2017
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investments and proven technological innovations are expected to return back with attractive profits for further progress and in the case of ‘seed’ it comes through intellectual property rights (IPRs) in case of plant varieties. By redefining plants as human inventions rather than as products of nature, genetic engineering opened the door to the introduction of utility patents on higher life forms (Ex parte Hibberd, 1985). Stronger IPR allowed the consolidation of a multinational seed and agbiotech industry that then pressed for the imposition of global IPR regimes over plant varieties (Peschard, 2017) in the form of plant breeders rights (PBRs), trade secrets (parental lines of hybrid), patents on the biotechnological inventions, through the complex web of multilateral trade agreements (MTAs), licenses and contracts etc. Indian Perspectives: In India, the importance of healthy seed has been mentioned in the ancient texts as ‘the origin of plentiful yield is the seed’ (Krishi-Parashara-400BC) and “The sages said that the preservation of the best kind of seed was due to the virtuous minds of the cultivators and was for their prosperity....” “The mass of seeds represents the highest fortune and the primary wealth in agriculture” (Kashyapiyakrishisukti 800-900AD quoted by Nene, 1999). The Indian government has intervened extensively in seed markets since the colonial period. The British established a system of testing new varieties, multiplying small amounts of those varieties on seed farms, and distributing seed of new varieties through the extension system (Pray, 2001). The Royal Commission on Agriculture in 1925 was constituted for spreading improved varieties and progress of seed distribution. Similarly, in 1944, Famine Enquiry Commission and Food Grains Policy Committee were constituted to assess the status of quality seed production and distribution while in 1946, vegetable seed producers from Quetta organized themselves to form All India Seed Grower, Merchants and Nurserymen’s Association. After independence, emphasis was placed to ensure food and nutritional security and in order to attaining, in 1952 Grow More Enquiry Committee and Expert Standing Committee of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) laid emphasis on the need for improved seed with pre-requisite purity and consequently number of seed farms were set-up. Nevertheless, Seed Multiplication Review Team was constituted in 1960 to guide the Government on issues of meeting, seed requirement and The Indo- American Agriculture Production Team under the chairmanship of Dr. Randhawa and this committee recommended formation of seed certification agencies, setting up seed testing lab and the formation of seed laws. The first All India Coordinated maize Improvement Project (AICMIP) on maize was established in 1957 to intensify maize improvement in India by having the inter-and intra-disciplinary cooperation among various research centers including multi disciplinary and multi location approach which served as an efficient mechanism for mobilizing and integrating resources for production oriented agricultural research. The success of AICMIP led to the establishment of AICCIP in wheat (1961) and rice (1965). Later on AICCIP was restructured as All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP). Currently, ICAR has 78 crop/commodity/thematic based AICRPs and All India Coordinated Network Project (AINP) and of these, 30 are in Crop Science Division (Chauhan et al. 2016). The Indian seed industry has evolved from public-sector dominated one till 1970’s into a multi-faceted industry with significant involvement of private firms and increasing emphasis on research and development (R&D). The enactment of seed act (1966) and rules (1968) followed by Seed Amendment rules (1972, 1973, 1974 and 1981), Seed central orders (1983), and plant fruits and seed order (1989), while during 1975-80 launching of the World Bank aided National Seeds Programme in three phases leading to the creation of State Seeds Corporation, State Seed Certification agencies, State Seed Testing Laboratories, Breeder Seed Programmes etc. During this period (1980s) entry of private seed companies in the Indian market entered. The increasing role and application of biotechnology in agriculture led the establishment of biotechnology in 1986. Also the technology mission on oilseed and pulses was created which later on was converted into the integrated scheme of oilseeds, pulses, oilpalm and maize (ISOPOM). In the 1988 the new seed policy was enforced for seed development to provide easy excess to farmers for better quality seeds, which was follows by entry of multinational seed companies into the Indian seed market in 1991 and onward. In 1991, India launched a new policy of privatization, deregulation and globalization of its economy. The National Seed Policy was framed in 2002 and accordingly National seed research centers were established to make Indian seeds as global. Variety development, plant variety development, seeds development, quality assurance, seed distribution and marketing, infrastructure facilities, transgenic plant varieties. Import and export of seeds and promotion of private sector seed industry. The National Seed Policy was followed by the formulation of National Seed Plan in 2005. In 2004, a draft Seeds Bill was introduced to repeal the 1966 Seeds Act, to establish the National 18
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Seed Board Seeds for all varieties of seed. The stated goal of the bill was to create a regulatory environment conducive to the growth of the seed industry. It is noteworthy here that the draft of the seeds bill has been revised three times (2004, 2008, 2010) mainly to accommodate the concerns expressed by farmers bodies, civil society and parliamentarians, and the latest 2011 version is still pending in the Upper House of Parliament (Singh and Chand, 2011). The bill has not yet been passed and, in September 2015, the government announced that it would put the bill on hold, reportedly due to fear that it would be portrayed as anti-farmer (Peschard, 2017). Internationally, farmers’ rights are recognized in Article 8(j) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and in Article 9 of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA, also known as the Seed Treaty). India stands out for opting for a sui generis system in the form of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR Act 2001). India’s legislation is unique worldwide because it combines plant breeders’ rights with elements of the CBD and Seed Treaty. Under pressure from civil society, India developed a sui generis legislation – that is, legislation ‘of its own kind’. Farmers’ rights are acknowledged in the very title of India’s law – the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001 – and a full chapter is devoted to farmers’ rights. The PPV&FR Authority, established in 2005, is responsible for implementing the Act. The Indian farmers’ rights legislation is often referred to in the literature, by both researchers and activists, as the most progressive, liberal, far-reaching or advanced worldwide. Moreover, India has adopted an ownership approach to farmers’ rights, The ownership approach focuses on rewarding farmers for their contribution to the preservation of plant genetic resources. Underlying this approach is the idea that farmers, like commercial breeders, should be granted property rights on their knowledge. Those who defend this view conceive of farmers’ rights within the conventional property rights framework. ABS principles are seen as instrumental to the creation of an incentive structure for farmers’ continued contribution to the preservation of agricultural biodiversity. India is the center of origin and diversity for a large number of food crops and counts four biodiversity hotspots. Biologically mega diverse countries also tend to be culturally mega diverse, and therefore, India is an important repository of traditional knowledge associated with biological diversity. As biologically mega diverse country and large agricultural producer, India is key player in the contentious global negotiations over agricultural trade and genetic resources and India have been actively involved in international negotiations over the CBD, the Seed Treaty and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing. India ratified the Seed Treaty in 2003. The Treaty came into force internationally in 2004. India ratified the Nagoya Protocol in 2012 (Peschard, 2017). Notably, India is the only country in the world that recognizes farmers’ right to sell seeds of protected varieties, a highly controversial issue (Sahai, 2001 quoted by Peschard, K. (2017). The National Seed Policy was framed in 2002 and accordingly National seed research centers were established to make Indian seeds as global. The National Seed Policy, 2002 provides that all imports of seeds and planting materials, etc. will be allowed freely subject to EXIM Policy Guidelines and the requirements of the Plants, Fruits and Seeds (Regulation of import into India) Order, 1989 as amended from time to time. Import of parental lines of newly developed varieties will also be encouraged. The National Seed Policy was followed by the formulation of National Seed Plan in 2005. In order to harmonize New Policy on Seed Development, 1988 with the National Seed Policy, 2002, following two modifications have been made in the New Policy on Seed Development (1988) as (i) Seeds of wheat and paddy – In order to provide to the Indian farmer the best planting material available in the world to increase productivity, the import of seeds of wheat and paddy may also be allowed as per provisions of the Plant Quarantine Order, 2003as amended from time to time for a period not exceeding two years by companies, which have technical/financial collaboration agreement for production of seeds with companies abroad, provided the foreign supplier agrees to supply parent line seeds/ nucleus or breeder seeds/technology to the Indian company within a period of two years from the date of import of the first commercial consignment after its import has been recommended by DAC. For trial and evaluation of the variety sought to be imported by eligible importers, 16 kg. seed in case of wheat and 5 kg. in case of paddy will be given to ICAR or farms accredited by ICAR for sowing. After receipt of the satisfactory results of trial/evaluation, an eligible importer may apply for the bulk import of such seeds to the DAC, and (ii) Similar procedure of trial/evaluation has been recommended for import of the seeds of coarse cereals, pulses and oil seeds (DAC & FW, Annual Report, 2016-17). In 2004, a draft Seeds Bill was introduced to repeal the 1966 Seeds Act, to establish the National Seed Board Seeds for all varieties of seed. The stated goal of Seed Times May - August 2017
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the bill was to create a regulatory environment conducive to the growth of the seed industry. It is noteworthy here that the draft of the seeds bill has been revised three times (2004, 2008, 2010) mainly to accommodate the concerns expressed by farmers bodies, civil society and parliamentarians, and the latest 2011 version is still pending in the Upper House of Parliament (Singh and Chand, 2011). The bill has not yet been passed and, in September 2015, the government announced that it would put the bill on hold, reportedly due to fear that it would be portrayed as antifarmer (Peschard, 2017). Future Prospectives: Agriculture feed the Nation and seed feed agriculture. In India, like other developing countries both kind of seed systems viz. formal and informal are prevailing and each one of them is having its own significance. In the case of formal seed systems being managed by farmers and characterized as traditional ones and operated at the community level through seed exchange mechanisms. These systems offer a range of landraces, local cultivars and improved varieties that are accessible and are of acceptable quality. Farmers also use other diverse seed supply sources. About 80 percent of food production reportedly comes from farmers with smallholdings and the majority of farmers in developing countries use seed from the informal seed system (Koonan, 2014). The key role play by farmers to conserve and maintain the agro-biodiversity in the form of landraces/local/traditional/folk/heirloom/ farmers varieties in the evolving/dynamic form provide the much needed insurance and assurance for securing food and nutritional security in the era of climate change, biodiversity loss, the diminishing natural resource base and ever increasing population pressure. Nevertheless, under informal seed system, in addition to a healthy and well established public sector seed system in place, the private seed sector by having more than 500 seed companies of different capacities and some of them having collaborations with the world’s major transnational corporations (TNCs/MNCs) being played a significant role in the production and distribution of hybrid seeds. Approximately, 50 seed companies are actively engaged in research and development (ICRA, 2015). Several private seed companies have also set up seed testing laboratories as per International (ISTA) standard for seed quality control. The private seed sector of India is much ahead by providing the advanced level of seed treatment and seed enhancements required for quick germination, better plant stand, early vigor and plant protection at initial stages. The seed treatment not only enhance the seed value but also help to reduce soil and environmental pollutions as seed treatment greatly reduces the area of land in contact with a crop protection product from one hectare for foliar application or 0.05 hectare for furrow application to only 0.005 hectare when the seed is treated. For example, the application rate for an insecticide for corn sown at a rate of 100.000 seeds per ha reduces from 1350 g active ingredient per hectare (ai/ha) for foliar application to 600 g. ai/ha for furrow application and to 50 g ai/ha for a seed treatment (Bruins, 2010). For increasing the regional co-operation, India signed the Agreement on establishment and maintenance of SAARC Regional Seed Bank in November, 2011 at the 17th SAARC summit held at Maldives in 2011 with the objective to provide regional support to national seed security efforts, address regional seed shortage through collective actions and foster inter-country partnerships, to promote increase of Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) with appropriate varieties at a faster rate as far as possible so that the use of quality seed for crop production can be ensure; and to act as a regional seed security reserve for the Member States. National Seeds Corporation Limited (NSC), New Delhi has been declared as National Designated Agency to coordinate for establishment and maintenance of SAARC Regional Seed Bank in India. The National Designated Agency (NDA) would be entrusted the task of establishing SAARC Seed Bank as per provisions contain in the agreement. It will work as the National Focal Point also. National Seeds Corporation Limited, State Seeds Corporations and State Department of Agriculture are declared as implementing agency to establishment and maintenance of the SAARC Regional Seed Bank in the Country. Also, Government of India constituted a National Technical Committee to coordinate all related activities i.e working out modalities, technicalities of participation to the SAARC Regional Seed Bank in the Country (DAC & FW, Annual Report, 2016-17). Seed Schemes of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), are globally recognized for the certification of seed moving in international trade. Since India have joined OECD seed schemes by becoming 56th OECD participating country on 23rd October 2008, the similarity/differences between Indian Seed Certification System and OECD varietal certification system vis-à -vis seed testing standards and procedures need to be spelled to the stakeholders. 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belonging to 24 crops (cereals, coarse cereals, fibres, oilseeds, pulses and forage crops) have been registered with the OECD. Inclusion of more varieties in this list will allow Indian companies to boost exports as it opens up a huge export market. The Government has also identified Rajasthan and Telangana as the lead designated agencies for seed certification for Northern and Southern India respectively. Moreover, the new export-import (EXIM) Policy 2002- 2007, as well as placement of Seeds of various crops under the Open General License (OGL) except the seeds which are on restricted list under the EXIM policy (Thakur et al, 2013), which in turn boosted the export of seeds in the interest of the seed growers and seed industry. India is blessed with 15 major agro-climatic zones in the world and 46 soil types out of total 60 types of soil in the world. The seed systems resiliency can also be improved at local level through participatory approach for mitigation and adaptation to climate change (Singh et al., 2013, 2015; Singh, 2017). Though, India produces quality seed across the country during different seasons, its share of global seed market is less than 2% and the National Seed Policy envisages a 10% share by the year 2020. The Indian seed industry is having all kind of ideal conditions in terms of infrastructures, R & D facilities, skilled human resources, policy and regulatory support required for industry growth. Presently, India is the fifth largest seed market in the world and likely to increase its share in future by fulfilling the ever increasing domestic demand (by enhancing seed and varietal replacement rates) and through increasing export potential as a member of the OECD seed scheme by upgrading its rank at global level (Singh, 2015, 2016). In 1966, India decided to import 18,000 tonnes of wheat seeds from Mexico’s International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), under the High Yielding Varieties Programme which increased immediately the wheat production 16.5 million tonnes in 1967-68, an increase of 45% over the previous year(11.4 million tonnes in 1966-67). Similarly, in case of rice several generations of modern varieties (MVs), characterized as semi-dwarf, photoperiod insensitive and fertilizer responsive were developed by International Rice Research Institute, Philippines for Asian countries. The first-generation of MV1- “IR8 “ with medium growth duration of 130 days only had much less than the growth duration of the more common traditional varieties (TVs) with maturity period of 160–170 days was developed in 1966. This variety doubled the yield potential of tropical rice but its yield fluctuates greatly because it is susceptible to attacks of numerous diseases and pests (Pingali et al. 1990). The second-generation of MV2 consisting of - “IR36 to IR62” incorporated wide-spectrum of pests and disease resistance traits and early maturity period of 110–115 days were developed from the mid-1970 to the mid-1980s, The third generation of MV3 marked with the innovation of “ IR64” with improved grain and nutritional quality with such traits as multiple pests and diseases resistance and shorter-growing period which gained broad acceptance for many years since its release in 1985 because of its good cooking quality (Estudillo and Otsuka, 2013). The growth continued over the following decades making India the second largest producer of wheat and rice in the world signifying the critical role of seed. The same story continued for other crops as well by securing high ranks globally in terms of production in a number of crops being occupying first position in total pulses, cotton (lint), jute & jute like fibers, second in rice, groundnut, vegetables & melons, potato, onions, fruits excluding melons, sugarcane, tea, third position in total cereal, and rapeseed & mustard, tobacco leaves, production due to development and deployment of modern varieties, along with other the assured supply of other inputs. In short, the very essence of the “green revolution” (GR) in Asia is the development and diffusion of a series of MVs in irrigated and favorably rainfed areas and subsequent acceleration in public sector investments in complementary infrastructures and institutions (Hazell, 2009). The GR in India has completed golden jubilee (1965-66 to 2015-16) and the achievement could be judged by productivity enhancement since 1965-66 to 2015-16 in wheat & pearl millet each by 3.7 times, rice (2.8), maize (2.5), jowar (1.8), pulses (1.5), coarse cereals & food grains each (3.3), oilseeds (2.3), and potato (2.4 folds) during same period are the testimonials the key role played by the seed sector in India and will continue to do so. The story does not end here and now the seed industry has even greater role to play not only for ensuring food & nutritional security of the country but also to double farmer’s income as envisioned by our Honorable Prime Minister. According to the Global Alliance for the Future of Food (2016) “Seeds are the first link in the food chain and the repository of life’s future evolution. As such, it is our inherent duty and responsibility to protect them and to pass them on to future generations.”
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References: Berry, D. (2014). The plant breeding industry after pure line theory: Lessons from the National Institute of Agricultural Botany. Stud Hist Philos Biol Biomed Sci. 2014 Jun;46:25-37. Bruins, M. (2010). The evolution and contribution of plant breeding to global agriculture. SEED News.Year XIV - N. 1 available at http://www.seednews.inf.br/_html/site_in/ content/ reportagem_capa/imprimir.php?id=59. Chauhan, J.S., Pal, S. Choudhary, P.R and Singh, B.B. (2016). All India coordinated research projects and values for cultivation and use in field crops in India: Genesis, outpus and outcomes. Indian Journal of Agricultural Research, 50(6), 501-510. DAC & FW, Annual Report (2016-17). Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Annual Report (2016-17). Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Government of India, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi-110 001pp.194. Dutfield, G. (2008). The key global negotiations and agreements 2. Turning plant varieties into intellectual property: The UPOV convention. In: The future control of Food. A guide to International Negotiations and Rules on Intellectual Property, Biodiversity and Food Security (Eds. G. Tansey, and T. Rajotte). Published by International Development Research Centre (IDRC) ISBN: 978-1-55250-397-3. Document(s) 7 de 20. Estudillo, J.P. and Otsuka, K (2013). Lessons from the Asian Green Revolution in Rice. In An African Green Revolution: Finding Ways to Boost Productivity on Small Farms, (eds, K. Otsuka and D.F. Larson). Published by Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5760-8_2,pp 17-42 Ex Parte Hibberd, 227 U.S.P.Q. 443 (Bd. Pat. App. & Int. 1985). The Patent Board’s decision states that: “In our view, the Supreme Court’s analysis of the legislative history of the plant-specific Acts makes it clear that the legislative intent of these acts was to extend patent protection to plant breeders who were stymied by the two noted obstacles.” Hazell, P. (2009). Transforming agriculture: the green revolution in Asia. In: Spielman DJ, Pandaya-Lorch R (eds) Millions fed: proven successes in agricultural development. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC. ICRA Ltd. (2015). Seed sector: trends and outlook: , Accessed on 27-10-2015, pp. 8. Koonan, S. (2014). Developing country sui generis options: India’s sui generis system of plant variety protection. Quaker United Nations Office January 2014, pp. 1-6. Nene, Y.L. (1999). Seed health in ancient and medieval history and its relevance to present -day agriculture. Asian Agri- History,3(3);157-184 Peschard, K. (2017). Seed wars and farmers’ rights: comparative perspectives from Brazil and India. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 44:1, 144-168, DOI: 10.1080/03066150.2016.1191471 Pingali, P.L., Moya, P. and Velasco, L. (1990). The post-green revolution blues in Asian rice production: the diminished gap between experiment station and farmer yields, vol 90-01, IRRI social sciences division paper. International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos. Pistorius, Robin, and Jeroen van Wijk (1999). The Exploitation of Plant Genetic Information: Political Strategies in Crop Development. New York: CABI Publishing, 1999. Pray, C.E. (2001). Liberalization’s Impact on the Indian Seed Industry: Competition, Research, and Impact on Farmers. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 2(3/4): 407–420.
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Sahai, S. (2001). India: plant variety protection, farmers’ rights bill adopted. Available from the author upon request. Quoted by Peschard, K. (2017). Seed wars and farmers’ rights: comparative perspectives from Brazil and India. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 44:1, 144-168, DOI: 10.1080/03066150.2016.1191471. Singh, H. and Chand, R. (2011).The Seeds Bill, 2011: Some Reflections Economic & Political Weekly; Volume; XLVI (51); 22-25. Singh, R.P. (2015). Varietal replacement rates among field crops: current status, constraints, impact, challenges and opportunities for the Indian seed industry. Seed Times (National Seed Association of India), 7(3&4), 71-89. Singh, R.P. (2016). Challenges and Opportunities Before Indian Seed Industry to Increase Export Potential. Seed Times, 8(1-2), 38-64. Singh, R.P. (2017) Improving Seed Systems Resiliency at Local Level through Participatory Approach for Adaptation to Climate Change. Adv Plants Agric Res 6(1): 00200. DOI: 10.15406/apar.2017.06.00200. Singh, R.P., Prasad, P.V.V. and Reddy, K.R. (2013). Impact of changing climate and climate variability on seed production and seed industry. Advances in Agronomy, (Academic Press, New York) 118, 49-110. Singh, R.P., Prasad, P.V.V. and Reddy, K.R. (2015), Climate Change: Implications for Stakeholders in Genetic Resources and Seed Sector. Advances in Agronomy, (Academic Press, New York) 129: 117-180. STOA (2013). Technology options for feeding 10 billion people - Plant breeding and innovative agriculture. Summary IP/A/STOA/FWC/2008-096/Lot7/C1/SC1 - SC3 available at http:// www.europarl.europa.eu/stoa/. Thakur, A.K. et al. (2013). Export of Seeds-History, Present Status and Future Prospects. Editorial i-iv, pp. 3.
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Role of Seed Industry in Improving Agriculture Production in the Country Pawan Kumar Kansal Chairman cum Managing Director, Kohinoor Seeds Fields (I) Pvt Ltd, & Treasurer, National Seed Association of India Email: pkk@kohinoorseeds.com
Abstract The role of seeds in improving agriculture production in the country is phenomenal. It is but true that as agriculture feeds the nation, seeds feed agriculture. Over the years, Seed industry is working towards expanding availability of quality seeds to farmers across all parts of the country. The Seed Industry is making huge efforts and investing continuously to provide superior seeds to meet the diverse requirements of the farmers across the country in more than 100 crops. The research investments made by the Industry are leading to development of superior products which enhances the profitability of all the farmers and makes the consumer get constant supply of the main Agriculture commodities including cereals, pulses, oil seeds, fruits and vegetables. Besides demand for feed and industry raw material requirements are also fully met by Indian agriculture with support of seed sector. The Indian Seed Industry, at present, is estimated to be doing annual turnover of about 20,000 Crores vis-Ă -vis the global seed business estimated to be at Rs. 3 Lakh Crores. However, growth of Indian seed sector is outpacing that of the global seed sector due to rapid agriculture growth in India.
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1. Introduction If one says that Seeds are the backbone of Indian Agrarian economy, then it would not be untrue. It is after all that good quality Seeds are harbinger of productivity and income in a farmer’s life. Indian agriculture has undergone sea change over the past few decades. India’s overdependence on agriculture as source of employment has been reducing. In the year 1950-51 the share of agriculture in GDP was 55.1 % which reduced to 17 % in 2008-09 and currently in it is 16.5%. Subsequently we have witnessed growth in other key sectors of Indian economy like industry (29.8%) and services (45.4%). Though share of agriculture in GDP has drastically reduced however its importance remains high for Indian economy. It is of prime importance as it is the largest employer about 49% of the total workforce but contributes to a declining share of its GDP (17% in 2013-14). Numerous lakhs of household depend on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood. Seed sector has vital role to play in the lives of such households. Good quality of seeds can provide them higher return on their expenses done for cultivation.
2. Journey of Seed Industry Over the Years A major re-structuring of the seed industry by Government of India through the National seed Project Phase-I (197778), Phase-II (1978-79) and Phase-III (1990-1991), was carried out, which strengthened the seed infrastructure that was most needed and relevant around those times. This could be termed as a first turning point in shaping of an organized seed industry. Introduction of New Seed Development Policy (1988 – 1989) was yet another significant mile stone in the Indian Seed Industry, which transformed the very character of the seed industry.1 These changes have led to faster growth of Indian Seed sector. India constitutes the fifth largest seed market measured in value terms in the world. The share of Indian seed industry in the global seed production is 4.7 percent preceded by the US (28.1 percent), China (21.2 percent), France (8.4 percent), and Brazil (6.2 percent). In terms of overall demand-supply scenario, the Indian seed industry appears to be self-sufficient in a number of seeds categories such as flower, fruits, vegetables and field crop. The future scenario also seems well.
3. Key Stakeholders in Seed Industry The various stakeholders in Seed Sector are Central and State Governments, Cultivators, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, State Governments, National Seed Corporation, State Seed Corporations, National Seed Association of India, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, State Agriculture Universities, Private Companies, International Seed Testing Agency and Dealers and Distributors, Cooperatives and Ancillary industry partners (Seed Coating, machinery etc.). For quality control and certification, there are State Seed Certification Agencies (SSCAs) and State Seed Testing Laboratories (SSTLs). In fact, the Public and Private Seed sector complement each other in various aspects. The public-sector strength lies in huge and diverse germplasm collections, highly skilled & efficient manpower, big and modern infrastructure, infrastructure in diverse agro-climatic zones, breeding support structures like entomology, pathology, biotech available, international partnerships in breeding. While the private sector is an important catalyst in providing forward linkage to take technology and products to farmers, faster commercialization of products & technology through decentralized decision making, large network of global breeding expertise, product directed research, all activities under one roof, i.e. breeding, production, logistics and marketing, end to end control.
4. Role of Seed Industry in Improving Agriculture In India Seeds are a vital link in the agriculture production chain. The interaction of seeds with other natural resources and agricultural inputs is the key determinant of agriculture productivity. The Indian seed industry is at the forefront in providing quality seeds to the Indian farmers. The private sector has started to play a significant role in the 1
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seed industry over the last few years. The main focus of private seed companies has been on the high value low volume seeds and market for low value high volume seeds, seeds of cereals, pulses and oilseeds is still dominated by the public-sector seed corporations. Today the private seed sector contributes to high quality seeds in Vegetable segment, fibre segment and field crop segment as well. Types of Seeds: Breeder seed:
Foundation seed:
Certified Seed:
Truthfully Labelled Seeds:
Breeder seed is the seed of the highest purity of the new variety. It is produced by the breeder and provided by the breeder’s institution to agencies for further multiplication. Breeder seed is the most expensive seed to buy.
Foundation seed is the seed produced from growing breeder seed. It is produced by trained officers of an agricultural station to national standards and handled to maintain the genetic purity of the variety. It may be produced by a government seed production farm/ a private organisation. Foundation seed is less expensive than breeder seed.
Certified seed is produced from growing foundation, registered or certified seed. It is grown by selected farmers to maintain sufficient varietal purity. Production is subject to field and seed inspections prior to approval by the certifying agency. Harvest from this class is used for producing again.
Truthfully labelled seed is produced from foundation, registered or certified seed. It is not subject to inspection by a certifying agency. Its quality is dependent on the good reputation of the farmer who has grown the seed.
National Seed Association of India is a key player in the Seed sector for pushing forward the agricultural growth in India. The vision of NSAI is to create “A dynamic, innovative, internationally competitive, research based industry producing high performance, high quality seeds and planting materials which benefit farmers and significantly contribute to the sustainable growth of Indian Agriculture”. The mission of NSAI is to encourage investment in the state of the art R & D to bring to the Indian farmer superior genetics and technologies, which are high performance and adopted to a wide range of agro-climatic zones. It actively contributes to seed industry policy development, with the concerned government, to ensure that the policies and regulation create an enabling environment, including public acceptance, so that the industry is globally competitive. Over the years NSAI has been working with Department of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare to push forward the cause of Seed sector. NSAI works very actively on policy level issues such as revalidation, import export issues, Goods and Service Tax etc. for giving impetus to seed sector and agriculture sector as a whole. National Seed Association of India coordinates with Department of Agriculture & farmers Welfare collects the indents of private Seed companies and provides the same to DAC & FW. NSAI sends indent to the Government for the following i.e. Cereals, Pulses, Oilseeds, Vegetables, Fibre (Cotton & Jute). The overall production of breeder and foundation seed and distribution of all-inclusive certified seed in India from 2000-01 and 2010-11, has increased three times. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the production of breeder and foundation seeds works out to 12.08 percent and 12.84 percent respectively for the 10-year period covering 2000-01 to 2010-11. Production of certified seeds over the same periods has increased by over three times, registering a CAGR of 13.85 percent.2 More than 90 percent of hybrid rice seed is produced in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana. The major seed-producing states include Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.
2
India’s Production and Trade in Seeds Seed-related Initiatives, Cuts International
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In India, it is noted that the supply of breeder seed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and state agricultural universities (SAUs) are available in sufficient quantity to meet the domestic demand of all breeder seed. There are, however, some issues with regard to multiplication of breeder seed to foundation and certified seed.
5. Conclusion The Seed industries contribution to agriculture can be understood in terms of creation of an ecosystem where each part is functioning to optimal capacity. Today the private seed sector has matured to a level where it’s presence is there across India in form of registered seed producers and dealers. NSAI has its presence in about 18 states across India through its member companies. It has 10 State Seed associations and 483 registered seed companies as its members. The seed sector has not only strengthened its presence but has adequate level of specialization and competence in handling and managing various segments of seed improvement on scientifically sound and commercially viable terms which is helping agriculture to grow in India.
The article has been published with permission of authors
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Maintenance Breeding & Its Role In Seed Sector Dr. Shourabh Joshi And Dr. Rajani Assistant Professor
NIMS University AGRICOS Academy, 218, Savitri Vihar, Near Alpine Public School, Bhairav Singh Circle, Pratap Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 302033 Email: rawat.rajani08gmail.com
Abstract The initial handful of seeds obtained from selected individual plants of a particular variety for the purpose of purifying and maintaining this variety, under supervision of a breeder. The varietal purity of subsequently multiplied foundation, registered and certified seed largely depend upon the quality of the nucleus/breeder’s seed. Unsatisfactory genetic purity, especially in cross pollinated crops, could ultimately severely affect the performance of a variety So it’s of very most importance to maintain the genetic purity and identity of n/s or b/s.
Introduction Maintenance breeding deals with principles and methods of breeder seed production or it deals with ways and means of maintaining genetic and physical purity-of released and notified varieties and parents of hybrid.
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• It deals with principles and methods of pure seed production.
• It deals with continuous breeder seed production of released and notified varieties, In other words, it leads to fresh breeder seed production every year.
• It also undertakes breeder seed production of the parental lines of released hybrids.
• Genetic purity, physical purity and germination are the main points taken into account.
• The seed health is also taken into account. Journey of Seed
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• The breeder and foundation seed is used as base material for starting maintenance breeding programme.
• The main objective of maintenance breeding is to enhance the life span of released and notified varieties and commercial hybrids,
• Its entire focus is on the planting seed quality of a crop species rather than milling seed quality,
• It prevents varietal deterioration
What’s maintenance breeding? A branch of plant breeding which deals with principles and method of breeder seed production and maintenance is called maintenance breeding.
Feature of maintenance breeding
• Continuous breeder seed production of released variety means fresh breeder seed production.
• It also undertakes breeder seed production of parental line of released variety.
• Genetic purity, physical purity and germination are main point taken into account.
• Seed health also taken.
• Breeder and foundation seed is use as base material for starting MBP.
• It prevents varietal deterioration (mutation, cross pollination).
Maintenance procedures are of two types, viz.:
(i) Selection procedures and
(ii) Non-selection procedure.
The second approach deals with maintenance of breeder seed in cold storage.
Merits and demerits of these methods are given below:
1. Selection Procedures:
(i) It involves continuous extensive field testing.
(ii) The material is exposed to outcrossing, spontaneous mutations and change in gene frequencies.
2. Storage Methods:
(i) Field testing is not required.
(ii) The seed material is not exposed to outcrossing, mutations, diseases, insects, mechanical mixtures, change in gene frequency caused due to natural selection and selection exerted by breeders.
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Maintenance of nucleus and breeder’s seed. Methods of maintaining n/s or b/s can be divided into two groups:
• Maintenance of newly released varieties.
• Maintenance of established varieties.
Maintenance of nucleus seed of newly released varieties
• Newly released variety is selected for nucleus seed production. This variety used as base material.
• These samples provide a beginning for purifying new varieties and for possible increase and distribution to farmers.
• Not more than fifteen new varieties in any one crop at a station should be sampled in one year.
2. Table examination of samples.
• Minimum 200 plants should be threshed separately.
• And examined in piles on the table and discard the off types.
• Left over seeds are now ready to be sown in a variety purification nursery called as nucleus.
3. Locating and seeding of nucleus seed:
• Each nucleus seed should be grown in area in which this new variety could be grown, in the event of its release.
• The land must not have had a crop of the same kind in the previous year.
4. Inspection of nucleus seed plots and removal of off types:
• The nucleus plot should be examined critically from the seedling stage until maturity,
• Differences in the habit of early plant growth, other traits, diseases reactions should be critically examined.
• If a plot differs distinctly from the average in the pre-heading stages of growth, it should be removed before heading.
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1. Selection and Sampling of the variety.
5. Harvesting and threshing of nucleus seed
• Each remaining plot, of which there should be at least 180 plant progeny out of the original 200. Should be harvested individually with a sickle and tied in a bundle.
• The total bundles of each nucleus should be labeled and stored until the current years yield test for trials are obtained.
• Discard if found unworthy
• After threshing seed should be cleaned in fanning mill and placed in pile on seed table. Examine it for uniformity of seed appearance. Discard off type. Remain are bulk together and stored as breeder seed stock. Journey of Seed
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Maintenance of breeder’s seed of newly released varieties
1. Selection of field:
Breeder’s stock seed from the nucleus should be sown on the clean, fertile land, which did not grow a crop of the same kind in the previous year. Space required for seeding breeder stock is about 1.2 ha in wheat and 3 ha in transplanted rice.
2. The field should properly isolated.
3. Agonomic practices:
The best farm procedures should be used in the sowing, raising and harvesting of breeder’s stock.
4. It should be produced at the experiment station in the area in which the new variety has been bred.
5. Sowing: - Seeding done in such a way:
1. Best use of the limited amount of seed available.
2. Row spacing should be sufficient for examination of plant.
6. Roguing: All unworthy plants of the variety should be pulled and removed like diseased, mechanical mixture, etc. The roguing should be done before flowering as well as after flowering for the nucleus/breeder’s stock seed.
7. Harvesting the breeder’s stock: The equipment used must be clean and free from seeds of any other varieties. This cleanliness should be extended to cards and bags as well as threshing machine itself.
The seed should now be about 99.9 per cent pure as to variety. A portion of this breeder’s seed should be retained by the breeders for next cycle. Remaining distributed for F/S Production.
Maintenance of breeder seed of established varieties.
A) By raising the crop in isolation:
• The breeder’s seed of local varieties could be maintained by growing them in isolated plots and by rouging during various stages of crop growth.
• Method of handling of the breeder seed crop is same as breeder’s seed of newly released varieties.
B) By bulk selection:
• In this method 2,000 to 2,500 plants typical of the variety are selected, harvested ,and threshed separately.
• The seeds from each plant are examined and any pile which shows off-type are discarded,
• The remaining piles of seed are bulked to constitute the breeder’s seed. The other practices of handling remain the same.
Carry-over Seed
• The breeder must carry-over at least enough seed to safeguard against, the loss of variety if there is a complete failure during the foundation seed multiplication phase.
• In addition, the breeder should further safeguard variety by arranging, to have a portion of the seed originally released stored under the ideal conditions.
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Advances In Seed Testing For Quality Assurance Omvati Verma1 and Manisha Negi2 Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar Uttarakhand - 243145, Email: dr_omvati@rediffmail.com
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Assistant Director-Scientific Affairs, National Seed Association of India, New Delhi - 110001 Email: manisha.negi@nsai.co.in
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The quality of the crop produced depends on the quality of the seed sown. Use of good quality seed ensures the product to be true to the type and of superior quality. Presence of seeds of other variety/species and diseased seeds reduces the quality of the product and also its productivity. The product of seed purity and germination percentage determines “pure live seed� content of the lot which is the basis for determining seed rate for a crop. Seed quality is the sum of all those attributes which differentiate the seed from the grain in the field and seed level. These parameters are tested in seed testing laboratory. Seed testing includes those tests necessary to evaluate the quality of seed to be used by producers/ farmers. In as seed testing laboratory viability, moisture test, physical purity test and germination test are known as routine tests. Some advance tests are also used to test genetic purity, seed health and vigour level. Direct approach of using image analysis is also used to identify and count seeds at the time of radical protrusion. The applicability of this test type of test is on the basis of single count of radicle emergence to predict seed vigour. Continuous efforts are necessary to meet out the increasing demand of food as the land is shrinking day by day. Therefore there is an urgent need to produce quality seed which is possible only through use of quality seed. Without good seed, the investment on other inputs viz. fertilizer, irrigation, pesticides etc. will not pay the desired dividends. Good quality seeds with high germination capacity will essentially increase yield, quality of production and ultimate profitability to the farmers. For more than a century consistent efforts are being made to provide good quality seed to the farmers throughout the world. The seeds of newly developed varieties should be multiplied and
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distributed in genetically pure form. In addition to genetic purity, physical purity, seed health and physiological aspect of seed quality must also be taken into account. Good quality seeds need more careful planning and strict monitoring on production, processing and marketing. The quality of the crop produced depends on the quality of the seed sown. Use of good quality seed ensures the product to be true to the type and of superior quality. Presence of seeds of other variety/species and diseased seeds reduces the quality of the product and also its productivity. The product of seed purity and germination percentage determines “pure live seed� content of the lot which is the basis for determining seed rate for a crop. The importance of the seed testing was realized in the country even before the enactment of seed act. The Indian seed act was passed by the parliament in 1966 which came into force in 1969 throughout the country. It includes the provisions of labelling of seed packets / containers offered for sale in order to maintain the seed quality and ensure the manner of marking of label / container of seed. Recently, Ministry of Agriculture &Farmers welfare has specified two type of packaging format for Bt Cotton seeds viz., Refugia in a Bag and Pack in a Pack system to maintain the seed quality of Bt cotton Seeds. For both these packaging formats MoA&FW has specified the labelling formats also under the provisions of seeds Act, 1966.
Seed Testing Seed testing has been done with the following objectives: Objective
Test to be performed
Is the seed of right variety
Varietal identity test
Is it genetically pure
Genetic Purity test
Does it contains the right traits
Trait Purity test
Adventitious presence of GM seeds in lot of non GM Seed
GMO Test (Immunoassays)
Is it physically pure (free from debris or inert matter)
Purity Tests
Is the seed free from disease and pathogens
Seed health Tests
Is the seed vigorous
Cold Test, Accelerated Ageing test
How well will it germinate
Tetrazolium Test
Seed Quality parameters Seed quality is the sum of all those attributes which differentiate the seed from the grain. These parameters are tested in seed testing laboratory. Seed testing includes those tests necessary to evaluate the quality of seed to be used by producers/farmers. In other words seed testing include Routine test and other special tests not performed on a routine basis. Routine test
Non Routine tests
Physical purity test
Genetic purity tests
Viability test
Seed health test and
Germination test
Seed vigour test
Moisture test
(i) Seed sampling: Sample should be representative of whole lot of seed. After sampling information such as date of sampling, name of kind and variety class of seed, lot number, name and address of seed production unit, name and signature of sampler, type of test required i.e. viability test, germination test and physical purity test etc. Intensity of sampling depends of size of lot. The size of submitted sample required for forage crops is given in Table 1.
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(ii) Receipt and registration of sample: As soon as sample is received in the seed testing laboratory it should be entered in a register or form and assigned a test number to be used in all for analysis. The information namely name of sender, type of sample, variety and kind, kind of test required etc. should be written properly. The sample especially received for moisture test in moisture proof container should be passing on as such for moisture testing after assigning test number.
(iii) Working sample: After entering the sample the next step is to prepare working sample (s) for various test. The size of working sample vary with the kind and size of seed (Table 1).To save time taken in completing the tests the first objective should be to prepare a working sample for the viability and germination test so as to limit seed testing time required to complete seed viability / germination test as the case may be.
Table 1: Size of submitted and working samples required for seed testing of different crops Crop
Submitted samples (g)
Working samples (g)
Gueina grass, setaria grass
25
2
Marvel grass
30
3
Brassica juncia, taramira
40
4
Lucerne, Indian clover
50
5
Berseem, finger millet, buffel grass
60
6
B. Compestris, sesame, stylo
70
7
Kodo millet
80
8
Itallian millet
90
9
Linseed, jute, common millet
150
15
Lentil
600
60
Sorghum
900
90
FIELD AND FODDER CROPS
Pearl millet
150
15
Safflower
950
90
Wheat, oat, triticale
1000
120
Sunflower
1000
200
Pigeon pea
1000
300
Cotton
1000
350
Mung, horse gram
1000
400
Lathyrus
1000
450
Castor, soybean
1000
500
Paddy, Urd, rajmash
400
40
Maize, filed-pea
1000
900
Chickpea, groundnut
1000
1000
Celery
25
1
Chinese cabbage, parsley
40
4
Carrot, lettuce
80
3
Tomato
70
7
TTurnip
70
7
VEGETABLES
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Crop
Submitted samples (g)
Working samples (g)
Onion
80
8
Brassica oleracia all varieties
100
10
Chilli, brinjal
150
15
Cucumber, musk melon
150
70
Spinach
250
25
Radish
300
30
Pumpkin
350
180
Coriander
400
40
Fenugreek
450
45
Sugar-beet
500
50
Cluster bean, asparagus
1000
100
Okra
1000
140
Water melon, sponge gourd-700 g
1000
250
Ridge gourd
1000
400
Bitter gourd
1000
450
Bottle gourd
700
500
Indian bean
1000
600
French bean and all squashes
1000
700
Source: Vishunavat, K. (ed.) 2003. Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards
ROUTINE TEST In as seed testing laboratory viability, moisture test, physical purity test and germination test are known as routine tests. The test must be done according to rules mentioned in the seed testing manual. A. Physical purity test: The ISTA has prescribed the minimum size of sample for conduction the test with different kind of seed. The objective is to evaluate quality containing 2500 -3000 seeds. The physical purity test separates seeds into four components. a. Pure seed: Seeds of kind/species stated by the sender or found to predominate in the test. Pure seed also include undersized and shrivelled seeds as well as broken seeds of more than one half of their original size. Seeds of leguminaceae, cruciferae and coniferae with the seed coat entirely removed are regarded as inert matter. Free caryopses of grasses and cereals removed from glumes, lemma and palea are considered pure seed. b. Other crop seeds: Other crop seeds include seeds of plants grown as crops and whose seeds are so similar to the pure seed that is difficult to separate them economically by mechanical means. c. Weed seeds: Weed seeds are considered seeds, bulbs or tubers of plant recognized as weeds by laws, official regulations or by general usage and whose seed size and shape are similar to that of crop seeds. It is difficult to remove economically by mechanical means. They serve as alternate host for crop pest and disease. d. Inert matter: Includes seed like structures from crop and weed plants that are one half the original size or less; badly injured and undeveloped seed like structure of weeds; glumes, stem and other plant parts; plus sand, dirt and other related substances.
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Use of Magnification: Magnification is usually not necessary on seed where a working sample is of 40 g or more. Magnification may help in the specific identification of weed seeds and inert matter. In samples of less than 40g, all components, including pure seed should be checked under the magnification. Weighing components: Weighing of the individual components should be done on an analytical balance. Weighing should be done to four significant figures. The number of decimal places is determined by the weight of greatest component. Digits are significant whether they are before or after the decimal point. If the minimum weight of the working sample is 500 g or more, it is not necessary to weigh the pure seed fraction; but the inert matter, other crop seeds and weed seeds should be weighed and the percentages calculated on the basis of original weight (Chalam, Singh and Douglas, 1967). The Table 2 provides a guide in determining the number of decimal places when weighing the working sample and components to insure four significant figures. Table 2: Guide to the number of decimal places for working samples and components to insure four significant figures Working sample weight specified in rules (g)
Number of decimal places
Example
≤1 g
4
0.7036
1to 9.999
3
7.036
10 to99.99
2
70.36
100 to 999.9
1
703.6
1000 or more
0
7036
Calculating results: The percentage result of a purity analysis should be given to at least one decimal place as stated in International Rules for Seed Testing. The percentage by weight of each separation is determined by dividing the weight of the individual fractions by the total of the weight obtained. The only exception would be in case of sample with a 500 g working sample .The name and percentage of each species of a crop seed and weed seed present to the extent of 5 per cent or more should be calculated separately and the percentage given. Components of less than 0.05% shall be written as “Traces�. Weight(g)
Percentage (%)
48.01
96.3
Other crop seed
0.35
0.7
Weed seed
0.09
0.2
Inert matter
1.40
2.8
49.85
100.0
Pure seed
B. Viability Test: The germination test is the best indication of the potential of a seed lot to emerge under field conditions, but it take 7-28 days and even more to complete. To check the viability of seed Tetrazolium test (TZ test) has been developed to furnish quick estimate of seed germinability. The test is very useful in processing, handling, storing and marketing large quantities of seed in a short time, testing dormant seed lots, vigour rating of seed lots, supplementing germination test results and diagnosing the cause of seed deterioration. The Tetrazolium chloride used in TZ test is a colourless solution of Tetrazolium salt imbibed by seed. Within the seed tissues, it interferes with the reduction processes of living cells and accepts hydrogen from the dehydrogenases so that a seed stable non diffusible Triphenyl Formazan is produced in the living cells. This makes it possible to distinguish the seed coloured living parts of seed the colourless dead ones. This test is done before processing of seed.
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The Major steps of Tz test are - Sample preparation: Seeds are soaked in water overnight. They may be pre-moistened, in which case the seeds are allowed to imbibe water between moistened germination paper blotters. Then seeds are dissected, either longitudinally or transversely, with a scalpel so that the embryo is exposed to the Tetrazolium chloride solution (Table 3). One half of this seed is used for the test and the other half is discarded. - Staining and evaluation: The seeds are placed in a 1% solution of 2, 3, 5 Triphenyl Tetrazolium chloride (for legumes and grasses that are not bisected), or a dilute 0.1 to 0.5 % solution for bisected grasses and cereals. Seed coats of legumes must usually be removed or peeled back before examination. Care must be taken to prevent breaking of radicle and other damage to the seeds. Topographic stain evaluation is as follows: Class
Description
Viability
1.
Embryo completely stained
Germinable
2.
Very pale staining
Possible Germinable
3.
Cotyledon unstained
Non-Germinable or possibly Germinable
4.
Radicle unstained
Non- Germinable or
5.
No staining
Non Germinable
For accurate interpretation of the Tetrazolium test the basic knowledge of seed and seedling structure is a prerequisite. Some of major features as index of seed viability of monocot and dicot are as follows: Monocot:
(i) Growing tip of the embryonic axis especially plumule (ii) Point of attachment of the embryo to scutellum
(iii) Region of seminal root emergence
Dicot:
(i) Radicle and hypocotyls development (ii) Cotyledon themselves
(iii) The plumule region
Improper staining in these areas indicates non-Germinable or abnormal seeds. Reporting: TZ test results are recorded as a percentage and are usually reported in the remarks section of the Certificate of Seed Analysis issued by the seed laboratory (Agrawal, 1996). Hard seeds are to be reported (if applicable) as a percentage and are included in the total per cent viable seed. Regardless of how they are reported, TZ test results for viability give you an estimate of the maximum percentage of seeds that have the potential to produce normal seedlings. Accuracy: Properly conducted TZ and germination test results are generally in close agreement and within the range of normal sampling variation. Differences of 3% to 5% may be due to an unavoidable sampling variation error. Differences between TZ and germination test results are usually smaller in high quality seed than in low quality seed, with large seeded crops than with small-seeded crops, and with uniform seed lots than with non-uniform lots. Advantages of the TZ test are:
• A rapid evaluation of seed viability. Seed Times May - August 2017
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• Detect seed weaknesses before they become evident in germination tests.
• Timely guidance in quality control programs.
Disadvantages of the TZ test are:
• Requires specialized training and experience.
• Test is usually more laborious and tedious to perform than a germination test.
• Test results do not reflect fungal infection or chemical damage.
• Test results do not reflect dormancy.
C. Germination Test: Germination capacity is one of the most important characteristics to examine when buying seed. Since the germination test is carried out on pure seed fractions during the purity test and pure seed does not represent the seeds in bag. Therefore, the combination of germination and purity, the ‘pure live seed’ (PLS) content, is the criterion used to express the quality of a seed lot. Seed germination is affected by a variety of factors which are imposed to the seed during its formation, maturation, ripening, such as; infection with the pests and pathogen, sub optimal conditions of nutrients and water supply and untimely rains or frost at the time of maturity. In addition, post-harvest operations and handling of the seed lots during marketing or distribution are also responsible for affecting the seed quality. Minimum seed certification standard for germination per cent is given in Table No 3. D. Moisture Content: It is the main determinant whether seed will keep its germination capacity from harvest to further multiplication. The moisture content of the seeds should not be too high or too low. It will depend upon type of containers used for packaging of seeds. Moist seeds are difficult to thresh and will deteriorate at the faster rate. Similarly, if the seeds are too dry, it may shatter in the field and thereby reduces the yield. Seed moisture content should be brought to the desirable level, through drying (nature or artificial) enabling to preserve their viability in storage and avoiding the spoilage by insect and pathogens. The moisture content also determines the choice of the packing material for marketing or storage purposes.
NON ROUTINE TEST A. Genetic Purity test: This is the most important seed quality attribute. The genetic purity of the seed lot governs the yield potential for the variety. It is, therefore, very important that the genetic (cultivar) purity status of the seed lot should be high. This test of quality is best controlled in the field by inspection and tested in the field plot tests ,because a cultivar can be identical more accurately by examining growing plant rather than dry condition in the laboratory. In a seed certification scheme, the genetic purity standards have been prescribed. The breeder seed should be of the highest genetic purity. In the foundation and certified seed classes, the genetic purity standards are lower to those of breeder seed. The Genetic purity of the breeder seed should be maintained through maintenance breeding programme. The responsibility of the maintaining the genetic purity of breeder seed lies with the plant breeder who has evolved the variety; while the genetic purity of foundation and certified seed classes is ensured through seed certification. B. Seed health test: Seed health is also an important seed quality attribute, especially under tropical and sub-tropical condition Quality seed should be free from pests and pathogens. Infection of seed by pests and pathogens may affect germination and vigour and thereby reduces the yields. It has been found that a large number of micro-organism causes considerable
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damage to the seed quality either by discoloration of the seeds, reducing the seed size and weight or causing the seedling or adult plant diseases. Infected seed lots are also responsible for the spread of the disease in disease-free areas. It is, therefore, essential to test the seed lots to measure the status of its health in order to avoid problems in seed production and quality control. In a seed certification scheme, the tolerance limits for the designated seedborne diseases of the vegetable and field crops have been provided to avoid economic losses (Table 3). Table 3: Maximum Permitted Limit (in Percentage) for Objectionable Disease at Seed Level Crop
Disease
Maximum Infected seed by number (%) Foundation
Certified
Kernal bunt
0.05
0.25
Seed gall, Tundu
0.00
0.00
Rice variety and hybrid
Kernel smut (bunt)
0.10
0.50
Sorghum
Ergot
0.02
0.04
Pearl millet
Ergot
0.02
0.04
Triticale
Karnal bunt
0.05
0.25
Ergot
0.02
0.04
Forage sorghum
Ergot
0.02
0.04
Sudan grass
Ergot
0.02
0.04
Black rot
0.0
0.0
Nematode
0.0
1.0
Scruf
5.0
0.
Fusarium wilt
0.0
0.0
Internal cork
0.0
5.0
Storage rot
0.0
0.0
Black brown rot
0.0
0.0
Bacterial soft rot
0.0
0.0
Fusarium basal rot
0.0
0.0
Filed and Fodder Crops Wheat
Vegetables Sweet potato
Multiplier onion
F1
F2
Phytophthora late blight
1.0
1.0
1.0
Fusarium dry rot
1.0
1.0
1.0
Macrophominia charcoal rot
1.0
1.0
1.0
Sclerotial wet pot
0.0
0.0
0.0
Common scab
3.0
3.0
5.0
Black scurf
5.0
5.0
5.0
Total
5.0
5.0
5.0
Potato
Source: Vishunavat, K. (ed.) 2003. Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards
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C. Seed Vigour test : The performance potential of a seed lot with reference to field establishment is very much dependent on the capacity of the seed to germinate, emerge and establish under sub-optimal field conditions. This performance potential of the seed establishment in varying environment is known as seed vigour. Vigorous seeds usually provide higher yield in comparison to less vigorous seed. In addition, the storability of the seed is also influenced by its vigour status. Vigorous seed lots store well for longer periods without appreciable loss in the germination in comparison to the less vigorous seeds which deteriorate at a faster rate. There are various test to evaluate the seed vigour levels. Cold Test The cold test is considered the oldest vigour test method and probably the most popular used for seed vigour assessment in the United States. It is the primary test for the hybrid corn universal seed industry, but may be also used for other species such as barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.), cotton, eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), field beans, lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), onion (Allium cepa L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), soybeans, and others. The cold test originated from the need to estimate seedling emergence with a more sensitive procedure than the standard germination test. For this reason, it is not surprising that a test including soil as a component of substrate to estimate seedling emergence was the first vigour test regularly used by corn seed industry. The procedure has the objective of evaluate the response of seed samples subjected to a combination of low temperature, high substrate water content and, if possible, presence of pathogens. Two types of stress prevail in this test: (i) suboptimal temperature favours leakage of cell solutes during seed water uptake due to the disorganized configuration of the membrane systems. In such situation, membrane repair is relatively slow, increasing the release of leachates, including sugars; and (ii) presence of microorganisms when the substrate includes soil is increased not only as a consequence of the exposure to low temperature but also stimulated by the release of sugars so that damage to seed performance is enhanced. These conditions contribute to a reduction in the speed and percentage germination or seedling emergence, depending on the procedure adopted to conduct the test. Consequently, the vigour of a seed lot is proportional to the degree of seed survival when exposed to such an unfavourable environment. Accelerated Aging The accelerated aging test (AA) provides valuable information on storage and seedling field emergence potentials. Seeds are hydrated to a specific level when exposed to relatively high temperature (40 to 45oC, usually 41oC) and humidity (around 100 % Relative Humidity - RH) Following this aging treatment, seeds are subjected to a germination test and higher vigour seed lots tolerate this aging condition better than lower vigour seed lots and produce a higher percentage of normal seedlings. The development of the accelerated aging test came from observations by Crocker and Groves (1915), which suggested seed deterioration during storage was caused by protein coagulation and that this process was accelerated by increases in seed mass temperature. They suggested testing for germination after exposing seeds to temperatures from 50oC to 100oC for relatively short periods to estimate the storability of seed lots. The AA test is performed at 41oC because this is the maximum temperature tolerated by hydrated proteins (water content from 26 % to 30 % fw in soybean seeds). Higher temperatures instead of causing stress can promote protein denaturation and seed death, so that use of temperatures between 43oC and 45oC for seed aging usually causes a complete metabolic inactivation, especially on less vigorous seeds of some species.
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The test soon came into use as a vigour test (Woodstock, 1976) and its standardization capability was emphasized by several seed technologists during the 1970s. From that, the use of the AA test continued to increase until it became one of the most globally recognized tests to evaluate seed vigour of numerous species. Electrical Conductivity Together with the Tetrazolium test, the electrical conductivity (EC) test is classified as a biochemical test. The principle of the EC test is that less vigorous or more deteriorated seeds show a lower speed of cell membrane repair during seed water uptake for germination and therefore release greater amounts of solutes to the external environment. The loss of leachate includes sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, proteins, enzymes, and inorganic ions (K +, Ca+2, Mg+ 2, Na+, Mn+2) and the test evaluates the amount of ion leakage. Under field conditions, leakage of exudates after sowing, reflecting the loss of cell membrane organization and selective permeability, can stimulate the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and impair seedling emergence. Ching and Schoolcraft (1968) confirmed that the increase of leakage during seed imbibition was directly related to the disruption of cell membrane systems and loss of control of permeability. Tetrazolium Test Tetrazolium is a rapid test to estimate seed viability and vigor based on color alterations of seed living tissues in contact with a solution of 2,3,5 triphenyl tetrazolium chloride, thus reflecting the degree of activity of the dehydrogenase enzyme system closely related to seed respiration and viability. In 1950, Lakon proposed the differentiation of high and low vigour seeds based on the location and extent of colour as well as appearance of staining and tissue texture. The presence, location and nature of staining and the physical condition of embryo structures were used as criteria in this classification system. Seedling Vigour Index-I & II (SVI-I): Seedling vigour index-I and II are computed as per the formula suggested by Abdul Baki and Anderson (1973):
SVI-I = Germination percentage × Seedling length (cm/seedling)
SVI-II = Germination percentage × Seedling dry weight (mg/seedling)
Mean germination time (MGT): At the end of germination test period mean germination time was calculated by the formula suggested by Bonner (1983):
MGT = (∑ ( n×di ) )⁄( Number of seeds sown)
Where, n = number of seeds newly germinated on day di and di = ith day after incubation
Mean daily germination The formula used for the computation of MDG:
MDG =
Final germination % Total number of days in test
Speed of germination When seed began to germinate they were checked daily at approximately the same time each day. Normal seedlings were removed from the test when they reached a predetermined size. This procedure was continued until all seed that were capable of producing a normal seedling had germinated. The formula to calculate speed of germination is given by Devagiri, (1998).
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∑Ni
Speed of germination =
Di
Where, n = number of seeds newly germinated on day di and di = ith day after incubation Germination Value (GV): The formula proposed by Djavanshir and Pourbeik (1976) was used for calculating Germination Value:
GV = ∑ DGS / N × (GP × 10)
Where, DGS = Daily germination speed = Cumulative germination (%)/ Number of test days N= Frequency of number of DGS during the test GP= Germination per cent at the end of test Rate of germination index Rate of germination index was calculated according to the evaluation of Brown and Mayer (1986) as under: RGI=
Number of seed germinated in first count Number of seed germinated in final count
× 100
Peak value Peak value was calculated according to the following formulae: Peak value =
Final germination Number of days to reach maximum germination
Coefficient of germination Coefficient of germination was calculated with the following formula: Coefficient of germination =
∑A ∑AT
Where, A is the number of seeds which were germinated on a day T, and T is the number of days counted from the beginning of germination. ADVANCES IN SEED GERMINATION AND VIGOUR TESTING: Now a day, direct approach of using image analysis is used to identify and count seeds at the time of radical protrusion. The applicability of this type of test is on the basis of single count of radicle emergence to predict seed vigour (Du-cournau et al., 2005; Joosen et al., 2010). This type of approach has been applied to ornamentals and vegetables seeds to give vigour scores to transplant seedlings (Geneve and Kester, 2001). For testing vegetable seeds, computer-aided use of X-rays for non-destructive sorting is also coming into routine use. Seeds containing embryos that are morphologically malformed or reduced in size can be identified and discarded to improve the quality and uniformity of seedling transplants (Van der Burg et al., 1994). A non-destructive, physiologically based method proposed for improving germination and vigour is chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) sorting. Purpose of this test is to remove low-quality seeds that contain higher levels of chlorophyll. It would have been interesting to compare the results of CF sorting with conventional processing methods such as air separation, size and colour sorting. Conventional methods might remove smaller, immature seeds as effectively as CF sorting. The use of CF 42
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sorting of tomato and cereals has not always been convincingly effective. The identification of radicle emergence by CF is also under investigation as a possible automated approach to germination testing (Van der Burg, 2009). Published work on many more commercially available seed lots and comparisons with existing procedures would help to confirm the general applicability of CF. This is also the case for other proposed methods and equipment that are promoted, and in some cases sold, for seed quality evaluation and improvement. Seed testing includes those tests necessary to evaluate the quality of seed to be used by producers/farmers. The seed testing laboratory have limited budget therefore the test used for measuring physiological and health parameters should be reproducible and economical. Amongst the advance tests, single counts of early radicle emergence relate closely to MGT and emergence performance in a range of species. A single early count of the radicle emergence forms the basis of the new radicle emergence vigour test for maize (Matthews and Powell, 2011). There is clear evidence that early counts of radicle emergence can be used to predict vigour differences in a wide range of species. Single counts of radicle emergence could be incorporated into routine germination testing and hence assess germination and vigour within one test. An objective of recent research in seed technology has been the development of rapid automated tests of germination and vigour (Dell’Aquila, 2007, 2009), but none have, so far, been rigorously evaluated on commercial seed.
References: Abdul-Baki, A.A. and Anderson, J.D. 1973. Vigour determination in soybean seed by multiple criteria. Crop Sci. 13 : 630-632. Agarwal, P. K. (ed.) 1993. Hand book of Seed Testing. Department of Agriculture and Cooperation. Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India, New Delhi Agrawal, R.L. 1996. Seed Technology. 2nd Ed. New Delhi, Oxford & IBH
Publishing Company.
Trivedi , R.K and M. Gunasekaran 2013. Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards. The Central Seed Certification Board, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India, New Delhi Bonner, F.T. 1983. Germination responses of loblolly pine to temperature differences on a two-way thermogradient plate. J. Seed Technol. 8 (1) : 6-14. Brown, R.F.and Mayer, D.G. 1986. A critical analysis of maguirress germination rate index. J. Seed Technol., 19: 101-110. Chalam,G.V.,Singh.A and Douglas.J.E.1967.Seed Testing Manual. Indian Council of Agricultural Research and United State Agency for International Development, New Delhi. Ching, T.M.; Schoolcraft, I. 1968. Physiological and chemical differences in aged seeds. Crop Science 8: 407-409. Dell’Aquila, A. 2007. Towards new computer imaging techniques applied to seed quality testing and sorting. Seed Science and Tech-nology, 35, 519–538 Dell’Aquila, A. 2009. Development of novel techniques in conditioning, testing and sort-ing seed physiological quality. Seed Science and Technology, 37, 608–624. Djavanshi, K. and Pourbeik, H. 1976. Germination value: a new
formula. Silvae Genetica. 25 : 79-83.
Ducournau, S. Feutry, A., Plainchault, P., Revellon, P. and Vigouroux, B. 2005. Using computer vision to monitor germination time course of sunflower (Helianthus annuusL.) seeds. Seed Science and Technology, 33, 329–340. Geneve, R.L. and Kester, S.T. 2001. Evalua-tion of seedling size following germination using computer aided analysis of digital images from a flatbed scanner. Horticultural Science, 36, 1117–1120. Seed Times May - August 2017
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Joosen, R.V.L., Kodde, J., Willems, L.A.J., Lig-terink, W. and Hilhorst, H.W.M. 2010. The germinator automated germination scoring system. Seed Testing International, 140, 4–8. Matthews, S. and Powell A. 2011.Towards automated single counts of radicle emergence to predict seed and seedling vigour. Seed Testing International, 141, 44–48. Van der Burg, J. 2009. Raising seed quality: what is in the pipeline? In Responding to the challenges of a changing world: the role of new plant varieties and high quality seed in agriculture. Proceedings of the Second World Seed Conference, pp. 177–184. Rome, UPOV, Geneva. Van der Burg, W.J., Aarste, J.W., van Zwol, R.A., Jalink, R.A. and Bino, R.J. 1994. Predicting tomato seedling morphology by X-ray analysis of seeds. Journal of the American Society of Horticultural Science,119, 258–263 Vishunavat, K. (ed.) 2003. Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards. Seed Technology Research, Pantnagar. Directorate of Experiment Station, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, U. S. Nagar, Uttarakhand Woodstock, L.W. 1976. Progress report on the seed vigor testing handbook. Association of Official Seed Analysts Newsletter 59: 1-78.
The article has been published with permission of authors
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Advancements in Seed Treatment and its Effect on Quality Dr. Rajani And Dr. Shourabh Joshi Assistant Professor NIMS University AGRICOS Academy, 218, Savitri Vihar, Near Alpine Public School, Bhairav Singh Circle, Pratap Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 302033 Email: rawat.rajani08@gmail.com
Abstract Vegetable crops are very sensitive and infected by fungal, bacterial and viral diseases, which can include seedborne fungi. Seed is a basic and vital input for sustained growth in agricultural productivity and production since ninety percent of the food crops are grown from seed. Seed quality is vital to sustainable crop production and food security. Seed enhancements include physical, physiological and biological treatments to overcome germination constraints by uniform stands, earlier crop development and better yields. Seed treatments, in broad terms, are the application of biological, physical and chemical agents and techniques to seed that provide protection to seeds and plants and improve the establishment of healthy crops. Some chemical treatments might be required to eradicate or reduce the presence of fungi in seeds. Keywords: seed germination, seed treatment, Seed quality, vegetable crops
Introduction Seed treatment is an important process that provides insurance against seed-borne as well as soil-borne plant pathogens and insects (Gwary et al. 2007). It is a relatively cheap and effective way of controlling seed-borne plant diseases (Dawar & Ghaffar 1998; Khanzada et al. 2002). Seed treatments are the biological, physical and chemical Seed Times May - August 2017
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agents and techniques applied to seed to provide protection and improve the establishment of healthy crops. Seed quality is the foundation for profitable production and marketing. High-quality seeds are genetically and physically pure, vigorous and free from insect pests and pathogens. High-quality seeds with enhanced vigour contribute nearly 30% of the total production. Furthermore, some seed treatments enhance seed germination, seed lot emergence uniformity, seedling stand and the ability of the seedlings to survive unfavourable field conditions
Seed quality enhancement Post harvest treatment that improve germination or seedling growth or facilitate the delivery of seeds and other materials required at the time of sowing.
Objectives of Seed Quality Enhancement Technology
• Reduced seed rate.
• Early emergence and reduced time of emergence under stress conditions .
• Supply of growth regulators/ nutrients/ beneficial microbes.
• Better nursery management.
• Helps seedling to dominate weeds in competition for nutrition.
• Field stand and uniformity.
• Minimum exposure to toxicant.
• Direct seeding of conventionally transplanted vegetable seeds.
• High turnover.
Procedure for Seed Treatment
1. Seed dressing: This is the most common method of seed treatment. The seed is dressed with either a dry formulation or wet treated with a slurry or liquid formulation. Dressings can be applied at both farm and industries. Low cost earthen pots can be used for mixing pesticides with seed or seed can be spread on a polythene sheet and required quantity of chemical can be sprinkled on seed lot and mixed mechanically by the farmers.
2. Seed coating: A special binder is used with a formulation to enhance adherence to the seed. Coating requires advanced treatment technology, by the industry.
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3. Seed pelleting: The most sophisticated Seed Treatment Technology, resulting in changing physical shape of a seed to enhance palatability and handling. Pelleting requires specialized application machinery and techniques and is the most expensive application.
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Different methods of seed treatment in different crops A. Potato Seed Treatment 1. 1% Thiourea Treatment:
i) This treatment is given to break the dormancy of the tubers when they are to be used before resting period of the tubers when they are to be used before resting period of 2.5 to 3 month.
ii) The tubers are dipped in 1% thiourea solution for 1 hour before planting.
2. Light Treatment:
i) The tubers are spread in thin layer in a cool place and exposed to diffused light.
ii) This treatment is given for sprouting of tubers, better germination and early maturity.
3. Fungicide Treatment:
i) This treatment is usually given to cut tubers to avoid decaying by soil microorganisms after sowing.
ii) Cut tubers are dipped in 0.2 % Bavistin or Dithane Z – 78 solution for 5 to 10 minutes.
B. Biopriming A new technique integrating biological (inoculation of seed with beneficial organism to protect seed) and physiological aspects (seed hydration) of disease control.
Hydration of seeds
Bio-agents
Bio-priming Of seeds
Common Fungal Antagonists used in biopriming
• Trichoderma viridae
• Trichoderma harzianum
• Trichoderma hamatum
• Clonostachys rosea k/a Gliocladium roseum Seed Times May - August 2017
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• Chaetomium bostrycoides
• Pseudomonas fluroscence
• Pseudomonas aureofaciens
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Serratia polymuthica
• Pseudomonas chlororaphis
• Bacillus subtilis
Examples of Biopriming
1. Several sps of Trichoderma alone as well as in combination with Pseudomonas sps. @ 10 gm/kg seed found to provide effective control against R. solani, H. oryzae, Pythium seed rot etc.
2. Bio-priming of cow pea seeds by T. harzianum reduced root rot incidence caused by F.solani, M phaseolina and R.solani by 64.0 and 56.3% at pre-emergence stage and by 68.0, 60.1 and 57.1%, 64.0% at postemergence stage. Fresh pod yield was increased by 44.0 and 36.1% compared with 19.5 and 11.2% in the case of Rizolex-T treatment.
C. Seed treatment in sunflower Downy mildew (Plasmopara halstedii) is the key seedling disease of sunflower causing severe stunting, discoloration of the leaves and reduction in root growth. Infected seedlings do not form a flowering head and consequently severely reducing yield. Recently Syngenta announced the launch of PLENARIS™ seed treatment fungicide for the control of downy mildew in sunflower. PLENARIS™ contains oxathiapiprolin, a novel chemistry with a new mode of action for control of fungal diseases caused by oomycetes. D. Seed treatment in cowpea and tomato against root-knot and potato cyst nematodes Pankaj et al., 2013 conducted an experiment on Differential defence response due to jasmonate seed treatment in cowpea and tomato against root-knot and potato cyst nematodes. Pre-treatment of tomato seeds with jasmonate not only reduced G. pallida infection by 63% but also affected nematode development inside the roots. These results indicate that jasmonate treatments affected nematode reproduction and/or development. We show here that germination and plant growth parameters of tomato seeds, but not of cowpea and soybean seeds, were unaffected by jasmonate treatment. The use of elicitors to prime plant immunity is a natural way of protecting plants by boosting their immunity to provide nematode resistance. Seed treatment with natural elicitors of plant immunity offers an environmentally friendly alternative for farmers and growers that can contribute to the protection of their crops from pests above and below ground.
References: Pankaj, Nira Muttucumaru, Stephen J. Powers, Hari S. Gaur, Smita Kurup and Rosane H. C. Curtis. 2013. Differential defence response due to jasmonate seed treatment in cowpea and tomato against root-knot and potato cyst nematodes. Nematology 15; 15-21
The article has been published with permission of authors
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BIOFORTIFICATION: Sowing Seeds to Deliver Solutions for Public Nutrition Binu Cherian Country Manager, HarvestPlus, Email: b.cherian@cgiar.org HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health by developing and promoting biofortified food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals, and providing global leadership on biofortification evidence and technology. An interdisciplinary program works with public, private sector, academic and research institutions, civil society organizations. HarvestPlus is part of CGIAR Research Program on Agricultural Research for Nutrition and Health (A4NH). Agriculture remains the lifeline of the Indian economy with more than fifty percent of the population dependent for their livelihood, contributing 17.5 percent (in 2015-16) to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Investments in agriculture research in India in the last five decades along with the favorable policy support has yielded remarkable result in production and availability of food crops for sustaining calorie needs of the population. The positive impact of the Green Revolution has transformed Indian agriculture and food landscape from a “dependent” to “self-sufficient” economy. More than two decades of economic growth has catapulted India’s position to one of the most favorable emerging markets of the world. The combined trickle-down effect of agriculture and economic drivers has had an enormous impact on the overall transformation of socio-economic indicators. Nevertheless, from this vantage point, what disturbs is the exceptionally high rate of malnutrition prevalent in India. In fact, malnutrition remains one of the biggest global challenges of this century that can have a paralyzing effect on longterm prospects of economic and human development of the country. Nutrition is important particularly during the first 1,000 days – from pregnancy through a child’s two years of age and is irreversible and cannot be offset by
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interventions later in childhood. According the Global Nutrition Goal 2016, nutrition binds 12 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Experts estimate that more than 2 billion people, mostly in poorer countries suffer from micronutrient malnutrition. According to the World Bank reports, India alone loses to the tune of more than US$ 12 billion in GDP annually to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and to step up core micronutrient interventions will require an investment of less than US$ 574 million per year. The consequences of malnutrition, also known as “hidden hungerâ€? can be devastating; they include stunting, impaired cognitive ability, blindness, increased risk of disease, and premature death. Women and young children are especially vulnerable. According to the World Health Organization WHO), Vitamin A, zinc and iron are among the micronutrients most lacking in the diets of the poor in the developing world. Providing such nutrient through supplements and industrial food fortification can be accomplished much in regions with a strong health and market infrastructure. However, in many geographies this necessary infrastructure is inadequate, non-existent, or simply does not serve rural areas where the vast majority of malnourished people live. The poor populations consume basic staple food in large quantities to meet their dietary energy requirements and to keep from going hungry. Non-staple foods are often dense in vitamin and mineral and bioavailability is particularly high for animal products, yet animal products are the most expensive source of dietary energy. One of the key underlying causes leading to poor dietary quality is that current food systems do not provide mineral and vitamins in sufficient quantities at affordable prices for the poor. Therefore, agricultural investments and policies in Biofortification will not only improve the availability and affordability of more nutritious food, but also will help in placing the solution in the hands of farmers and the communities. (Bouis et al, 2008). In the long term, increasing the production of micronutrient-rich foods and improving dietary diversity will substantially reduce micronutrient deďŹ ciencies. (Bouis et al., 2011b). Dr. Howarth Bouis, Founding Director of HarvestPlus was awarded the 2016 World Food Prize, along with colleagues from the International Potato Center (CIP), for his pioneering work in the field biofortification. Dr. Bouis pioneered this concept in the early 1990s and has devoted his career to turning this idea into a global movement. Biofortification: A new agriculture approach Biofortification is a process of improving the value of nutrition in the edible parts (seed, tuber or roots) of staple crops that are already consumed by the population through conventional tools of breeding to make measurable nutrition impact when eaten regularly as a part of normal diet. According to the Copenhagen Consensus in 2008, a panel of noted economists that included five Noble Laureates ranked efforts to reduce hidden hunger among the most cost-effective solution to global challenges, biofortification was ranked fifth among them.
Biofortification has four distinct advantages
1. Targets the poor who consume large quantity of staple foods as part of their regular diets.
2. Targets the rural areas where an estimated 75 percent of the subsistence farmers live. These populations rely on diets largely based on staple foods cereals. Therefore, locally produced, more nutritious staple food crops can significantly improve nutrition.
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3. Cost-effective. After an initial investment in developing biofortified crops, these crops can be adopted at a low additional cost as compared with the existing interventions like supplementation and food fortifications, which requires annual investments.
4. Sustainable approach because this strategy relies on food that population consume on a regular basis. Biofortified crops can be grown to deliver nutrition without any recurring cost.
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Biofortification using conventional plant breeding approach is considered as a feasible and effective approach to alleviate micronutrient deficiency because;
a) Conventional breeding can add extra nutrients in the crops without compromising on yield.
b) When consumed, the increase in nutrient levels can make a measurable and significant impact on human nutrition and
c) Farmers are willing to grow biofortified crops and consume them.
Therefore, Biofortification, puts a solution in the hands of farmers, combining the micronutrient trait with other agronomic and consumption traits that farmers prefer. After fulfilling the household’s food needs, surplus biofortified crops make their way into rural and urban markets.
Process of Biofortification Fig. 1. Biofortification Process, Source - HarvestPlus
Discovery
Identifying target populations and staple food consumption profiles Setting nutrient target levels Screening and applied biotechnology
Development
Crop Improvement Gene by environment ( GXE) interactions on nutrient density Nutrient retention and bioavailability Nutritional efficacy studies in human subjects
Delivery
Release biofortified crops Facilitate dissemination, marketing and consumer acceptance
Improved nutritional status of target populations Biofortification approach needs multi-disciplinary domain experts to work together. Plant breeders explore crop genetic diversity, especially seed banks, to first identify nutrient-rich germplasm, of food crops that can be used to breed varieties that are more nutritious. These lines are then crossed with established high-yielding lines to breed new crop varieties that not only have higher amounts of a desired nutrient, but also are high yielding and competitive with other non biofortified varieties. Nutritionists determine the additional amount of a nutrient a food crop must provide to measurable improvement of nutrition when that crop is harvested, processed or cooked, and eaten. To do so, nutritionists must account for;
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• Nutrient losses after the crop is harvested (nutrients can degrade substantially during storage, processing, or cooking),
• The amount of the nutrient that the body actually absorbs from the food (bioavailability), and
• The amount of the staple food actually consumed on a daily basis by age and gender.
These data are then used to set breeding targets for specific nutrients. Once these new crop lines have been bred, they are field-tested by a national agricultural system in multiple locations in target regions where the crop will be grown. This ensures the crops perform well and maintain their nutritional profile, which can be affected by the growing environment. The most promising lines are selected for further testing, commercialization and eventual release. Nutritionists also test promising new lines and varieties prior to release, to ensure they have a measurable positive impact on the micronutrient status of target communities. This is done through controlled human feeding trials called efficacy studies. Together with nutritionists, economists conduct studies to evaluate the impact of production and consumption of biofortified varieties of crops on various livelihoods and health outcomes. Behavioral-change experts help identify what drives consumption patterns and how biofortified crops and foods can be better promoted. Multi-disciplinary skills in farm extension, seed production, distribution, and product marketing will ensure successful adoption of the final product by both producers and consumers in target communities. Special consideration should be given to crops whose color or taste is changed by increasing nutrient levels. Crops such as sweet potato, cassava, and maize have been enhanced with vitamin A. These crops turn from a typical white or pale yellow to a deeper yellow or orange in color due to the higher levels of beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A) they now contain. This orange color can be an asset in branding or can help consumers identify varieties that are more nutritious. Biofortified crops with invisible” nutrients that do not change color or taste such as iron or zinc will require different marketing strategy. Combining high minerals and vitamins content with yield, other desired agronomic traits and profitability will be crucial. (Bouis et al, 2011b)
Crop development Plant breeding can increase nutrient levels in staple crops to target levels required for improving human nutrition, without compromising yield or farmer-preferred agronomic traits. The crop development process entails screening germplasm for available genetic diversity, pre-breeding parental genotypes, developing and testing micronutrient dense germplasm, conducting genetic studies, and developing molecular markers to lower the costs and quicken the pace of breeding. After promising lines have been developed, they are tested in several locations across target environments to determine the genotype x environment interaction (GxE) – the influence of the growing environment on micronutrient expression. Rigorous regional testing enables reduced time-to-market for biofortified varieties. At early stage in the conceptual development of biofortification, nutritionists, food technologists, and plant breeders established nutritional breeding targets by crop, based on food consumption patterns of target populations, estimated nutrient losses during storage and processing, and nutrient bioavailability (Hotz and McClafferty, 2007). Breeding targets (Table 1) for biofortified crops were designed to meet the specific dietary needs and consumption patterns of women and children. Taking into account baseline micronutrient content in each crop, targets were set such that, for preschool children 4–6 years old and for non-pregnant, non-lactating women of reproductive age: the total amount of iron in iron beans and iron pearl millet will provide approximately 60% of the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) (30% of the EAR for iron at baseline before breeding for high iron); zinc in zinc wheat and zinc rice will provide 60–80% of the EAR (40% of the EAR for zinc at baseline); and, provitamin A, the precursor of vitamin A, will provide 50% of the vitamin A EAR in the case of yellow cassava and orange maize, and up to 100% in the case of orange sweet potato (zero provitamin A at baseline). The breeding target is the sum of the baseline micronutrient content and additional micronutrient content required for each crop and micronutrient combination. Once the micronutrient trait has been mainstreamed into the core breeding objectives of national and international crop development programs, recurrent expenditures by agriculture research institutes for monitoring and maintenance are minimal. 52
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Table 1. HarvestPlus Crops, Nutrient and Geography Target Crop
Target Nutrient Nutrient
Target Country
Potential Spillover Geographies
Baseline
Target
Iron Pearl Millet Iron
47 ppm
77 ppm
India
Mali, Niger
Zinc Wheat
Zinc
25 ppm
33 ppm
India, Pakistan
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nepal
Zinc Rice
Zinc
16 ppm
24 ppm
Bangladesh, India
Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam
Vitamin A Maize
Pro vitamin A
0 ppm
15 ppm
Zambia
Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Iron Bean
Iron
50 ppm
94 ppm
Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
0 ppm
15 ppm
Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’voire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Togo
Vitamin Cassava
A Pro vitamin A
Under the HarvestPlus Biofortification Program crop development for iron pearl millet, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) supplies parental materials/breeder seeds for next stage seed multiplication. Partners are now testing and developing their iron pearl millet varieties for seed sales include National Agricultural Research System (NARS), public and private seed companies. HarvestPlus supports ICRISAT to develop high iron hybrid parental lines and to test hybrids with farmer-preferred traits and high yields. The crop development supports and encourages partners to develop their own biofortified varieties for their target market segments. This approach is expected to more quickly increase the number and range of biofortified varieties available in the years to come. Biofortification breeding programs at CIMMYT, supported by HarvestPlus in partnership with the NARS, agricultural universities, private and public sector supplies high zinc agronomically competitive germplasm with consumer preferred end-use quality attributes for testing in genotype-by-environment (GxE) trials. Regional wheat nursery has been set up to distribute to collaborators to test and evaluate high zinc germplasm under various production conditions. Biofortification breeding required developing or adapting cost-effective and rapid high throughout analytical techniques for micronutrients, as thousands of samples need to be tested for mineral or vitamin content each season. These trait diagnostics include near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and colorimetric methods for carotenoid analysis. For mineral analysis, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) emerged as the method of choice, as it requires minimal pre-analysis preparation and allows for non-destructive analysis (Paltridge et al., 2012a, 2012b). HarvestPlus supports stakeholders in analyzing micronutrients (iron and zinc) contents in their germplasm and advance product pipelines to help them to increase the efficiency of breeding at an early stage.
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Fig. 2. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) Machine Source-HarvestPlus
Cumulatively, more than 150 biofortified varieties of 10 crops have been released in 30 countries. Candidate biofortified varieties across 12 crops are being evaluated for release in an additional 25 countries.
Nutritional bioavailability and efficacy evidence Pearl millet variety Dhanashakti bred to be richer in iron, the efficacy of iron pearl millet was evaluated in secondary school children from Maharashtra, India. A significant improvement in serum ferritin and total body iron was observed in iron-deficient adolescent boys and girls after consuming biofortified pearl millet flat bread twice daily for four months. The prevalence of iron deficiency was reduced significantly in the high-iron biofortified pearl millet group. Those children who were iron deficient at baseline were significantly (64%) more likely to resolve their deficiency by six months (Finkelstein et al., 2015). Zinc studies have demonstrated that zinc in biofortified wheat is bioavailable (Rosado et al., 2009). Because plasma zinc concentration, the biomarker widely used to estimate zinc status, has limitations in measuring changes in dietary zinc, foundational research to identify and test more sensitive biomarkers is underway. These biomarkers will be tested in the zinc rice and wheat efficacy trial scheduled for 2017. A recent study showed that DNA strand breaks are a sensitive indicator of modest increases in zinc intake, such as the amount of additional zinc that might be delivered by a biofortified crop (King et al., 2016).
Biofortification Priority Index (BPI): A tool for informing future investments To assist potential stakeholders to get best return of investment (ROI) in Biofortification, HarvestPlus has developed a country–crop–micronutrient specific BPI. The global BPI is a tool that ranks each of the seven aforementioned staple crops according to its suitability for investment in biofortification in 127 countries in Africa, Asia, and
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Latin America and the Caribbean. The BPI is calculated using secondary country-level data compiled from various sources, including the FAO, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United States Department of Agriculture. The BPI allows stakeholders to identify top, high, medium, low, and little/no priority countries for investment in each biofortified crop. HarvestPlus recently developed an online and interactive BPI tool, which is a global map that illustrates countries that are most suitable for biofortification investment for the aforementioned seven crops, based on their BPI rankings (this tool can be accessed at http://www.ifpri.org/tools/bpimappingtool).
Farm to Plate HarvestPlus has an ambitious goal to change lives of one billion people globally by 2030 with biofortified crops. Forging partnerships with multi-disciplinary stakeholders is key to success. Building sustainable markets for biofortified crops will ensure long-term demand across the value chain. These partnerships will help leverage opportunities and to reap competitive advantage of biofortified crops in the existing markets. Biofortified crops can have advantage to generate demand from agriculture as well as nutrition. With this overarching strategy in the backdrop, the initial pathway starts with farmers adopt biofortified varieties. The focus on supply side helps to create access and availability and simultaneously demand. The seed companies both public, private sector and community organization will have an opportunity with their strong infrastructure for production, distribution channels and understanding of market to create awareness of these products with unique value proposition to consumers and communities. Experience in consumer preferences and behaviors helps to position these products with nutrient messages on the benefits of consumption and agronomic superiority for creating demand. HarvestPlus partnership with National Agriculture Research System (NARES), public and private seed companies, NGO’s and community organization will help in reaching farmers, where a major percentage of the consumption of primary food production happens (on farm). This helps in realizing the primary goal of biofortification approach of impacting rural communities for increasing the household nutrition. The first biofortified variety pearl millet variety “Dhanashakti” with 77ppm of iron levels and 40 ppm of zinc developed under the HarvestPlus Biofortification Program jointly by ICRISAT and Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), was officially released in 2014. Nirmal Seeds was first to commercialize this variety. Subsequently, Mahabeej and Karnataka State Seed Corporation have started selling. An estimated 75,000 farmers are growing this variety in Maharashtra, Karnataka and adjoining states. The second wave iron hybrids developed by ICRISAT and partners (Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth -MPKV and Marathwada Agricultural University-MAU) have been identified for release in 2017. Two zinc wheat varieties were officially released in 2016, developed by ICAR- Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research- WB-02 with 42 ppm zinc and HPBW-01 with 40.6 ppm zinc by Punjab Agricultural University. Linking rural markets with marketable surplus when attained helps in availability of biofortified grain, flour and value added product to non-farming consumers who buy food. This will require productions with traceability guarantees to preserve identity of the commodity through the aggregation points in the value chain. Large food companies and retails chains can be the drivers of biofortified food products to the urban consumers to various target markets and segments. This can trigger larger demand in the market, and will help to realize better value for primary producers of biofortified crops. Public food and nutrition programs (Targeted Public Distribution –TPDS; Mid-Day Meal Scheme; Integrated Child Development Scheme) can be other major drivers for biofortified food crops which will help in increasing the nutrition component cost-effectively. Decentralized procurement for these programs can help in engaging farmers directly for supplying biofortified grains and farmers to have market to supply and incentive them to grow. The Government of Brazil in partnership with HarvestPlus partner Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMPRAPA), has initiated a pilot in one of the poorest states, Maranhão, for local procurement of multiple biofortified foods crops for school feeding programs.
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Figure 3. Biofortified crops grown and consumed worldwide Source HarvestPlus
Institutionalizing Biofortification for Sustainability HarvestPlus collaborates with the country programs on biofortification research in India, China and Brazil, that focusses on the “food basket approach” with multiple staple food crops. In India, ICAR-Consortia Research Platform Biofortification is working in rice, wheat maize, sorghum, pearl millet with multiple nutrients. Brazil through Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) is developing nutrient –rich varieties of eight crops: rice, wheat, maize, sweet potato, bean, cowpea, cassava, and pumpkin. China’s biofortification research program focusses on increasing in iron, zinc and pro vitamin A content in rice, maize, wheat and sweet potato. HarvestPlus collaborates with ICARDA, and ICRISAT for developing biofortified lentils and sorghum in India. These investments in biofortification research and development will help to move biofortification beyond HarvestPlus. Absorption of biofortification in the mainstream market ecosystems will create sustainability to impact agriculture and nutrition. This will require critical components, such as consistent supply and demand, and policy support. Supply of biofortified crops by public and private sector through mainstreaming this trait in their core-breeding program will offer competitive product baskets to the farmers. Consumer demand to grow and consume will help to connect rural and urban consumers. Policy support to incorporate these nutritious crops in public food programs e.g. targeted public distribution scheme, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme (MDM) and procurement price support will drive demand further. These efforts in integrating biofortification from rural to urban markets will help in creating long- term sustainability and reaching millions.
Conclusion Biofortification strategy can complements with the existing market interventions (supplementations and fortifications) and dietary diversity to improve nutrition. It targets the poor rural populations, takes advantages of the existing delivery infrastructure and is extremely cost-effective. Multi-disciplinary partnerships will help
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in driving adoption and creating demand for biofortified crops. Mainstreaming of the biofortified traits by public and private sector breeding program will create product sustainability. Food companies and retail companies incorporating biofortified food in their existing products and new product pipelines will trigger further demand from consumers. Favorable policy support to include biofortified food staples in the existing public food and nutrition program will help in increasing the nutrition component and generate further demand. Government’s inclusion of agriculture as promising means to improve human nutrition in the nutrition policy will help in create long-term sustainability. However, the prime potential of biofortification is and will be to address hidden hunger among the farming and rural populations. Cross-industry participation and collaborative efforts will help in rooting deeper biofortification in the existing food value chain and will help to realize the competitive and complementary advantage that biofortified crops has to offer. Biofortified crops can play an important role in providing food based solution for strengthening the nutrition security in India.
References: Bouis, H.E, Hotz, C,. Mc Clafferty., B. Meenakshi, J.V. Pfeiffer, W.H., 2011b. Biofortification: A new tool to reduce micronutrient malnutrition .Food Nutri Bull.32 (Suppl.1) S31-S40) Copenhangen Consenses 2008: Results, www.copenhangenconsensus.com/Home.aspx and Copenhagen Consensus, “Micronutrient Fortification and Biofortification:, www. Copenthange-consensus.com/Default.axpz?ID=1456 Finkelstein, J. Mehta, S. Udipi, S et al 2015 A randomized trial of iron-biofortified pearl millet in school children in India. J. Nutr..http://dx.doi.org.10.3945/jn.114.208009 Meenakshi, J.V., N. L. Johnson, V.M. Manyong, H.DeGroote, J. Javelosa, D.R. Yanggen, F. Naher, C. Gonzalez, J.Gracia and E. Meng. 2010. “How Cost-Effective Is Biofortification in Combating Micronutrient Malnutrition? An Ex-Ante Assessment”. World Development 38 (1): 64-75. Paltridge, N.G., Milham, P.J., Ortiz-Monasterio, J.I., Velu,G., et al 2012a. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry as a stool for zin, iron and selenium analysis in whole grain wheat. Plant Soil 361, 261-269 Paltrige .N.G Plamer,l.J., Milham, P.J, Guild G.E., et al , 2012b. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis of zinc and iron concentration in rice and pearl millet grain. Plant Soil 361, 251-260 Rosado, J., Hambridge, K.M., Miller, L., Gracia, O., Westcott, J, Gonzalez, K Conde, J., Hotz, C., Pfeiffer, W.H., Oritiz-Monasterio, I., Krebs, N., 2009. The quantity of zinc absorbed from wheat in adult women is enhanced by biofortification. J.Nutr. 139. 1920-1925. Saltzman, A., Biro, e., Bouis, H., et al., 2013 Biofortification: progress towards a more nourishing future Glob. Food Securi.2 (1), 9-17 World Bank 1993, World Development Report. Washington D.C.
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Seed Certification System in India Dr. Dilip Kr. Srivastava* Asstt. Commissioner (Quality Control-Seeds), Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi Seed is the one of determinant of agricultural production potential on which the efficacy of other agriculture inputs is dependent. The expenditure of the farmers on other inputs may be of no use in the absence of quality seed. The entire economy of any country may be affected as a result of application of sub-standard seeds. So for any successful seed programme, it is necessary to provide quality seed, on time, in adequate quantities, at affordable price, at the door step of the farmers. This is only possible by strict monitoring on seed production processes through seed certification and stringent seed law enforcement. Under Section 8 of the Seeds Act1966, there is provision for the establishment of Seed Certification Agencies, presently 25 Seed Certification Agencies are working across the country to certify the quality of seed as per the Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards.
Seed Quality Concepts The importance of quality seed was realized since man learnt to cultivate the crops; however, the concept of seed quality on scientific lines, gained impetus during 1869, when Professor Friedrich Nobbe in Germany advocated that the seeds must be tested before sowing and concept of seed testing laboratories started in European countries, USA and Canada. The Seed Certification and the Seed Testing are two interdependent terms monitored by seeds legislation. The Seed Certification is not mandatory, but optional. It becomes a normal practice to market the seeds under truthful label. The Seed Certification procedures are defined and the certification agencies are certifying the seeds as per the prescribed procedures. This is the need of time that any seed used for planting must reach to farmer only after its certification. In case of seed certification, seed samples from fields that have been properly inspected; and be tested before the proper certificate is issued, to indicate that this seed has met the entire field and laboratory seed certification requirement. Seed quality is defined as the sum of all attributes which differentiate the seed from the grain. 58
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The National Seeds Corporation set up in 1963, has the status of first official seed certification agency. The Seeds Act was passed in 1966 and for the first time in the country’s history, statutory support for quality control system of seed was provided by government. Section 8 of the Seeds Act envisaged that the State Government and the Central Government in consultation with the State Government may by notification in the Official Gazette established a certification agency for a State to carry out functions entrusted to it under the Act. The functions of the seed certification agency have been specified in clause 6 of Seed Rules, 1968. Twenty five State Seed Certification Agencies/Departments for Seed Certification are working across the country. These agencies levy certification charges on producers for certifying seed and different services such as registration, field inspection, grow-out (control plot) test, inspection of seed processing plants, revalidation of seeds, bagging, tagging, sealing, etc. The Central Government has been empowered to constitute Central Seed Certification Board under Section 8A of the Act to advise the Central Government on matters related to seed certification. The Board is the apex body to regulate the certification process in the country.
Seed Certification under OECD Seeds Scheme: The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) operates a number of seed certification schemes. 59 countries participate in OECD certification schemes. India has also become the member of OECD schemes in 2008. Joint Secretary (Seeds) is the National Designated Authority for the OECD Seeds Scheme. Ten State Seed Certification Agencies Viz. Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been identified as designated authorities, however Telangana State Seed and Organic Certification Authority, Hyderabad and Rajasthan State Seed and Organic Production Certification Authority, Jaipur have been identified as lead agencies for acceleration of seed export under the scheme. India is participating five OECD schemes viz. i) Cereals, ii) Maize and Sorghum, iii) Crucifers and other oils or fibers iv) Grasses and Legumes v) Vegetables. India does not participate in sugar beet and fodder beet seed and seed of subterranean clove and similar species.
Seed certification in Indian perspective Seed certification has been recognized as an official method of seed quality control which provides high quality seeds and planting material of notified/kind and varieties to Indian farmers. Seed certification is also responsible to achieve quality seed of prescribed Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards. The system of labeling the seed and certification has legal sanctity under Section 6 (a) and clause 17 (a) of Seed Rules of Seeds Act, 1966, which provides that seed producers/traders have the option either to produce and sell labeled seed or certified seed respectively. In other words, seed certification has been made voluntary and is not compulsory. The Act further provides that only a variety notified under Section 5 of Seeds Act can be certified and the authority of notification of kind/variety vests with the Central Government. Followings are the agricultural (including horticulture) crops which are covered under Section 2 (11) of the Seeds Act, 1966 for regulation of quality of seed.
1) Seeds of food crops including edible oil seeds of fruits and vegetables.
2) Cotton seeds
3) Seeds of cattle fodder.
4) Jute seeds
Further, seedlings and tubers, bulbs, rhizomes, roots, cuttings all types of grafts and other vegetative propagated material of food crops or cattle fodder are also included. Eligibility of varieties for Certification: Any variety released and notified through official Gazette under Section 5 of the Seeds Act by Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards Notification & Release of Varieties for Agricultural crops is eligible for certification.
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Verification of seed source: Verification of source seed is the first step in Seed Certification Programme. Unless the seed is from approved source and of designated class certification agency will not accept the seed field for certification, thereby ensuring the use of high quality true to type seed for sowing of seed crops. The source of the seed planted must be verified vigilantly for each generation of seed multiplication as long as varietal purity is maintained and the acceptability of a certifiable seed source is documented through seed certification. Field inspection: The first step of certification start when seed certification officer checks the seed grower’s field. The inspections is made to verify the previous crop, to access off type plants and records the findings in the field and verify other related issues as prescribed in the Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standard to prevent out-cross, physical admixtures, disease dissemination and also ensure crop condition as regards to the spread of designated diseases and the presence of objectionable weed plants etc. The guidelines prescribed under Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standard for field inspection is on par with internationally accepted Organisation of Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD) seed certification system. This field inspection ensures varietal purity of the cultivar. In case the field inspection is not followed properly, there would not be any control over the availability of true to type cultivar to the farmers. Besides, some of the private seed companies may not follow proper field inspection as prescribed in the Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standard because this may cost additional financial burden on their activities but very much required to ensure the quality of seeds. Sampling: The representative samples of the seeds produced under certification programme is drawn by the concerned officer of Seed Certification Agency to ascertain various quality standard tests such as germination and other purity tests including varietal purity. The processed seed is officially sampled by the Seed Certification Agencies. The notified seed testing laboratory test the samples for certification and labeling. The standards prescribed for testing the seed samples for certification is at par with internationally accepted standard of ISTA (International Seed Testing Association). The seed testing system under seed certification programme doubly ensures the quality and vigour of the seed vis-à-vis seed health as specified under IMSCS-2013. Under the certification programme the provision has been made for bulk inspection. Hence, the evaluation of the lot for the purpose of checking homogently of the bulk seed produced as compared with the standard sample is carried out. This gives an idea about the genuineness of lot and sample. Control plot testing: Here the samples drawn from the source and final seed produced are grown side by side along with the standard samples of the variety in question. By comparison it can be determined whether the varietal purity and health of the produced seed are equal to the results based on field inspection. Grow-out test: Evaluation of the seeds for their genuineness to species or varieties or seed borne infection. Here the samples drawn from the lots are grown in the field along with the standard checks. Growing plants are observed for the varietal purity. Grow-out test helps in the elimination of the sub-standard seed lots.
Analysis of seeds and reporting result Seed analysis is carried out in Seed Testing Laboratory notified under Seeds Act, 1966 for confirmation of the seed quality to the prescribed seed standards. The representative samples drawn from processed seed lots pertaining to seed fields approved for certification are analyzed to assess their quality with respect ‘to physical purity, germination, moisture content, seed health etc. As described earlier, any seed lot to ‘become eligible for certification should conform to specified seed certification standards both at the field level and the laboratory level. Steps involved in seed testing
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i. Receipt and registration of seed samples.
ii. Physical purity analysis Journey of Seed
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iii. Moisture determination
iv. Germination testing
v. Seed health testing
vi. Tests for seed viability and vigour
vii. Verification of genetic purity
viii. Reporting of result.
Labelling / tagging: If the seed lot meets the minimum prescribed standards for a certain quality class, certification labels/tags are provided every seed container/bags. The certification labels/tags is the document that shows the standards have been met. Hence, certification is the proof of quality seed. Grant of Certificate: Certificate termed as Release order or Form-II is the final authenticated document issued by the Certification Agency for those seed lots conforming to the prescribed standards for certification as IMSCS, certificate is issued after the completion of bagging, labeling, tagging, sealing etc. Seed certification is a scientific approach adopted worldwide to ensure the availability of good quality seeds to the farmers. The availability quality seed among the farmers is the prime responsibility for the Government; however the private seed companies have joined their hand and significantly contributing the motive food security in the country.
References:
i)
The Role of Seed Certification in the Seed Industry: Proceedings of a Symposium Sponsored by Divisions C-1 and C-4 of the Crop Science Society of America in Las Vegas, NV, 29 Nov. 1985
ii)
Seeds: A Global Perspective, Eds. G. Kalloo, S.K. Jain, Alice K. Vari and Umesh Srivastava, Published by Indian Society of Seed Technology, New Delhi, 2006
iii) OECD Varietal Certification in India, Published by National Designated Authority, OECD Seeds Schemes, Govt. of India, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
iv) Seed Net Portal, of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, New Delhi
The article has been published with permission of author
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Indian Legislations and Policies Governing the Seed Sector Malavika Dadlani Former Joint Director (Research) and Head, Seed Science & Technology Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi Email: malavikadadlani.md@gmail.com Use of good quality seeds of improved crop varieties is key to the success in agriculture. Realising this, the Government of India laid great emphasis on agriculture research and education since early 50s. As a result of sustained research, trained manpower development, sound planning and enabling government policies more than 8,000 new improved and high yielding varieties (HYVs) of field and horticultural crops have been developed. The public sector giant, the National Seeds Corporation was established in 1963 followed, subsequently, by 15 more State Seeds Corporations to fulfill the needs of quality seeds. The production and marketing of quality seeds of improved crop varieties were undertaken mainly by the public sector, with some regional players in the private sector, till the early 80s. The liberalized economic policies of the 80s – 90s attracted several private players in the seed sector and opened the Indian markets to several global players. The Indian farmers benefitted from a vast range of new HYVs and hybrids with desirable quality traits, which were now available in the Indian market. With the combined outputs from the public and private sectors, the availability of quality seeds increased significantly and at present (2014-15, Agric. Statistics, GOI), the availability of quality seeds (>35.17 mill q) is more than the demand (>34.35 mill q). Adoption of the HYVs (including hybrids) through the use of new seeds was the single most enabling technology that contributed to the remarkable increase in productivity and production of food grains to cross 270 mill t (2015-16) and of vegetables to >168 mill t (2016), with only about 3% increase in the cropping area since 1960-61 (FAO, 2014). A sound regulatory mechanism is key to develop and sustain a strong seed supply system. Introduction of the Seeds Act, 1966 (with the Seed Rules, 1968) and its implementation in 1969 was a landmark in developing a viable and responsible seed sector in India. Enactment and implementation of successive legislative instruments and policies by the Government of India from time to time have addressed the changing needs of the agriculture sector in the 62
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country and contributed to the steady growth of the Indian seed sector for over the past 60 years.The primary objective of such legislations is to ensure that the seed reaching the farmers are of such kind and varieties which are suitable for cultivation in a given location and meet the desired quality attributes. As the majority of the farming community comprise of small and marginal farmers, it is imperative that the law of the land balances the interests of the farmers as well as encourages the growth of the seed sector with fair competitions. Of the various legal provisions and policies for regulating the seed sector, some are essential for the operations of the seed industry, while others are specific to situations / commodity / markets etc. Essentially, the seed sector is governed by the following legal framework, Seeds Act, 1966: This Act, with Seed Rules, 1968 and Amendments thereafter, defined the basic provisions for regulating the quality of seeds for sale through compulsory labeling and voluntary certification. It has 25 Sections, which describe the provisions and specifications for compulsory labeling; eligibility for certification; notification for release of varieties; constitution of various committees; requirements for Central and State Seed Testing Laboratories; State Seed Certification Agencies; qualifications, responsibilities and powers of Seed Analysts and Seed Inspectors; penalties for various offences etc. Notification of varieties is controlled by the Central Seed Committee (CSC) and its statutory sub-committees. Before being eligible for notification by CSC, the variety has to successfully pass through a set evaluative procedure, similar to the VCU (Value for Cultivation and Use) system adopted in many European countries. There are All India Coordinated Research Pro-jects (AICRP) and All India Network Projects (AINP) for each of the main crops or crop groups under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for variety evaluation and identification of the best varieties for release. Varieties which are developed for only one region can also be released after multi-location evaluation within the state. All centrally or state released varieties are eligible to be considered for Notification under Section 5 of the Seeds Act. Notification is done only by the Central Sub-Committee for Notification and Release of Varieties. The first official Seed Certification Agency was established in 1970 under section 8 of the Seed Act, 1966 in the state of Maharashtra under the Department of Agriculture. This was followed by Karnataka. Presently, 24 States in the country have their own Seed Certification Agencies established.The following criteria are essential for seed certification of a crop variety,
• The variety must be notified under section 5 of the Seed Act, 1966. It should be in the seed chain, so that its pedigree is known.
• The seed crop has been raised following the prescribed requirements
• Field standards (as given for specific crop species in the Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards, published and updated from time to time by GOI) are met, including specific requirement, if any
• Seed standards (as given for specific crop species in the Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards, published and updated from time to time by GOI) are met following the standard testing protocols.
Enactment of this legislation not only brought awareness among farmers about the use of right varieties and quality seeds for better results, but also supported the growth of the formal seed sector in India, which has played a significant role in the success of Green Revolution. In order to maintain the uniformity for seed certification and to implement an effective quality assurance mechanism, the Minimum Seed Cetification Standards were formulated ( Field standards for the seed crop, and Seed standards for seed quality) by the Central Seed Certification Board in 1988. Standards were given for major cereals, millets, pulses, oilseeds, fibre, forage, green maure and sugar crops. It also included the key vegetables and cash crops. The central purpose of fixing seed certification standards is to ensure that the seed reaching the farmer is up to/ above the minimum quality standards. As a general principle, standards are kept at such level, that demand scrupulous attention of the certified seed growers, but are achievable given the ground situations. The crop specific standards are revised / modified / updated as per needs. These
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standards were revised in 2013 after 35 years by adding many more crops. Presently IMSCS are available for 168 plant species, including all important field crops, vegetables, cash crops, ornamentals, spices etc. It also provides standards for vegetatively propagated and tissue cultures planting materials. Seeds (Control) Order, 1983: Seed was included under the Essential Commodities Act (1955) in 1983. The primary regulation introduced by this Order is compulsory licensing for seed dealers/ sellers by the order that ‘No person shall carry on the business of selling, exporting or importing seeds at any place except under and in accordance with the terms and conditions of licence granted to him under this order’. The State Government is empowered that it may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint such number of persons as it thinks necessary to be licensing authority and may also define in that notification the area within which each such licensing authority shall exercise his jurisdiction. It provides power to the enforcement authority (the State Govt.) to conduct quality checks of any seed in sale/ in possession for sale or submitted by a consumer. It brings all marketed seed under the umbrella of essential commodity, and thereby putting in the ambit of seed quality control through market checks, provision for penalty on violation of Act and not meeting the prescribed standards, compulsory issuance of receipt for every seed sale and thus protection of consumers’ rights. This was the first step to give the farmers / consumers a legal provision for claiming compensation for poor quality/ sub-standard seed and resulting crop failure or under performance. This paved way for the New Seed policy introduced in 1988.The Order was amended by Seeds Amendment Control Order, 2006. New Policy on Seed Development (NPSD), 1988: With the legislations necessary to support a responsible seed industry in the country, participation of the private sector started growing. However, there were several restrictions in free movement of new and improved plant varieties from across the globe. To address this, the NPSD was introduced in 1988. This policy initiative was brought in by the GOI with the main objectives of supporting:
• The import of high quality seeds
• The time-bound programme to strengthen quarantine facilities
• Effective observance of procedures for quarantine and post-entry quarantine (PEQ) and
• Incentives to encourage domestic seed industry
This liberalised policy provided an efficient framework for exchange, import and sale of seed and planting material, with the aim at providing to the Indian farmers the best planting materials available in the world to increase productivity, farm incomes and export earnings, while taking necessary plant quarantine measures to restrict entry of exotic pests. Liberalised policy attracted significant investments in seed sector, including the entry of global seed companies. As a result, private seed sector also started investing in R&D activities, specially in vegetable breeding and hybrid research. The availability of quality seeds in India and the quantum of seed business increased from <0.2 bill USD in 1990 to >2.5 bill USD in 2014 (Yes Bank, 2015). This resulted in substantial increase in the agricultural production and productivity in general, and of vegetables in particular. Another important contribution of this policy is significant increase in the availability of high quality planting material of a number of horticultural crops, mainly fruits and floriculture species. Presently, more than 90% of the requirement of 63,000 t of vegetable seeds by the private sector, though many of these are producing and marketing seeds of >460 vegetable varieties released by the public research institutions. Productivity and Production of Vegetables post-NSPD Year
Average Productivity (t/ha)
Total Vegetable Production (mill t)
1991
10.27
49.97
2001
13.10
78.90
2011
13.97
105.80
2013
17.60
162.19
(AICRP- Vegetables, IIVR, Varanasi) 64
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Protection of Plant Variety & Farmers’ Rights Act (PPVFRA), 2001: Though the national policy of the agriculture research system in the country encouraged sharing freely the germplasm as well as the newly bred varieties with the private and public sectors for easy dissemination, being a signatory of the WTO agreement India enacted the Protection of Plant Variety & Farmers’ Rights Act (PPVFRA), 2001, a legislation on Plant Variety Protection. The Act provides for the protection of plant varieties covering new as well as extant varieties, as given below:
• New varieties under Section 15 (1)
• Extant varieties under Section 15 (2) , including Varieties notified under Seeds Act Section 5; Farmers’ varieties ; and Varieties of Common knowledge under 15 (2) j, and Essentially Derived varieties under Section 2(i), 23.
This is the only Act on plant variety protection in the world, which stresses on the farmers’ rights. Farmers are entitled to save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange share or sell their farm produce including seed of a registered variety in an unbranded manner. Farmers’ varieties are eligible for registration and farmers are exempted from payment of any fee in any proceedings under this Act. The period of protection for field crops is 15 years and for trees and vines is 18 years and for notified varieties it is 15 years from the date of notification. To be eligible for registration, a duly completed application in the prescribed format needs to be submitted, assigning a denomination to the variety; an affidavit confirming that the variety does not contain any gene / gene sequence with terminator technology; complete passport data of the source material and characteristics of the variety for establishing the Novelty, Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability criteria. The Act confers adequate rights to the breeders (Section 28(1); researchers (Section 30), as well as farmers (Section 39.1). It recognizes the role of farmers and communities in the conservation of plant varieties and gives them due recognition as Genome Saviours and Custodians of PGR. Compensation is also provided for village or rural communities if any registered variety has been developed using any variety in whose evolution such village or local community has contributed significantly. The procedural details and modes of implementing this Act are provided in PPV&FR Rules, 2003.Presently, Guidelines for the conduct of Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability are notified for >114 plant species and 123 centres are designated for the conduct of DUS testing. The industry response to the Act was enthusiastic and in the first 5 years since its implementation, more than 60% applications came from the private sector. However, in the subsequent years, there was a sharp rise in the number of applications from the farmers and public sector. By 2016, the Authority processed 1178 applications from public sector, 3433 from private sector and 8078 from the farmers / communities. One hundred and thirty five seed companies (including 26 MNCs) have registered their varieties in over 25 crops.the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act (PPV&FRA), 2001 not only grants the plant variety protection, it also protects the rights of farmers through several provisions, including information on the pedigree of the plant variety, its characteristics and expected performance. It also provides compensation for under-performance of a variety, a step ahead of Seed Control Order. Introduction of this Act played a significant role in the growth of Indian seed industry. It attracted substantial investments in seed sector, resulting in the availability of better genetic material to the farmers, increase in the use of quality seeds of improved varieties and hybrids, including GM (Bt cotton hybrids) and a healthy competition in the seed sector. Since India is not a signatory to UPOV convention, the varieties protected under PPV&FR Act donot get the benefit of reciprocity of protection in other countries. To address this issue, India is actively considering the possibilities of entering into Bilateral / multi-partner agreements with European countries under the Concept of Convention Countries. Biodiversity Act, 2002: Fulfilling the international commitments as a signatory to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), India enacted this Act, following the one for PVP. This Act provides for conservation and safe use of biological diversity including plants. The National Biodiversity Authority, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change, GOI is the nodal Seed Times May - August 2017
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authority for the implementation of regulations, policies and action plans of the government of India in conformity to India’s commitment to international conventions and treaties, and obeying the national laws. Implementing the Biodiversity Act, 2002 (BDA,2002) was a significant step taken for the conservation and use of biological diversity of the country, while protecting its soverign rights on bioresources. Salient features of the BDA are: To protect sovereign rights of India over her biological resources To stop misappropriation of biological resources and associate knowledge (Bio-piracy) To regulate access & use of Biological resources and /associated knowledge To ensure sustainable utilisation and equitable benefit sharing and To provide legal recognition & support to the Biological resources and associated traditional knowledge. Established under Section 18 of BDA, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is assigned with the responsibility of
• Issue of guidelines on Access and Benefit Sharing ( ABS) of the PGR
• Grant of approval for access
• Advise to the Central/State Governments for the enactment of Act as per various sections and
• Opposing grant of IPR outside India on any Biological resources obtained restrict the use of PGR by the private seed sector. However, both public and private national research institutions and seed companies, which are 100% indigenous, or an individual Indian citizen can access PGR from national sources for research, conservation purposes with necessary approval from the concerned authorities as prescribed under Section 3(2) and Section 7.
Act provides exemption to undertake certain activities of the traditional and economic values and also to support individual researchers or government-sponsored institutes, subject to the necessary government (Central / State) approval. NBA approval is mandatory for access of indigenous Bioresources for research purpose by a foreign researcher, institution or private seed company. To facilitate non-commercial research, NBA introduced a special Form for the Indian research/scientists or government institutes to carry/send the biological resources outside India for doing research (like CSIR, ICAR, ZSI, BSI, Govt. Universities). ICAR-NBPGR is the focal point for supply of germplasm for research purposes. The National Gene Bank (plant species) housed in NBPGR has conserved more than 0.43 million accessions of plant species in its seed bank. On an average, NBPGR supplies 10,000 plant accessions for non-commercial research purposes to the national research institutions / researchers, seed companies with R&D, local communities etc. following the prescribed procedures.
Export & Import (EXIM) Policy, 2002: This policy details the provisions for exports and imports of seeds and planting materials. India with its varied agro-climatic conditions; wealth of agro-biodiversity; high scientific competence (developed >8000 varieties in agricultural horticultural species, suitable for different climate and growing conditions); a sound system of quality seed production and certification, has huge potential for seed export. Tonapi (2016) listed the following countries having high export potentials for the crops mentioned below. Cotton: Pakistan, Myanmar, Turkey, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Uganda and
Tanzania.
Sunflower: Turkey, Pakistan, Myanmar, Iran, Morocco, Tanzania and Iraq. Millets: Pakistan, Nigeria, Niger, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Mali.
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Sorghum: Nigeria, Sudan, Burkino Faso, Ethiopia, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. Rice: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. Maize: Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Turkey, Philippines, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Tomato: Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, Iraq, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Syria and Algeria. Watermelon: Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Syria, Algeria, and Bangladesh. Cantaloupes: Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Morocco, Bangladesh, Syria, and Egypt. Egg plant: Indonesia, Turkey , Egypt , Philippines , Sri Lanka ,Bangladesh and Pakistan. Hot pepper: Indonesia, Nigeria , Ghana , Turkey , Egypt , Sri Lanka , Tunisia and Algeria. Onions: Turkey, Pakistan , Bangladesh , Egypt , Iran , Myanmar , Vietnam , Sri Lanka and Uganda. However, in spite of the fact that India has become a member in 2008 and adopted OECD seed schemes and the advantages mentioned above, India’s share is <1% of the global export market (IFS, 2016), both by value and volume. India imported 22,301 MTs of seeds and exported 7,38,000 MTs of seeds, respectively, in 2014-15 (Sathyanarayana, 2016; NIPHM). The export / import of seeds is regulated mainly by the Export and Import (EXIM) Policy 2002-07 (and amendment made therein) alongwith Plant Quarantine Order, 2003 (under DIPA, 1914), which provides processes and protocols for quarantine regulations for export and import of seed and planting material; and Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Treaty. The EXIM policy was brought with the objectives to provide the best planting material, available anywhere in the world to Indian farmers for better productivity and income. Necessary provisions are made on quarantine measures to prevent entry of exotic pests diseases and weeds. All imports of seeds for research purpose are handled by NBPGR, whereas for commercial puorpose seed import requires apptoval of DAC and a permit granted by the Plant Protection Authority (PPA). For importing seeds for research purpose the organisation/ company must have a recognised R&D unit, operating for at least last 3 years. Imported seed and planting material must meet the minimum seed standards of seed health, germination, genetic and physical purity as prescribed in IMSCS. All importers need to make available a sample of the imported seed to the Gene Bank maintained by NBPGR. Following are the main conditions for the issuance of Import Permit (IP),
• Commodities must be notified in Schedule V (Germplasm) & Schedule VI (Commercial) after carrying out Pest Risk Analysis [Clause 3(3)].
• Import Permit and Phytosanitary Certificate are required [Clause 3(1)]
• Phytosanitary measures as prescribed, must be taken
• Additional Declaration for freedom from pests of concern to India
• Mother crop inspection for freedom from pests
• Specific treatments as Risk Management, if required
• Post-Entry Quarantine (PEQ) for specific Crops
National Seed Policy (NSP), 2002 Major thrust areas of National Seeds Policy, 2002 were variety development, including transgenic varieties ; plant variety protection; seed production, distribution and marketing; quality assurance; upgradation of infrastructure facilities; promotion of export and import of seeds and planting materials; promotion of domestic private sector seed industry and strengthening of the quality monitoring system. Seed Times May - August 2017
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This policy played important role in bringing more awareness about the importance of quality seed. Both public and private sectors upgraded quality assurance and seed testing infrastructure, which led to the establishment of a number of Seed Testing laboratories of international standards in the private sector with International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) accreditation. The release of Bt cotton hybrids for commercial cultivation, implementation of PPV&FR Act were the other significant achievements. Release of Bt cotton was a turning point for the Indian seed industry. This resulted in a spurt of investment on Agriculture Biotechnology research and private sector R&D in agriculture. The number of commercially released cotton hybrids increased from 3 in 2002 to 1128 in 2012, with a 220% rise in seed demand and 39.5% increase in acreage. This resulted in >130% higher cotton production.
The Seeds Bill, 2004 The Seeds Bill, 2004 aims to regulate the quality of seeds sold, and replaces the Seeds Act, 1966. The Act will be in harmonisation with the existing legislations, particularly with PPV&FR Act, 2001; Biological Diversity Act, 2002; Seeds Control Order, 1983 and the Plants, Fruits and Seeds (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 1989. Proposed in 2004, this Bill is still awaiting the legislative approval. The proposed Seeds Bill, 2004 seeks to regulate the production, distribution and sale of seeds for ensuring identity and performance of a variety and quality of seed. Some of the salient features of the proposed Seeds Bill, 2004 are:
• Registration of kinds and varieties of seeds based on evaluation of performance
• Compensation to framers for under-performance
• Compulsory registration of Seed Producers and Processing Units
• Registration of Seed dealers
• Regulation of Sale of Seed and Seed Certification
• Regulation for Export and Import of Seeds and Planting Material
• Inclusion of GM varieties and regulations for testing and seed production
A Standing Committee constituted by the Govt. of India to examin the provisions of the proposed Bill, made several suggestions and recommendations, including that farmers selling or exchanging seeds with other farmers be exempted from the requirement of meeting the prescribed quality parameters. Several new amendments to the Bill were proposed in April 2010 and November 2010, accepting most of the recommendations given by the Standing Committee. The salient features of the amended proposed Bill are summarized below:
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• All kinds and varieties of seeds in commerce have to be registered. Labelling is compulsory for all seeds for sale, though certification is voluntary.
• All varieties must be registered on the basis of multi-location performance trials ( the VCU) for 2 years. This will be independent of the registration of plant varieties with the PPV&FRA, which is based on DUS trials.
• The Act in principle applies to all seed dealers and every producer of seed other than farmer, when the seed is produced by him/her for his/her own use.
• Registration and license to operate a seed business is compulsory. No producer shall grow or organize the production of seed or maintain a seed processing unit unless registered by the State Government under this Act. Every person who desires to carry on the business of selling, keeping for sale, offering to sell, import or export or otherwise supply any seed shall obtain a registration certificate as a dealer in seeds from the State Government.
• Labelling being compulsory, the mark or label on the packet or container is to indicate that the seed conforms to the minimum limits of germination, genetic and physical purity, and seed health. The Bill also provides for the registration of Transgenic varieties after the clearance under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. In addition, the label of a seed container has to indicate information on performance traits.
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• The Bill exempts farmers from the requirement of compulsory registration. Farmers are allowed to sow, exchange or sell their farm seeds and planting material without having to conform to the prescribed minimum limits of germination, physical purity and genetic purity (as required by registered seeds). However, farmers cannot sell any seed under a brand name.
• If a registered variety of seed fails to perform to expected standards, the farmer can claim compensation from the producer or dealer. For this purpose the Bill provides for a compensation committee and an appellate body to be set up by notification.
• The constitution of a Central Seed Committee with adequate representations from all stakeholders is recommended. The Committee will be empowered to implement matters relating to (a) Seed programming and planning, (b) Seed development and production; (c) Export and import of seeds;(d) Standards for registration, certification and seed testing;(e) Seed registration and its enforcement; (f) such other matter as may be prescribed. (However, the distribution of members of this Committee from different sections needs to be relooked.)
• A Sub Committee on Variety Registration will maintain, manage and monitor a National Register of Seeds. However, farmers shall not be required to register the farmers’ varieties of seeds in the said register.
• Every State Government shall establish a State Seed Committee to recommend the registration of regional or local seeds of any kind or variety.
• Adequate fines ranging from INR 25,000 and INR 100,000 have been proposed against contravening any provision of the Act or selling misbranded or substandard seeds etc. The penalty for giving false information may incur a prison term for upto a year and/or a fine of upto INR 500,000.
Regulation of Genetically Modified (GM) plant varieties Approval for release and cultivation of Bt cotton in 2002 was a significant step in the growth of Indian seed industry. In addition to other seed regulations, the commercial release and cultivation of GM crops are regulated, by a number of Rules, Policies and Guidelines under Environment Protection Act, 1986 issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MEFCC), GOI and inter-ministerial committees, as summarised below,
• 8th Amendment to drugs and cosmetics Act, 1988
• Notification of rules for implementation, 1989
• Guidelines for research, trials and commercial applications on biotechnological products, 1990
• Guidelines for research in transgenic plants, 1998
• Guidelines for research for clinical products, 1999
• New drugs policy, 2002
• Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Confined Field Trials of Regulated, Genetically Engineered (GE) Plants - 2008
• Guidelines for the Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Genetically Engineered Plants - 2008
• Protocols for Food and Feed Safety Assessment of GE crops - 2008
A transgenic variety is eligible to be protected under the Protection of Plant varieties and Farmer’s Rights Act, 2001. Specific provisions for GM crops are also in the Seeds Bill, 2004:
• Transgenic variety has been defined (clause 2(30); and it has been explicitly mentioned that before submitting the application for registration, the applicant should obtain the mandatory clearances for commercial release of variety through MoEFCC EPA 1986 (clause 15(1)).
• Transgenic seeds with “terminator” technology are banned (clause 18)
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â&#x20AC;˘ Import of transgenic seeds are subject to the provisions of the EP Act (clause 36(1c)
â&#x20AC;˘ After getting all the mandatory clearance from the MoEFCC, the transgenic seed variety has to undergo the performance trial through the accredited organization (ICAR) for a specified period for registration of transgenic seed varieties for commercial sale.
However, presently, Bt cotton is the only GM crop released for commercial cultivation in India. The GOI policy with respect to the conduct of field trials, biosafety regulations and release of other GM crops are yet to be finalized, though the research on transgenic crops, particularly for developing resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses, are continuing both in public research institutions and private sector. Timely introduction and implementation of legislations, policies, orders and guidelines covering various aspects quality seed supply and addressing the changing needs of the farmers as well as the industry have helped the growth of Indian seed sector. Hence, an early decision supporting the development of transgenic crops is the need of the hour. Several other issues, such as uniformity in the implementation of various sections of Seeds Act and Seeds Control Order by different states; proficiency of the seed analysts and field inspectors; availability of adequate manpower by the State Seed Certification Agencies; regular updating and mandatory use of standard operating manuals by all states, also be resolved.
The article has been published with permission of author
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Regulatory challenges for Seed Industry Dr R. K. Trivedi Consultant (Seeds) & Former Deputy Commissioner (QC) & Registrar, PPV & FRA, Deptt. of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi Email: r_k2001in@yahoo.com
1. Introduction The importance of seed quality and product integrity has been recognized by the industry since its inception. The substantial and continuous growth of a seed company mainly depends on adequate supply of quality seeds to the farmers for increasing their agricultural production and productivity. The seed quality is regulated through statutory instruments mainly Seeds Act, 1966 and Seeds (Control) Order, 1963. The seed quality standards are based upon market expectations and the limits of biological systems. These are based on Critical control points throughout the product life cycle. Therefore, thresholds or tolerances are a component of seed quality standards. Tracking, recordkeeping, testing and other measures with appropriate management systems are essential parts of product development and the commercial life cycle for purposes of quality assurance and seed product integrity. Maintaining a seed variety’s trueness to type is critical for market acceptance.
2. Seed Quality Assurance The system of seed quality assurance relies on four important parameters namely genetic (variety) purity, physical purity, germination and moisture. Further, seed vigour and seed health assurances are also being accomplished in several countries. The seed quality is mainly ensured through seed certification, seed labeling, seed law enforcement and seed testing. Within these broad parameters, there are several types of formal, quasi-official and voluntary seed quality assurance systems are operative globally. Seed Times May - August 2017
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2.1 Global System: The concept of seed quality dates back to 1869 when Professor Friedrich Nobbe advocated that seed quality must be tested before sowing in order to ensure desired crop stand. Since then considerable expansion and strengthening of the seed quality assurance programmes took place at global level. Later, the scientists from Germany, Denmark and Austria discussed the methods for seed testing and recommended testing procedures for quality seed supply at national and international seed trade. However, there was no uniformity in seed testing procedures and equipment for quality assessment. The ISTA was founded with an aim to develop and publish standard procedures in seed quality assessment with the basic philosophy to upgrade accuracy and reproducibility in the seed quality assurance results throughout the world. Subsequently, all nations have realized the importance of seed quality concepts and seed analysis laboratories for quality seed distribution. ISTA rules are used in several countries including India for seed assurance testing purpose.
2.2 Indian System: In India, the Seeds Act which was enacted in 1966 ensures that farmers get good quality seeds. Seed quality as envisaged in the Act is to be achieved through pre- and post-marketing control, voluntary certification and compulsory labeling of notified kind/varieties. The notification of the varieties is done under Section 5 of the Seeds Act in consultation with the Central Seed Committee. Minimum limits for germination, physical and genetic purity of varieties/hybrids have been prescribed and notified for labeling the seeds of notified kind/varieties under Section 6(a) of the Seeds Act. Size, color and content of the label are also notified under Section 6(b) of Seeds Act. The Seeds (Control) Order, 1983 regulates the quality of seeds of non-notified varieties and also provides licensing of dealers, display of seed stock etc.
3.Seed Certification System in India Seed Certification is legally sanctioned system and regulatory process to ensure and make available good quality seeds to the farming community with certain prescribed standards of genetic purity, physical purity, physiological quality and seed health. The main objective of certification is to monitor, regulate and ensure the quality of seeds produced under certification programme besides making them available to the farming community in time. The seed certification system is designed to prevent the passage of substandard seed material into the distribution channel which should have been otherwise left unchecked. Under certified seed production programme seed quality is monitored at various stages viz., seed crop growth, seed processing and grading, seed testing etc., and the material not conforming to the standards prescribed for certification is rejected then and there. In India, Seed Certification Agencies are established under Section 8 of the Seeds Act. Seed Certification is voluntary and only those varieties which are notified under Section 5 of the Seeds Act are eligible for seed certification. The seed has to meet prescribed minimum seed certification standards. The seed quality is maintained by the Seed Certification Agency by practicing following measures:
(a) Controlling the seed in previous generations
(b) Carrying out field inspections during the multiplication process to ensure that there is little contamination and the variety is true to type.
(c) Growing samples in control plots of the known seed to ensure that the progeny conform to the characteristics of the variety.
(d) Seed quality testing in laboratories.
In order to ensure uniformity in seed certification system across the Country, the Government of India has prescribed the minimum seed certification Standards for all the crops. The Technical Committee of Central Seed Committee periodically review the standards and update them from time to time. Under the Sub-mission on seeds, the Central Government provides financial assistance to Seed Certification Agencies for development of their infrastructure facilities, strengthening of seed testing laboratories, office automation and HRD activities.
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4. Seed Law Enforcement Under Seeds Act 1966, the State Governments have been empowered for seed law enforcement.
4.1 Appointment of Seed Inspector: The state governments, under section 13 of the Act appoint seed inspectors, and define the areas within which they exercise jurisdiction for enforcing the Seed Law. Seed inspectors have adequate power under Section 14 of the Seeds Act to draw the samples of notified kind/ varieties of seeds from the source where the seeds are being sold. Seed Inspectors can seize the stock of the seed, and issue stop sale order in case the seed under reference contravenes the Act and Rules.
4.2 Penalty: If any person contravenes any provision of the Act or Rules, or prevents a seed inspector from taking sample under this Act, or prevents a seed inspector from exercising any other power conferred on him, such person could be punished under Section 19 of the Act with a fine of Rs 500 for the first offence. In the event of such person having been previously convicted of an offence under this Section, there is provision for imprisonment for a term, which may extend to 6 months, or with fine, which may extend to Rs 1000 or with both.
5. Seed Testing: Under section 4(1) and 4(2) of the Seed Act 1966, 125 Seed Testing Laboratories (SSTLs) are functioning in the State. Besides this Central Seed Testing Laboratory at NSRTC, Varanasi is functioning as referral laboratory for seeds of all crops and CICR Laboratory at Nagpur as referral laboratory for Bt. Cotton seed. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India established National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC) in 2005 as a nodal agency and premier Institute for imparting National and International Trainings on seed related aspects. The important functions of Central Seed testing Laboratory include analyzing the litigation seed samples (seed samples referred by the court of law) as indicated in the Seed Act and Rules. Presently, more than 125 notified seed testing laboratories are in operation in the country, a majority of them are equipped only for performing the primary seed quality testing. It is necessary to equip the STLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manned with quality human resources with regular up gradation of their knowledge on new techniques and to obtain uniformity in test results. Although several measures have been taken by the Government of India to strengthen the STLs in terms of physical infrastructure and manpower and have been providing huge benefits for strengthening the seed quality control system in the country, the status of their functioning still needs much improvement in terms of uniformity and quality human resources.
6. Issues for Seed Quality Regulations: The major challenges which are confronted in seed quality regulations are as under:
i. Reliability and trust worthiness of Seed Certification Agencies is very important for farmers and seed producers for ensuring the quality of certified seeds produced under their supervision. Therefore, the constant monitoring and inspection in field and at post-harvest stage is required for production of quality seeds. The seed certification officials should be regularly trained and updated through the HRD activities.
ii. Adherence to the time frame is very important for certified seed production. The results of the laboratory test should be quickly delivered for timely bagging and tagging of seeds. Similarly, revalidation of seeds should also be completed within the time frame for timely marketing of the seeds.
iii. It has been observed that sometimes less quantity or the higher quantity of seeds inspected in the areas registered under certification programme are coming up for final certification due to many reasons. The certification agency should ensure that only the quantity of seed which has inspected in the field should come to the processing unit.
iv. Old and obsolete seed processing plants cause avoidable damage to / wastage of seeds and reduce the efficiency of seed multiplication. Therefore, it is essential to improve the efficiency of seed processing on campaign basis. Seed Times May - August 2017
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v. Seed certification system ensures the genetic purity of seeds through field inspection and post-harvest monitoring of seed lot. Thus, for any deterioration in seed quality for genetic purity during marketing or storage the seeds certification agency shall feel their responsibility.
vi. In many states, seed law enforcement is not a main activity of Agriculture Department. The State Department Officials are mainly engaged in development and extension activities. State should define the role of each seed inspector and specific target may be given for seed sample drawing seed law enforcement activities.
vii. In order to improve the uniformity in results throughout the country, CSTL is acting as referee and guiding force for uniformity of results framing the rules and checking the seed quality in the country. One of the main problems, currently being experienced in India, is the variability in the analysis of results. To achieve uniformity in testing, the CSTL need to publish a set of internationally validated and accepted procedures by updating the ISTA rules every three years for performing each of the seed quality tests.
viii. Most of the states have several seed quality assurance laboratories; however, their operating system and staffing pattern differs from state to state. Some of the newly added components of seed quality such as vigour assessment methods, molecular techniques, ELISA and identification of seed-borne pathogens, sampling and detection of GM seed are not being used in the laboratories. Furthermore, in some of the states, large number of ‘notified’ laboratories exist which are poorly equipped with staff, while in others only 2-4 laboratories are well operated with adequate facilities but are not updated with standard operating procedures as per ISTA or not even able to obtain ISTA accreditation.
ix. The essential requirements for granting the status of ‘Notified Seed Analyst’ to a person include that he or she must possess a minimum two years’ experience in seed testing. However, this is not being taken into consideration by some of the state governments and as such the analysis reports are being issued by the non-notified Seed Analysts.
Conclusion: Stopping the sale of spurious, fake and substantial seeds to the farmers is a big challenge before the seed industry and this could be achieved through effective implementation of regulatory measures for seed quality control. A multi-dimensional approach would also be required at different levels by both Government and Private organization for effective checking of seed quality at different stages of seed production, processing stages, testing and marketing of seeds.
The article has been published with permission of author
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Plant Variety Protection & Farmers’ Rights in India R. R. Hanchinal1 and Jyoti Jaiswal2 Former Chairperson1, Technical Examiner2 Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers’ Rights Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
1. Introduction Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) are the heritage of humankind and the foundation for attaining food, nutritional and health security. Before 1993, the PGR were shared freely among countries for the betterment of human beings, till concerns of conservation of biological diversity were raised by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Consequently, many issues regarding the rights of the farmers as conservers, protectors and developers of PGR in the biodiversity hot spots, the researchers and breeders who invest on development of improved varieties with superior traits, the users of PGR and intellectual property rights related matters emerged. India is a signatory to both CBD and World Trade Organization (WTO) conventions. The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is an International Agreement administered by the WTO that sets down minimum standards and regulations for many forms of intellectual property (IP) as applicable to WTO Member Nations. Nations seeking to obtain easy access to the numerous international markets opened by the WTO must enact the strict intellectual property laws mandated by TRIPS. The WTO under the Article 27.3 (b) of the TRIPS, for the protection of plant varieties provided different options namely by patents, by an effective sui-generis system or a combination of both. As a corollary to this, India opted for the sui-generis system for the plant varieties giving importance to farmers’ rights compared to the provision of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). With intensive and extensive national level consultations and dialogues, the Government of India enacted the Seed Times May - August 2017
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“Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act (PPV&FR Act)” in 2001. The Act seeks to address the rights of plant breeders and farmers on equal footing. The PPV&FR Act, 2001 is unique to befit the national situations yet matching with the larger global commitment. The PPV&FR Act protects both the variety and the denomination assigned to the variety. Another special feature of this legislation is that the protection accrues to a person from the date of filing of application for it gives priority and provisional protection. India is the first country to provide substantial rights to farmers and registration of their varieties is one of them. The PPV&FR Act recognizes the rights of farmers with respect to their contributions made in conserving, improving and making available PGR for the development of new plant varieties and also evolvers of farmers’ varieties. The Act became functional with the establishment of the PPV&FR Authority at New Delhi in 2005, hereinafter mentioned as the Authority. Regional Offices have been established at Guwahati and Ranchi. The PPV&FR Rules were notified on 12 September, 2003. The Protection and Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Regulations were notified on 7th December, 2006.
Objectives of the Act
• To establish effective system for protection of plant varieties, rights of farmers and plant breeders and to encourage increased breeding activities and encouragement of new types of breeders such as private breeders, researchers and farmer breeders
• To accelerate agricultural development in the country, protect plant breeders rights, stimulate investment for research and development both in public and private sector for the development of new plant varieties to facilitate the growth of seed industry which will ensure the availability of high quality seeds and planting material to farmers
• To recognize and protect the rights of farmers in respect of contribution made at any time in conserving, improving and making available plant genetic resources for development of new plant varieties
Various Rights Under the Act (i.)
Breeder’s Rights
The Act, provides an exclusive right on the breeder or his successor, or his agent or licensee, to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export the variety registered under the Act. A breeder may authorize any person to produce, sell, market or otherwise deal with the variety registered under this Act. (ii.)
Researcher’s Rights
A Researcher can use any of the variety registered under this Act for conducting experiment or research. However, authorization of the breeder of a registered variety is required where repeated use of such variety as parental line is done for commercial production of other newly developed variety. (iii.) Farmers’ Rights A farmer is entitled to save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a protected variety in the same manner as he was entitled before operation of the PPV&FR Act, provided that he shall not be entitled to sell branded seed of a protected variety. The Act treats the farmer also as plant breeder so far as the farmers’ variety is concerned and they can register them under the Act. Farmers are entitled for recognition and reward from the Gene Fund provided that the material so selected and preserved (land races and wild relatives) has been used as donors of genes in varieties registerable under the Act.
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(iv.)
Other Rights:
• Compulsory license: Compulsory license is granted by the Authority to a competent person when a registered variety falls short of public demand after three year of its registration.
• Benefit Sharing: When genetic material of any person or group of persons who are citizen of India and any firm or governmental or non-governmental organization formed or established in India is used in the development of a registered variety such community can claim benefit sharing from the registered breeder.
• Community Rights: If any village or local community has made a significant contribution in the evolution of any variety and if such variety is registered by any other person then the said village or local community can claim compensation.
NATIONAL GENE FUND FOR PROMOTING PGR ACTIVITIES On the basis of richness of agro-biodiversity i.e. number of crop species, crop varieties, wild relatives of various crop species cultivated, social relevance and ancientness of the agriculture, wild relatives of crop species occurring in the region, number of species domesticated and the uniqueness of the agro-ecosystems, the Authority has identified 22 agro-biodiversity hotspot regions in India. (Figure 1). Farmers’ who have been engaged in conservation and preservation of plant genetic resources (PGR) of land races and wild relatives of economic plants and their improvement through selection and preservation in these identified 22 agro-biodiversity hotspots, receive recognition and rewards from the National Gene Fund. This provision, when taken in conjunction with the provisions relating to the farmers’ privilege, is similar to the concept of Farmers’ Rights contained in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resource for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). The National Gene Fund receives contributions from central government, national and international organizations and other sources [section-45 (1-d)]. The gene fund also receives funds from benefit sharing [section-45 (a)] from the breeder of the variety or an essentially derived variety registered under the Act or propagating material, the compensations deposited [section-41 (4)] and the annual fee payable to the Authority by way of royalty [section-35 (d)]. The expenditures of the fund are earmarked to support the conservation and sustainable use of PGR including in-situ and ex-situ collections. Thus, in this way it can be considered to be a national equivalent to the global benefit-sharing fund operating within the ITPGRFA.
Plant Genome Saviour Awards, Rewards, Recognition The Gene Fund is also utilized to support and reward farmers, particularly the tribal and rural communities engaged in conservation, improvement and preservation of genetic resources of economic plants and their wild relatives, particularly in areas identified as agro-biodiversity hotspots (22 Agro-biodiversity hotspots distributed over 7 agrogeographical zones (Fig.1). Recognizing the important contribution of farmers and farming communities and their role in enhancement of quality in research and development in agriculture and to energise and implement Rule 70(2)(a) of PPV&FR Rules, 2003 and the provision of section 45 of PPV&FR Act, 2001, the PPV&FR Authority in consultation with the Govt. of India instituted the Plant Genome Saviour Community Awards (maximum of five
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awards per year consisting of a citation, a memento and cash of Rs.10 lakhs each). This is being awarded since 2009-10. Government of India has notified the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (Recognition and Reward from the Gene Fund) Rules, 2012, whereby a farmer who is engaged in the conservation of genetic resources of landraces and wild relatives of economic plants and their improvement through selection and preservation and the material so selected and preserved has been used as donors of gene in varieties registerable under the PPV&FR Act, 2001 (53 of 2001) shall be entitled to Plant Genome Saviour Farmer Reward (maximum of 10 rewards per year comprising of a citation, memento and cash of Rs. One lakh each) & Plant Genome Saviour Farmer Recognition (maximum 20 recognitions per year consisting of a citation and memento).
Supporting Plant Genome Saviour Awardee Communities PGR conservation, protection and promotion for sustainable use are being practiced by farmers and their families since ancient time. This has allowed them to cultivate a large number of different local varieties in different crop species of economic importance. This is how India has been regarded as one of the mega bio-diversity centres in the world. To support the activities of PGR, the Authority has selected the Genome Saviour Awardee Communities to support their efforts of saving local varieties and land races. As climate change has a significant impact on agricultural production, growing local varieties which have a high degree of genetic diversity is highly important because these varieties have the ability to better withstand and adapt to environmental stresses and changes setting up community seed banks may help farmers to acquire varieties that are adapted to local conditions; these varieties may not be accessible through formal seed systems, may be costly or may suffer from erratic supplies. To make available the quality seeds of popular local varieties through informal seed chain, the Authority is promoting “Community Seed Bank Concept” at different Agro climatic bio diversity hotspots where improved varieties have not made impact on production and productivity. Authority has identified regions in agro biodiversity hotspots and mainstreaming of farmers’ varieties is being taken up.
CATEGORIES OF VARIETIES ELIGIBLE FOR REGISTRATION UNDER THE ACT
• New Varieties
• Extant Variety
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A new variety shall be registered for breeder’s right if it conforms to the criteria of Novelty, Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability. The variety should also have a denomination in accordance with the provisions of PPV&FR Act, 2001. Novelty criteria is, if, at the date of filing of the application for registration for protection, the propagating or harvested material of such variety has not been sold or otherwise disposed of by or with the consent of its breeder or his successor for the purposes of exploitation of such variety in India, earlier than one year; or outside India, in the case of trees or vines earlier than six years, or in any other case, earlier than four years. Extant Variety is defined as a variety available in India which is notified under Section 5 of the Seeds Act, 1966 (54 of 1966); or Farmers’ Variety; or a Variety about which there is Common Knowledge; or any other variety which is in public domain;
• Farmers’ Variety
“Farmers’ variety” is defined as a variety which has been traditionally cultivated and evolved by the farmers in their fields; or is a wild relative or land race or a variety about which the farmers possess the common knowledge.
As per the Act, “farmers” means any person who cultivates crops by cultivating the land himself; or cultivates crops by directly supervising the cultivation of land through any other person; or conserves and preserves, severally or jointly, with any other person any wild species or traditional varieties or adds value to such wild species or traditional varieties through selection and identification of their useful properties.
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• Variety of Common Knowledge
Variety of Common Knowledge (VCK) refers to a variety which has not been released and notified under the Seeds Act, 1966, have been sold or otherwise disposed of in India for more than a year from the date of filing the application. The variety which is under cultivation in a State/region/country, even as “truthfully labelled” variety, finds a entry in official list/register of varieties in any country granting Plant Variety Protection (PVP), including filing of an application for Plant Breeders Rights (PBR), Inclusion in a recognized publicly accessible collection, including an accession in a National/International Gene Bank and adequate description of the variety in a publication that may be considered a part of the public technical knowledge may find their eligibility under the VCKs.
• Essentially Derived Variety
A variety (the initial variety), shall be said to be Essentially Derived Variety (EDV) from such initial variety when it is predominantly derived from such initial variety, or from a variety that itself is predominantly derived from such initial variety, while retaining the expression of the essential characteristics that results from the genotype or combination of genotypes of such initial variety; is clearly distinguishable from such initial variety; and conforms (except for the differences which result from the act of derivation) to such initial variety in the expression of the essential characteristics that result from the genotype or combination of genotype of such initial variety.
Registration of Plant Variety A variety is eligible for registration under the Act if it essentially fulfills the criteria of Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) which means that the candidate variety must be distinguishable by at least one essential characteristics from a variety which is a matter of common knowledge in any country at the time of filing application, sufficiently uniform in expression of its essential characteristics which should remain unchanged even after repeated propagation. The variety should also have a single and distinct denomination.
Process of Registration Development of DUS Guideline Gazette Notification Application by Breeder/ Farmers' (Sec 14, 23) Application Accepted/Rejected DUS Test for accepted entry (excluding notified varieties) Analysis of DUS data Acceptance/Rejection for claim For Novelty & DUS
Payment of Registration + DUS Fee, if any Internal Scrutiny (Sec 20) PV1, TQ NORV, IINDUS Seed Deposit (National Gene Bank) New var-2season + 2 location VCK & FV - 1Season+2location Published in the PVJ for pregrant opposition Test for Special characters (if DUS test fails) Published in the PVJ for Benefit sharing Annual/Renewal fee Protection period (15 of 18 yrs)
Registration Grant (Sec 24) + entry National Plant Variety Register
Compulsory Licensing Benefit sharing / denomination alter
Marketing of Registered Variety
Surrender/ Revocation of Registration
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The Authority has established 107 DUS test centres for different crop species which are responsible to conduct DUS test of varieties applied for registration and to maintain, multiply and characterize reference/example varieties as per DUS descriptors. In case of new variety, DUS Test is carried out for two years at two locations and for Extant variety, DUS testing is for one year only. When the DUS Test result is found to be satisfactory, certificate of registration is issued to the applicant and its details are published in the Plant Variety Journal of India.
Notification of Crop Species for Registration of Plant Varieties The Central Government has notified 114 crop species for the purpose of registration (Table 1). For these crop species PPV&FR Authority has developed “Guidelines for the Conduct of Species Specific Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS)” tests or “Specific Guidelines” for individual crop species. The purpose of these specific guidelines is to provide detailed practical guidance for the harmonized examination of DUS and in particular to identify appropriate characteristics for the examination of DUS and production of harmonized variety descriptions. Table 1- CROP SPECIES (114) NOTIFIED FOR REGISTRATION Group
No.
Crop Species
Cereals
11
Bread wheat, Rice, Pearl millet, Sorghum, Maize, Durum wheat, Dicoccum wheat, Other Triticum species, Barley, finger millet, foxtail millet
Legumes
7
Chickpea, Mungbean, Urdbean, Field pea, Rajmash, Lentil, Pigeon pea
Fibre Crops
6
Diploid cotton (two species), Tetraploid cotton (two species), Jute (two species)
Oilseeds
11
Indian mustard, Karan rai, Rapeseed, Gobhi sarson, Groundnut, Soybean, Sunflower, Safflower, Castor, Sesame and Linseed
Sugar Crops
1
Sugarcane
Vegetables
17
Tomato, Brinjal, Okra, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Potato, Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Bottle gourd, Bitter gourd, Pumpkin, Cucumber, Paprika, Chili, Bell Pepper, Vegetable Amaranth, Ridge gourd, Spinach beet
& 17
Rose, Chrysanthemum, Bamboo Leaf Orchid, Spray Orchid, Vanda or Blue Orchid, Orchids (Cattleya, Phalaenopsis), Bougainvillea, Orchid (Oncidium), Canna, Gladiolus, Jasmine, Tuberose, China Aster, Carnation, Orchid (Paphiopedilum), Mogra
Flowers Ornamentals Spices
6
Black pepper, Small cardamom, Coriander, Fenugreek, Turmeric, Jaiphal
Fruits
23
Mango, Almond, Walnut, Cherry, Apricot, Apple, Pear, Pomegranate, Grape, Ber, Acid lime, Mandarin, Sweet orange, Banana, Muskmelon, Watermelon, Papaya, Peach, Japanese Plum, Strawberry, Beal, Jamun, Sitaphal
Medicinal and 7 Aromatic plants
Isabgol, Menthol mint, Damask Rose, Periwinkle, Brahmi, Noni, Kalmegh
Plantation crop
Coconut, Eucalyptus (two species), Casuarinas (two species),
8
Tea (three species)
Progress in filing applications and PVP certificates issued Applications which have fulfilled all requirements and have been finally accepted by the Registrar for registration are issued PVP certificates. Details of applications received (Table 2) and PVP certificates issued (Table 3) are indicated hereunder. The certificate of registration issued will be valid for nine years in case of trees and vines and six years in case of other crops. It may be reviewed and renewed for the remaining period on payment of renewal fees subject
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to the condition that total period of validity shall not exceed eighteen years in case of trees and vines from the date of registration of variety, fifteen years from the date of notification of variety under Seeds Act, 1966 and in other cases fifteen years from the date of registration of the variety. Table 2: Application received year wise/applicant wiseCategory
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Total
Public
287
322
193
31
125
129
141
136
89
325
9
1787
Private
143
220
368
505
295
266
534
420
420
262
8
3441
Farmer
2
5
127
4
941
304
1002
1964
1957
1772
29
8107
Individual Breeder
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
Total
432
547
688
540
1361
699
1677
2520
2468
2359
46
13337
Table 3: Registration certificates issued year wise/applicant wiseCategory
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Total
Public
-
-
149
49
95
154
154
250
64
113
1028
Private
-
-
16
-
21
55
104
124
121
145
586
Farmer
-
-
3
-
-
3
46
459
200
261
972
Total
0
0
168
49
116
212
304
833
385
519
2586
Performance of public sector in filing applications and PVP-entitlement issued The performance of public sector institutions in filing applications for PVP was encouraging in the beginning as a result good number of applications were received between the years 2007 to 2009. However, from the years 2010 to 2012 the filing slowed down (Table 4). Looking to the slow trend, the Authority made efforts to conduct awareness programs in the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), ICAR research institutes and public sector seed companies viz., National Seed Corporation and State Seed Corporations. As a result again encouraging trend from the year 2013 was experienced (Table 4). However, in comparison to private sector (Table 6), except from filing application under extant variety category, the performance was not encouraging. For example in new variety category both ICAR and SAUs together filed 295 applications, whereas private seed sector submitted 1989 applications. Same trend is seen with other categories of varieties viz. VCKs and EDVs. With respect to granting PVP certificates, public institutions were granted as many as 1028 certificates, in comparison to the 586 certificates for private sector institutions. This is mainly because public institutions under AICRP system submitted more applications in extant variety category which does not require DUS testing, whereas other categories of varieties viz., new variety and VCK have to undergo DUS testing and EDV testing to be decided on case to case basis. Table- 4 Year wise performance of Public sectors (Applications filed/PVP Granted) Category
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Total
Applications 287 filed
2007
322
193
31
125
129
141
136
89
325
9
1787
PVP Granted
--
149
49
95
154
154
250
64
113
-
1028
--
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Table- 5 Performance of Public sectors (Applications filed/PVP Granted) Varieties
Varieties filed for IPR
Varieties filed for IPR
Public
Public
Public ICAR
SAU
ICAR
SAU
New
211
84
98
15
Extant Notified
934
389
670
208
Extant (VCK)
85
81
28
9
EDV
3
0
-
-
Total
1233
554
796
232
It is felt that public institutions are not commercially exploiting their varieties after getting PVP certificates, though in the Act there is a provision for licensing and cross licensing for the purpose of promoting Research and Development (R&D) on well adapted crop varieties. This may be due to lack of confidence or little knowledge on IPR issues and poor negotiation capacity. Hence, some system should be worked in the public seed industry / institutions to provide incentives for the variety developers and a portion of the royalty / benefit sharing be distributed so that the inventor takes interest to develop new varieties and apply for granting PVP certificates.
Performance of the Private sector From the beginning of registration process, the performance of the private sector in filing applications for granting PVP was encouraging as indicated in Table-6. When the registration process commenced, the Authority received 143 applications during 2007. The trend continued in the subsequent years, filing 220 applications in the year 2008, 368 in 2009, 505 in 2010, 295 in 2011, 266 in 2012, 534 in 2013 and 420 in the year 2014, 2015, 262 in 2016 and recently 8 applications has been received during the month of January 2017. (Table-6). Maximum numbers of applications (1989) were in the new variety category followed by 1193 applications in Extant VCK. There were 180 applications in the category of EDV indicating their preference to cosmetic breeding also. Table-6 Year wise performance of Private sectors (Applications filed/PVP Granted) Category
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Total
Applications filed
143
220
368
505
295
266
534
420
420
262
8
3441
16
-
21
55
104
124
121
145
-
586
PVP Granted
Table- 7 Performance of Private sectors (Applications filed/PVP Granted)
82
Varieties
Varieties filed for IPR by Private sector
IPR granted to Private sector
New
1989
289
Extant Notified
79
78
Extant (VCK)
1193
218
EDV
180
1
Total
3441
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With respect to granting PVP certificates to private seed industry, a total of 586 varieties have been registered till January 2017, of these 289 new, 218 Extant (VCK), 78 Extant (Notified) and 1 EDV have been registered by the Authority (Table 6 & 7). The new variety or VCK category which require DUS testing either for two season or one season respectively with two locations and therefore take 1-2 years for registration while the Extant notified variety is being approved by Extant variety Recommendation committee (EVRC) for registration. In case of EDVs the testing will be recommended on case to case basis. The trends in filing of application by the private companies indicated that the private seed industry concentrates much of their research efforts in such crops where there is more business which are indigenous to our country and where there is consumer preference. It is expected that in the forthcoming years, we may expect more applications for registration of their varieties. The trend again indicates that the PPV&FR Act, 2001 is not only a balanced Act but also favorable to the private seed industry dealing with hybrids in field crops and varieties and hybrids in vegetables and ornamental crops.
Training and Awareness Programs The Authority, since inception, took initiatives to popularize its provisions in the civil societies and grass-root workers. There exists a close linkage of the Act with the farmers, researchers, plant breeders, intellectuals, scientists, students, NGOs, and public and private organizations active in this area. The Authority has been releasing funds for training, awareness and capacity building on the provisions of the PPV&FR Act, 2001 including Farmers Rights, Breeders Rights, and Researchers Right involving different stakeholders viz. ICAR Institutes, SAUs, KVKs, NGOs and other Govt. Departments for the farmers, researchers, plant breeders, intellectuals, scientists and students etc. and also for creating awareness through participation in agricultural fairs, kisan melas, kisan utsav, farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; forum etc. Fig 2-Details of PPV&FR Awareness programs organized by the Authority 400
361
350
334
274
300 250 200 150
90
100 50
32
28
75
70
-1 0 20 10 -1 1 20 11 -1 2 20 12 -1 3 20 13 -1 4 20 14 -1 5 20 15 -1 6
09 20
20
08
-0
9
0
Impact of training and awareness programs in registration of varieties Though the PPV&FR Act was enacted in 2001, it came into force only in 2005 and the registration process commenced only in 2007. In the beginning, many stakeholders were unaware about the Act and therefore the Authority initiated conducting awareness cum training programs to farmers and seed industry stakeholders involving National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). As a result, filing of applications rose from 432 in 2007 to 2520 in 2014, indicating that training / awareness programs made a great impact (Fig 2) with all the stakeholders. Interface meeting with seed industry helped in attracting more applications for IPR.
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The programs facilitated by the Authority have an impact on both filing of the applications for farmers’ varieties (Table 2) and receipt of applications for Plant Genome Saviour Awards (Table 8). In the first year (2007), the Authority identified the communities and farmers from the agro-biodiversity hotspots and conferred five Plant Genome Saviour Community recognition certificates, the reason being the Act came into force in the same year and it took some time to establish the office of the Authority and awareness programs on PPV&FR Act could not be organized during that year.
1.
Plant Genome Saviour Community Recognition Certificate
2.
Plant Genome Saviour Community Award
3.
Plant Genome Saviour Farmers’ Reward
4.
Plant Genome Saviour Farmers’ Recognition
-
Total
5
15
4
20
2
7
19
4
15
4
20
2
38
11
Total Award Given
Total Application Received
2014-15
2013-14 Total Award Given
Total Application Received
2012-13
Under process
27
4
28
5
26
5
14
30
10
80
10
78
3
46
15
5
Total Award Given
Total Application Received
Total Award Given
2011-12
19
Total Application Received
Total Award Given
Total Application Received
Total Award Given
2010-11
2009-10 Total Application Received
Total Award Given
Total Application Received
the Awards
Total Application Received
2007-08
Name of
Total Award Given
S.no
2008-09
Table 8- Details of applications received for the “Plant Genome Saviour Awards”
57
29
4
108
19
11
104
19
60
In 2009-10, there was sudden increase in the applications for Plant Genome Saviour Awards. Twenty applications were received from 11 states and two communities were conferred with Genome Saviour Community Awards for conserving medicinal plants, vegetables, banana and local varieties. The increasing trend in the receipt of applications for the awards was due to wide publicity through awareness programmes (32) in agro-biodiversity rich States (13). This reflected in getting both the Genome Saviour Community Awards for the farmers conserving crops varieties, medicinal plants and vegetable germplasm. Though in eight states, 90 awareness programs were conducted in the fourth year (2010-11) the trend for receipt of applications for awards (19 applications from 11 states) was not encouraging suggesting that rather than organizing more number of awareness programs, how effective these training programs are in reaching to the community is important. However, eleven farmers could get the award for conserving local varieties. In 2011-12, the trend was totally different, covering 14 States, 75 awareness programs were organized, which helped to get 27 applications for Community Awards and 30 applications
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for farmers’ reward and recognition and four communities conserving crops varieties were awarded. During the year 2012, the trend in receiving applications for farmers’ varieties was better improved and the Authority received 108 applications, and the trend in receipt of application for Genome Saviour Award was evidenced by more number of applications and at National level 29 farmers could get the Awards. During 2014 large number of farmers’ applications (1964) for granting of IPR in different crops was received. During 2013-14 with efforts from NARS System, the Authority conferred five community for plant genome saviour community award and fourteen farmers for rewards and recognition.
Conclusion The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act was passed by the Indian Government in 2001. After India became signatory to TRIPS agreement in 1994, a legislation was required to be formulated. Article 27.3 (b) of this agreement requires the member countries to provide the protection of plant varieties either by a patent or by an effective sui generis system or by a combination thereof. Thus, the member countries had the choice to frame legislations that suit their own system and India exercised this option. The sui generis system for Protection of Plant Varieties was developed integrating the rights of the breeders, farmers and village communities and taking care of the concerns for equitable sharing of benefits. This is the only intellectual property law in India that gives dual proprietorship of Intellectual Property on variety and its denomination. Nine years after the implementation of the Act, it is observed that the Act facilitated the enhanced private investment in selected crops and seed supply system, while strengthening the public research and conserving the plant genetic resources for sustainable use and registering the farmers’ varieties to achieve balanced agricultural growth and access of technology to farmers at a competitive cost.
The article has been published with permission of authors
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Harmonization of Seed Certification Standard for Global Seed Trade Dr. Prabha Shankar Shukla, and Dr. Kamendra Singh
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding
GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, U.S.Nagar, Uttarakhand, India Email : ps.shukla@rediffmail.com
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seeds are encapsulated life. They harbor life in its miniature form and fully expressed in to a mature crop. For the millions of farmers also, the seeds hold their life in balance. The quality of seeds determines agricultural yields and enhances the farm income. Thus agricultural sovereignty and prosperity of a country depends on the seeds.â&#x20AC;? A projection made by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that the world population will increase from 6.9 in 2010 to 9.3 billion in 2050. World agriculture will play an important role in meeting the growing demand of food, feed and fiber. In order to feed the world population in 2050, agriculture production should be almost double. A consistently good yield will depend on quality of the seed, classes produced by different organization and used by the farmers. Timely supply of quality is a prerequisite to achieve maximum output and good returns for the farmers. It has been widely noted that the use of quality seed, keeping other factors constant can help in increasing yield by 15-20% (M S P Annual Report 2006-07) with intention to harvest advantage of quality seed. India has now grown accustomed to the power of seeds and seed industry is taking full advantage of these sentiments. Developing countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Thailand etc. will be in greater need to produce and use high quality seed because of their changing demographic profile which continue to a phenomenon for several decades. Presently developing countries show a higher rate of population growth compare to developed country. In the coming days demand of food likely to increase significantly which will increase seed demand in the world seed market. The world seed market is nearly 53.76 billion USD in 2014-15 out of which Indian seed market is about Rs. 15700 crores in 2015. Global seed market will be 92.04 billion USD by 2020 at a CAGR of 9.4%. The seed market
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segmented and projected on the basis of major region: Market Size (CAGR % 2013-18) North America, Europe, Asia-pacific, Latin America Bubble size represents market size of 2018 ($ millions) and Rest of the world (RoW). The key countries of each region are covered and their market size projected. The market size is projected and segmented on the basis of seed with traits. Status of Indian Seed Industry- Several multinational seed companies have interned the seed market and at present the composition of seed industry by volume of turnover, has reportedly reached a ratio of 60:40 between the private and public sectors.(Gadwal, 2003) A brief account of Indian seed industry is given below
• Share of labelled 40% and unlabelled seed 60%.
• Contribution of private seed industry is around 75% with respect to global seed rate.
• India ranks fifth position with approximate Rs.15700 crores business.
• The average growth rate of Indian seed market is 12-14%.
• India’s position with respect to export 67 million USD.
• India’s position with respect to import 84 million USD.
• India would become third largest seed market in the world.
Expected Seed Market Size at Desire Seed Replacement Rate
Seed certification is a proof of seed standard embedded in a seed. The seed standard set by different countries varies from one and another depending on their agro- climatic conditions along with other requirements. Such variations are clearly reflected in available literatures on seed laws and certification. According to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development study all developed and developing countries have their own certification standard which is more or less variants of OECD standards. Its create problem during export or import of seed because quarantine department of every country have their own norms and variation in seed certification standard do not satisfy the officials. So harmonization is the best way for solving the overcoming problems. For harmonization of seed certification, it essentially means imbibing in itself set of standard and procedures desired in a seed in different countries. These require certification standard and processes to be controlled and inspected by official source of agreeing countries /parties in order to grantee consistent high quality seed for end growers. To do the business for supply of quality seed of different crop varieties, it is essential to adopt OECD/ISTA seed standard or harmonize seed standard of different countries.
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Adoption of OECD Seed Schemes by India and inclusion of Indian released crop varieties in the list, as well as Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participation in SAARC Seed Forum, have lately expanded the scope of Indian Seed Sector. Hence, forward looking initiatives in this context will be highly beneficial to Indian seed sector. For this, we need to strengthen our efforts on market intelligence and have required bilateral relations and partnerships built. We need to have an aggressive approach now and develop strategy to capture seed markets of abroad in a well planned manner. The issue of harmonization of seed standards and certification is critical between and within different developed and developing countries. However considering the increasing food demand and also to ensure availability at house hold and industrial processing it becomes mandatory to promote global seed market by harmonizing agreed seed certification standard or by adopting OECD/ISTA system for maintaining seed quality. A time bound approach could be more useful and effective in fostering cooperation within countries. Linkages between quality seeds, crop yields and production is well established. Quality seed, also termed as healthy seed, is defined as varietally pure seed with a high germination percentage, free from insect, pest, disease and disease organism, and with an appropriate moisture content, size and weight. Expected Indian Seed Export up to 2020 It may be noted, that the latter one was the contributor to green revolution in South Asia between sixties to seventies. It has been widely noted that if rest of the activity are unchanged only farmer replace their traditional seeds from quality seeds, can help in increasing in the yield up to 15 to 20 percent. There is, thus, no secret that attaining increase in yield is crucial for countries like India, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Pakistan etc, which are homes to quarter of global population suffering from malnutrition and hunger. The limited marketing and distribution capacities to meet the demand for the quality seeds in the neighboring countries has turned out to be the bone of contention and focus for the policy makers. It is believed that in the absence of an enabling environment for adequate availability and easy accessibility to quality seeds, the already precarious situation of food insecurity prevailing in the countries could further aggravate. Why Harmonization? Evidences suggest that India with neighboring countries suffer from technical and resource constraints in production, marketing and distribution of adequate quantity of quality seeds. However, in terms of production, India appears to be relatively better placed in comparison to neighboring countries. There are also some issues emerging from the management point of view often resulting in lack of awareness and unavailability of seeds in appropriate sowing time of crops at affordable prices. This is, however, not to deny benefits of farmers have received that has helped to improve accessibility of small and marginal farmers to quality seeds. But at the same time, this has erected a fence for the private sector to explore the market opportunities in the seed sector. In a situation of gap between demand-supply and farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inability to access seeds at right price and right time, trade is considered as the tool for optimizing domestic availability-trade can lead to attainment of demand and supply equilibrium. With respect to bilateral cooperation among countries, it has for long been observed mutual cooperation and bilateral trade has proven beneficial for the countries in many sectors. However, the cooperation is still limited in seed sector. It is to be noted that the seeds sector cooperation among countries has been highly uneven, on one hand the countries effectively trade in cereals and vegetable seeds with some other seeds while on the other hand, in case of HYV varieties seeds there is no formal flow, in spite of proven acceptability and adaptability
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of seeds, which are exchanged in the local markets through informal flow across the border. While increasing market opportunities for private players at the international level will be influenced by a number of factors, including but not limited to favorable sectoral policy initiatives, which might culminate in improved perception among private investors; for cooperation at cross-border level, it needs to be first ascertained that compatibility of HYV seeds produced in one country exists in another country.
Seed Certification and Harmonization of Standards Seed certification is a proof of standards embedded in the seed. These seed standards set by different countries vary from one another depending on local agro-climatic conditions and other requirements. Such variations are clearly reflected by the available literatures. According to an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development study, almost all countries have developed their own certification standards – some have accepted the OECD Seed Schemes Rules (in existence since 1958) as their national standards. The paper also notes that while in some countries certification is obligatory, in others it is optional; some certification schemes focus on the genetic characteristics; in others, varietal certification is complemented by tests carried out in order to check laboratory standards, such as minimum germination, minimum analytical purity and seed health. (Table-1) When one talks of harmonization of seed certification, it essentially means imbibing in itself a set of standards and procedures desired in a seed in different countries or region. These require certification standards and processes to be controlled and inspected by official sources of agreeing parties in order to guarantee consistent high quality seeds for end users. This is performed through: • Controlling the seeds in previous generations • Carrying out field inspections during the multiplication process to ensure there is little contamination and that the variety is true to type • Growing samples in control plots of the known seed to ensure that the progeny conform to the characteristics of the variety • Seed quality testing in laboratories. Considering that each country has a specific set of standards, as indicated above, the task of harmonizing the standards is quite challenging. Therefore, the set of harmonization processes amounts to a quality assurance drive that integrates standards acceptable to member countries. The comparative tables on seed certification standard of different countries are given belowTable -1 Compression of seed certification standards of different crops. a. Cereal Crops (Wheat)
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b. . Pulse crops
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b. Oilseed Crops
c. Oilseed Crops
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d. Vegetable Crops
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e. Hybrid Maize
Benefits from Harmonization • Increased availability and accessibility to quality seeds in member countries • Improvement in quality of seeds • Increased seed replacement rate (SRR) in different crop season • Reduction in demand supply gap for quality seeds • Higher crop yields and production • Enhanced level of food security and livelihood opportunities • Enlargement of market size • Increased research, development and innovation
Process of Harmonization Considering the importance, the governments of different countries has taken some initiatives towards harmonization of seeds standards among the countries. The primary objective of this is to facilitate trade in varieties of seeds among the countries. Interested countries and also international organizations, such as FAO, IRRI and others appear to be conscious of the issues that hinder productivity of rice, wheat maize etc. Availability and accessibility to quality seeds are considered to be the most important deterrents and therefore need to be addressed on an urgent basis. This is, of course, not to deny importance of other inputs, such as soil conditions, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation infrastructures and others. However, considering agro-climatic conditions of the countries and prevalence of small and marginal farming systems on the one hand and costs involved in availing these inputs on the other, seeds appear to be an obvious and potent choice for addressing the issues of low crop yields and low production. Considering the prevailing situation and the need for enhanced cooperation in seeds among the countries, Government of SARC countries initiated several steps: some focuses on domestic issues, such as ensuring increased production and distribution of quality seeds; others focusing on fostering regional and bilateral cooperation. It might be iterated that member countries are integral part of SAARC Seed Bank initiative that seeks to provide a framework for cooperation in seeds to secure the region with regard to availability and accessibility to quality seeds in case of such requirements. At the bilateral level, there has been an increased interaction in recent years with regard to cooperation in seeds. Some of these have been facilitated by international organizations like IRRI and FAO and focus on harmonization of seed related procedures and regulations. Seed Times May - August 2017
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A number of issues relating to cooperation and knowledge sharing in seeds were discussed during the intensive and focused discussion. The team identified and suggested following areas for cooperation and sharing of progress in crop productivity in the countries: • Joint evaluation of improved varieties for release in areas with similar agro-climatic conditions in countries should start. • Collaboration to resolve issues on ownership, intellectual property rights, and germplasm exchange. • Reciprocal acceptance of research data, including results of farmers’ participatory varietal selection activities, generated in one country to support varietal release in the other country. • Streamlining of evaluation to reduce processing time from two to three years to one. • Collaboration to formulate seed protocols and guidelines compatible among countries. • Promotion of pre-release multiplication and demonstration of breeding lines and varieties at advanced stages of release to accelerate awareness among farmers and ensure a sufficient supply of breeder seed once a variety is released. • Promotion of private sector participation in seed systems to expand the seed supply. An integrated but slightly extended version of harmonization of seed laws and regulations is regionalization of World Trade Organization. It could be another potential way to increase cooperation in variety of seeds. The Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures clearly advocates for regionalization for promoting trade. Article 6 of the agreement states that “members shall ensure that their sanitary or phytosanitary measures are adapted to the sanitary or phytosanitary characteristics of the area – whether all of a country, part of a country, or all or parts of several countries – from which the product originated and to which the product is destined.”Such a step on the part of any member requires four specific procedures to be followed: • Conduct survey as per international standards and prepare the data survey report reflecting the absence of the quarantine pests or otherwise • Notification of domestic quarantine both at the central and state level wherein state administrative machinery has also to deploy staff at entry check-posts prohibiting the movement/transport of related commodities into the demarcated territories • Conduct regular and periodic surveys as per international guidelines to maintain the territory free from the quarantine pests and • Have an effective pest eradication/control programme to maintain the area pest free.
Conclusions: The issue of harmonization of seed standards and certification is critical for countries especially for addressing the issue of food security and climate change. It can help small and marginal farmers among the countries to have a relatively easy access to quality seeds. Besides, there is no secret that easy access to quality seeds can raise crop yields by a significant percentage, which in turn could help the countries to reduce hunger and at the same time improve livelihood opportunities. Another potential option for increased cooperation among countries is regionalization of seed importance. It could also yield beneficial results for both the countries. Now what is required is that the initiatives so far taken should be strengthened. A time bound approach could be more useful and effective in fostering cooperation.
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Literature Cited 1. Annual report 2006-07 of Seed Production in Agricultural crops and fisheries, Directorate of Seed Research, Mau, U.P. 2. The Seed Act,1966, GOI 3. Gadwal,V.R. 2003. The Indian Seed Industry: Its history, current status and future current science,84(3):399406 4. www.isf.com, Global Seed Market.24/02.2016
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Routes of Seeds Trade between India and Bangladesh: Existing Scenario and the Way Forward Suvayan Neogi* *Research Associate, CUTS International CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment (CUTS CITEE), Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) International D-217, BhaskarMarg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302016, India
Abstract Bangladesh and India derive their sustainability in economic growth and development from agriculture to a large extent but the contribution of this sector in the gross domestic product (GDP) of these countries in the last decade has declined. After the reform on trade liberalization, they have not experienced significant growth in agricultural sector. Both Bangladesh and India suffer from uneven food production caused by low yields and faulty marketing and distribution system. It is observed that there exists a significant gap between demand and supply of High Yielding Varieties (HYV) seeds in both the countries. To merge this gap, people residing in the border areas of India and Bangladesh have automatically developed informal markets. The reasons for the growth of these informal markets are proximity, quicker delivery, social and ethnic language, similar agro-climatic conditions and food habits. Further, it has also happened due to non-tariff barriers, policy related issues, domestic policy distortion and political aspects. Appropriate policy regime for ensuring adequate supply of HYV rice seed through domestic production and also trade are the key solutions. Increased trade and cooperation in agricultural inputs, especially in HYV rice seeds between Bangladesh and India can also be the possible and effective way to ensure the accessibility and availability. In addition, creation of adequate infrastructure, ensuring timely availability and accessibility to quality inputs, could lead to better scenario in both the countries.
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Key words: HYV seeds, Informal trade, trade policies
Background and Context The two neighbouring countries, Bangladesh and India, derive their sustainability in economic growth and development from agriculture to a large extent. The contribution of the agricultural sector in the gross domestic product (GDP) in these countries in the last decade has declined.However, this does notnegatethe importance of agriculture. After the reforms on macroeconomic policy and trade liberalisation, the agricultural sector in India neither experienced any significant growth (subsequent to the initiation of economic reforms in 1991) nor did it derive the expected benefits from trade liberalisation.1 In the early 90’s, Bangladesh also experienced agricultural trade liberalisation, with a view of increasing productivity in agriculture and achieving self-sufficiency in food-grain production;2 but its agricultural sector has also not experienced significant growth. Rice is the main stable crop in these two countries. However, the increase in rice production in India has been uneven, over the last decade. Average yield of rice in Bangladesh in 2014 was 4.42tonne/hectare;3 average yield of rice in India was 2.3 tonne/hectare;4 while the global average yield on rice was 4.5 tonne/hectare.5 The increase in rice production depends upon various parameters, such as accessibility and affordability,the quality of inputs and presence of small and marginal farmers, etc. India has started the use of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds after the green revolution, which has helped achieve much higher yield levels on agricultural production in India. For Bangladesh, HYV seeds have spread widely in the late 80’s and early 90’s, after the liberalisation of agricultural trade. But both countries have been facing the problem of low productivity for the last decade. Accessibility and affordability of quality rice seeds arethe biggest challenges for farmers in these two countries. Due to supply lag, failure of seed delivery mechanism and higher price, the border region’s people are driven towards informal trade in rice seeds for better inputs.
Seed Policies and Regulationsin India and Bangladesh India There are several seed policies and actsthat have been implemented by the Government of India to control the quality of seeds and other factors, which are given below. Besides, seeds legislation in India has passed through different phases. The Seeds Act 1966 The first Seed Legislation or Act – the Seed Act – was passed in December 1966, and the Act has been in effect since October 1969. The Seed Act that was implemented in 1966 had several provisions to regulate the Indian seeds market. Some of the provisions are: 1) Seed certificationas a voluntary requirement, implying that seed producing and agencies may or may not get their seeds certified; 2) The work of the seed certification could be done only by the officially sanctioned agency notified for a particular area; and 3) The certified seed producers were required to comply with all the requirements set forth for seed certification by the certification agency among others. Seeds (Control) Order 1983 To deal with issues, such as compulsory licencing of seed dealers, price control and submission of information about the procurement and sale of the seed, which were conspicuous by their absence Seeds Act 1966, the Government of India issued Seed (Control) Order 1983 under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to licence seed dealers (engaged in selling, exporting and importing seeds along with their agents) throughout the nation. New Policy on Seed Development 1988 After careful consideration of emerging dynamics of Seed (Control) Order 1983, a New Policy on Seed Development 1988 evolved to provide Indian farmers with access to the best available seeds and planting materials, domestic as well as imported. This policy emphasised on some major areas such as: 1) Import of high quality seeds; 2) Time bound programme to strengthen the plant quarantine facilities; 3) Effective observance of procedures for quarantine or post entry quarantine (PEC); and 4) Incentives to encourage the domestic seed industry. 98
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Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Right Act, 2001 One of the major developments was the Government of India bringing into effect – the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Right Act, 2001 which has two objectives: 1) to stimulate investment for research and development (R&D)both in public and private sectors for the development of new plant varieties by ensuring appropriate returns on such investment; and 2) to facilitate growth of Indian seed industry by attracting the domestic and foreign investment, which should ensure the availability of high quality seeds and planting material to Indian farmers. National Seed Policy, 2002 The formulation and implementation of National Seed Policy (NSP) 2002 was not only a significant reform but also a milestone in the Indian seed industry, especially for global seed trade for India. A major postulation of the NSP 2002 was to boost India’s share in global seed trade by providing financial and advanced scientific assistance to farmers so that they could increase production and yield for export purpose. The policy encourages also the private sector participation in R&D of new plant varieties. The policy has clear provisions for trade (import and export) in seeds. The major objective of the policy relating to import of seeds is to provide the best planting material available anywhere in the world to Indian farmers;and to increase productivity, farm income and export. In addition, it also seeks to ensure that there is no deleterious effect on environment, healthand bio-safety. However, the focus of NSP 2002, such as development of infrastructure, ensuring supply of good quality seeds and facilitation of the seed trade are required to be addressed. Seeds Bill, 2004 The Seeds Bill, 2004 seeks to regulate the production, distribution and sale of seeds. However, the Parliamentary Standing Committee is not in favour of requiring farmers to meet certain criteria in order to sell or exchange seeds. It has recommended that farmers should be allowed to sell or exchange seeds from the other farmers to be exempted from this requirement. The new Bill with proposed amendments aims to regulate the quality of seeds sold, and replaces the Seeds Act, 1966. All varieties of seeds for sale have to be registered. Most importantly, the proposed Bill requires that if a registered seed variety fails to perform up to the expected standards, the farmer can claim compensation from the producer or the dealer. Summarising the overall development since the 80s, one can argue that the present seed regime in India marks a new phase of commercialisation of Indian agriculture, with adequate protection to farmers, especially small and marginal ones. Several studies have also argued that due to failure of the role of public sector, private sector will play an important role in the near future. Bangladesh There are at least three important seed-related laws in Bangladesh which include:
• The National Seed Policy (1993)
• The Seed Ordinance, 1977 (Amendments in 1997 and 2005)
• The Seed Rules, 1998
The National Seed policy, 1993 Bangladesh National Seed Policy (NSP) was introduced in 1993. The main purpose of this policy is to make the best quality seeds of improved varieties of crops conveniently and efficiently available to farmers with a view to increasing crop production, farmer’s productivity, and per-capita farm income and export earnings.
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The Seed Ordinance 1977 (The Seed Act Amendments in 1997 and 2005) The Seed Ordinance 1977 stipulates the role and function of the National Seed Board and the Seed Certificate Agency (SCA), which also provides clauses for the import and export of seeds, the representation of board members, regulations of standards for quality of seed, approval and registration of new varieties, labelling of seeds and the functions of SCA and penalties for violating the ordinance or rules. Seed Rules 1998 The Seed Rules also play a crucial role in regulation of seed industry. It elaborates on the function of the National Seed Board (NSB) and on the procedures for registration of seed dealers, registration of varieties and labelling of the seed offers for sale in sealed containers or packets. We have mentioned several seed legislations that have been implemented by India and Bangladesh. These acts tried to control the quality and also distribution of seeds properly to end users, i.e. farmers. But farmers are always facing the problem to get quality seeds in the proper price. This is because farmers in this region are mainly small and marginalised. Moreover, most of them are poor.
Seed Delivery Mechanism in Bangladesh and India Bangladesh India-Bangladesh border is marked by a high degree of porosity, and consequently estimating the extent of informal trade and illegal cross-border activities is a major challenge. Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) has done an extensive study with the help of partner organisation from Bangladesh, i.e. Unnayan Sammanay â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on informal rice seed trade between India and Bangladesh. Presently,there are several numbers of stakeholders involved in the rice seed delivery system, both in India and Bangladesh. In the borders areas of Bangladesh, farmers are usingIndian origin rice seed, i.e. Swarna variety. CUTS conducted the study in Rangpur (Bangladesh), where GutiSwarna is primarily usedby local farmers. Formal Route of Seed Delivery System in Bangladesh Seed delivery system in Bangladeshhas five stages, which include:
1) The development of new variety which until now mostly has been done by the public system;
2) The stage of seed delivery system, which was also done by the public system;
3) Multiplication of seed currently carried out by public and private sector and NGOs;
4) The marketing of seeds, being carried out by public and private sector and NGOs through their own outlets as well as through private seed dealers; and
5) The stage of end users, i.e. farmers.
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The basic structure of seed production, marketing and distribution is reflected in Figure 1: Figure: 1: Seed Delivery/Production/Distribution System in Bangladesh
Seed Delivery/ Production/ Distribution System
Stage1 Activity: Development of new seed variety Participant: Public sector
Breeder Seeds (BS) BRRI and BINA
Stage 2 Activity: Production of source seed (Breeder's seed) Participant: Public sector
Foundation Seeds (FS) BADC is the main agency in charge of production of FS in Bangladesh
Stage 3 Activity: Multiplication of seeds Participants: Public sector, private sector and NGOs
Certified Seeds (CS) BADC produces CS in the farmers field through contractual arrangements
Stage 4 Activity: Marketing of Seed through their own outlets as well as through private seed dealers Participants: Public Sector, private sector and NGOs
There are three formal marketing channels for distribution of publically produced CS under BADC. These are:
Stage 5 Activity: Seed utilisation in crop production Participant: Farmers
• BADC's own widespread marketing network • Licenced Pvt. seed dealers and • NGOs
Source: Seed flow map of Bangladesh: Dynamics of Rice Seeds Trade, Need for cooperation between India and Bangladesh, CUTS Study, 2013
Informal Route of Seed Delivery System Bangladeshi farmers are not happy with theinformal route of seed delivery system, specifically in the border region. After several seed acts or rules, they are not getting quality seeds and this factor is also affecting their livelihood. Sometimes they are getting good quality rice seeds, but due to higher cost, they are not able to afford them. Hence, they are also dependant on Indian origin seeds, which are coming through informal routes. Emphasis is laid on the informal route of distribution of seeds. Swarna rice seeds are informally traded between Coochbehar, West Bengal in India and Rangpur in Bangladesh. This is because the farmers in Bangladesh feel that the Indian variety of rice seeds are available at lower price, easily accessible and available, with proximate markets, better productivity, longevity, etc. On the Indian front, India farmers procure the Swarna rice seed at Rs29.17 per kg and the same are sold at Rs 33.33 per kg to Bangladeshi farmers living in border areas. These seeds are then sold to Bangladeshi seed dealers at Rs 41.67 per kg, which are then sold to the general farmers at Rs54.17 per kg. The prices differ in the case of second generation seeds.
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Figure 2: Informal Flow of Swarna Rice Seeds Bangladeshi Seeds dealers/Agents
Indian Relatives
Selling price @ INR 41.67 per kg; Replicated seeds @ INR 25 per kg
Indian Neighbour Farmers
Selling price @INR 54.17 per kg Replicated seeds @INR 29.17 – 33.33 per kg
General Farmers
Bangladeshi Farmers
Selling price @ INR33.33 per kg Replicated seeds @ INR16.67 per kg
Replicated seeds @ INR20.83 - 25 per kg
Source: Linkages and Impacts of Cross-Border Informal Trade in Agricultural Inputs in Eastern South Asia (LITA), CUTS study, 201617 (Unpublished)
Informal Trade Drivers of RiceSeeds Affecting BangladeshiFarmers These farmers are not in confrontation with global competiveness and also are not so concerned about the quality of agricultural produce. They always give importance to the cost-effectiveness in production. It is natural that illegal or informally traded agriculture inputs have lower price, and sometimes these products have a quality advantage in comparison to the products available locally. Better quality is indicated by higher productivity and post-harvest longevity. Some of the internal problems being faced by the Bangladeshi farmers are:
• Lack of infrastructure investment in seed development due to high influence of government control and regulation given thatthe private sector could not enter the seed market.
• Lack of coordination between different organisations involved in the seed delivery process: inadequate linkages between research institutes:Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation(BADC) and Nongovernment Organisations (NGOs) during variety testing and delivery of improved varieties of seeds. This is also affecting the quality of seeds andcausing problems for end users.
• Subsidised seeds are always provided by BADC to marginal farmers; but demand always exceeds the supply of seeds. This is rapidly becoming a very critical situation for people in border regions; they cannot afford the private companies’ seeds due to cost. Therefore, they use informal traded seeds, which are coming from India.
Apart fromthese internal problems, some other external factors are also enhancing the informal trade of seeds in the border region, i.e. transportation cost,easier post-harvest management, cultural, social and ethnic relation, lack of knowledge andlack of formal border points.
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India Formal Route of Seed Delivery system The Indian seed industry primarily comprises public sector research institutes and companies, private sector companies, seed associations at the national and state levels, NGOs (though their presence is relatively limited compared to other stakeholders), farmers (both contract growers and general farmers). There are several organisations in the public sector that directly or indirectly influence flow of rice seeds in India, which have been observed in Figure 3 (this is the seed distribution in West Bengal, which may be different from the rest of India as sometimes state-wise seed distribution varies). Figure 3: Flow of Seed Production and Distribution in West Bengal Department of Agriculture
SAU
Research station in other states
BS
Research institutions
SAU
BS
BS
FS WBSSC
CS
Private companies in other states
Private companies
BS
WBSSC Farms
FS SAU sales outlets
NSC
FS
SAU: State Agriculture University WBSSC: West Bengal State Seed Corporation NSC: National Seed Corporation BS: Breeder Seeds FS: Foundation Seeds CS: Certified Seeds RS: Raw Seeds
FS
Directorate of Agriculture
CS
FS
WBSSC
Private company
CS
WBSSC farms
Registered Seed Growers (5000)
CS
CS
Directorate of Agriculture
WBSSC District Offices Registered seed dealers (800)
Storage facility (27)
RS
Farmers
Block seed sale centre
Source: Dynamics of Rice Seeds Trade Need for Cooperation between India and Bangladesh, CUTS, 2013
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Informal Route of Seed Delivery System To understand the impact of informal trade in rice seeds along the India-Bangladesh border across specific locations of West Bengal, CUTS has conducted a survey across three locations: viz. Cooch Behar, Malda and South Dinajpur. Attempts were made to record the responses of other stakeholders, viz. traders and seed/fertiliser dealers involved in informal trade and farmers. For Malda, farmers are using Bangladeshi rice variety - BB11 as a khariff crop. And, for the boro (summer) season, farmers of South Dinajpur practice cultivation with Bangladeshi rice varieties like Hira. Beyond the fence, both Indian and Bangladeshi farmers not only interact among themselves but also exchange agricultural seeds, which are partly used by the Indian farmer and partly sold either to local shops or to other farmers in their circle only. It is important to note that while bringing seeds on the Indian side, the farmers unpack those seeds and carry them in ordinary plastic bags or ordinary sacks. In some cases, unscrupulous practices are done by some where they mix Bangladeshi seeds with other cheaper varieties thereby affecting the rice production. The supply chain along with cost breakup for BR 28 and BR 29 variety has been graphically depicted in Figure 4. However, price of the product increases along with the distance from the market where it will be sold, since additional stakeholder engagement would be required. Table 1 represents such price differentials based on the distance of the selling point (market/household). Figure 4: Seeds Supply Chain with Cost Breakup & Channels of Informal Trade in BR28/29
Bangladeshi farmer
Selling price @ INR80/ kg
Selling price @ INR110/kg
Seed dealer/agent/broker of the Indian side
Selling price @ INR60/kg
Indian farmers cultivating beyond the fence on the Bangladesh side
General farmers on the Indian side Selling price @ INR80/kg Farmers on the Indian side
Source: Linkages and Impacts of Cross-Border Informal Trade in Agricultural Inputs in Eastern South Asia (LITA), CUTS Study, 2016-17 (Unpublished)
Table 1: Variation in Prices of Informally Traded Rice Varieties Based on Distance of the Nearest Market Distance
1 kmâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 Km 5 kmâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;more than 10 km
Name of Rice Variety
Price per Kg (in Rs)
BIRI-28/29
60
Hira-2
250
BIRI-28/29
90
Hira-2
300
Source: Linkages and Impacts of Cross-Border Informal Trade in Agricultural Inputs in Eastern South Asia (LITA), CUTS study, 2016-17 (Unpublished)
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BR-11 is a variety that came from Bangladesh via South Dinajpur about 10 years back. In Malda, it first came to Gazole and then started spreading to the nearby districts. Since the variety provides greater yield and is less prone to pest attacks, compared to Swarna(the competing Indian variety), it became very popular among farmers in the district. In addition tothe above mentioned factors, some other factors are also influencing the informal trade, which are given as follows:
• Social and ethnic relations between India and Bangladesh,
• Lower price of certified seeds, which are coming from Bangladesh
• Transport and transaction costs, easy access and availability due to proximity to local markets
• Lack of awareness of farmers
Macroeconomic Factors Affecting the Formal Trade Barriers of Trade Trade Policy The import policy of India for rice seed is restrictive and imports of such seeds are allowed. However, there is no restriction on imports of other agricultural inputs. The export policy of India is liberal, which permits the exports of most of the selected agricultural inputs except fertilisers. The import and export policies of Bangladesh are open for all agricultural inputs except for rice and maize seed. The restrictions are used to protect its domestic agriculture sector and to address supply side constraints. Non-Tariff Barriers There exist a large number of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) for seed export-import, mainly in the form of technical barriers to trade (TBT) and sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS)measures. The first is related to regulations to ensure food security and prevent spreading of diseases. For instance, in India, there exists bio-security and SPS related regulations. To get the SPS certificates and import permit for importing livestock and food products is cumbersome and time consuming. There exists huge inequality with regard to the development of standards and testing procedures and cooperation, which affects the cross-border formal trade. Policy Related Issues India and Bangladesh are faced with poor quality soft and hard infrastructure in South Asia affecting cost-border trade, thereby affecting the growth of regional trade in the region (De, 2014). One of the major hurdles is the absence of effective transit agreement and the movement of vehicles across border. Due to excessive paperwork, undue formalities and administrative burden traders face major hindrances in cross-border trade flows, specifically in seeds. Further, the absence of testing agencies at land ports creates massive challenges for traders. Domestic Policy Distortion The two important factors playing a catalyst role for cross-border informal trade in Indo-Bangladesh border region, i.e. lack of employment opportunities in the border region; and the social relationships between communities across border. Informal trade creates employment opportunities for marginalised households and is an important source of income for local people living in border areas. Moreover, social and cultural relations between the people of two sides of borders become a natural facilitator of cross-border informal trade.
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Political Aspects Restrictions on trade of essential items through normal channels compel local people and traders to use the informal route to buy those particular products. The governments of India and Bangladesh have made inadequate progress in terms of promoting developments in the border areas and as well as to build up efficient institutions and regulatory framework, which is a major concern in promoting cross-border informal trader. Moreover, apart from the above mentioned reasons, many political factors also affect the cross-border informal trade in the border region, which include inefficient bureaucratic system, political protection to informal traders and lack of political will for economic reforms. Quality related issues Modern farming practices can also improve rice yields but these have not spread much in the eastern part of the country or in Bangladesh where a major proportion of farmers are small and marginal. A persistent yield gap has been a challenging issue in productivity improvement in rice. Some of the major factors influencing the productivity of the rice production of these countries, which are then driving border region people into formal trade. Sub-standard quality: Maximum seeds have quality constraints in these regions due to many reasons. Lack of infrastructure in R&D is one of the reasons for sub-standard quality. Lack of efforts in developing sustainable solutions for the quality rice seeds development: Both the countries are not trying to significantly develop quality of the seeds.Thus, productivity is also going down. Farmers are trying to use different seeds, which are coming by informal route. Their perceptions it might be better productive for their climate. Low seed replacement rate: Low seed replacement rate in both the countries also hampers the productivity. Farmers are not such technical things of farming. Therefore, helping them at times use informal traded seeds, which are productive with cost effectiveness. High cost: Trade is mainly dominated by private seed companies or multi-national corporations (MNCs); their motive is primarily profit-based. This created ideological barriers in on the grounds of different agro-ecological requirements of countries. Due to underdeveloped seed market, sometimes, farmers often keep the seeds from their own previous harvest, because underdeveloped seed market cannot meet the growing demand of high-quality seed. There are other constraints for accessibility or affordability to use the improved seeds, i.e. price factor.
Conclusion and the Way Forward Based on the secondary analysis and the primary survey, it can be argued that both India and Bangladesh have put in place basic infrastructure and mechanism to facilitate development and usage of improved varieties of rice seeds in their respective countries. The rice seed-related issues and challenges are mostly faced by the farmers in eastern part of India and western part of Bangladesh. These issues should be resolved through the cooperative approach of both of the countries. Following are the recommendations and solutions to some of the issues on the basis of the study:
â&#x20AC;˘ The delivery of improved varieties of quality seeds is an important strategy for the increasing the productivity and promoting the agricultural growth.6
â&#x20AC;˘ South Asian countries should come forward with an initiative, such as identifying major varieties that could be adapted to other countries in the region.
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• Research institutions in India should design a plan of action for engagements with similar institutions in Bangladesh. Such engagement will ensure seed production for the local market and meet regional demand also.
• The existing seed bank is not enough to address the seed related challenges like supply of seeds. Thus, seed bank should be developed.
• Governments should encourage private participation in the seeds market and thus ensure that the rules and regulation for the business are homogenous throughout the country.
• The governments of India and Bangladesh should work closely to promote greater coherence in institutional and regulatory framework, so that the prevailing policy induced distortions can be addressed. This is particularly important in subsidised items (fertilisers and machinery) in which governments are directly involved in distribution.
• Countries should also make efforts to create more awareness to promote trading through formal channels.
References: Bangladesh Seed Grower dealers and Merchant association (2007), “Bangladesh Seed Industry at a glance”, online web access on March 4th, 2013 BE (2009) “Bangladeshi rice seeds go abroad” Bhalle, G.S. (2004), “State of the Indian farmers: A millennium study”, 19th Volume Dynamics of Rice Seed Seeds Trade: Need for Cooperation between India and Bangladesh, CUTS Study, 2013 Pandey, S. and S Pal. (2007), “Are less-favoured environments over invested? The case of rice research in India”, Food Policy, 32: 606-23. Pandey, Sushil and HumnathBhandari (2008), “Economics of hybrid rice in tropical Asia: major issues and opportunities”, in F. Xie and B. Hardy, “Accelerating hybrid rice development”, IRRI: Manila. Potential for Trade in Seeds between India and other SAARC Countries, CUTS Study, 2013 Pray, C. E., and L. Nagarajan (2009), “Improving crops for arid lands: pearl millet and sorghum in India”, in D. J. Speilman and R. PandyaLorch, Millions fed: proven successes in agricultural development, IFPRI: Washington DC. Rabobank (2006), “Indian seed industry: market overview and outlook”, Industry note 184-2006, Global Department of Food and Agribusiness Research and Advisory, Rabobank International: Utrecht, Netherlands Singh, Harbir, Prasoon Mathur and Suresh pal (2008), “Indian seed system development: policy and institutional options”, Agricultural Economics Research Review, Vo. 21, January-June 2008, pp. 20-29. The Economic Times (2012), “India’s seed industry to grow by 53% by 2015: ASSOCHAM”, 9 December 2012.
The article has been published with permission of author
Endnotes Bhalla G S &GurmailSingh. Economic Liberalisation and Indian Agriculture: A Statewise Analysis.Vol XLIV No 52, December 26, 2009 DayalTalukder, Dayal and Love Chile; Love Agricultural Trade Liberalisation and Growth in Income of Rural Household in Bangladesh: A QuintileGrowth Approach to the Analysis of Distributional Consequences 3 Bangladesh: Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Bangladesh 4 Agricultural Statistics, 2016; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India 5 Ibid 6 Pal et al. (2000); TRIPs (2001); Sattar and Hossain (1986) 1 2
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Role of the Seed Industry for Doubling Farmers Income By Dr Elangovan Mani India Vegetable Research Lead, Advanta Seeds, A UPL Seeds Division The initiative taken by the Indian government to boost the agriculture sector is a ambitious goal to double the farmers’ income by 2022. In doing so, they have proposed strategies ranging from irrigation to integrated farming systems. This will require new approaches and innovations. For example, seeds that give higher yield, as well as increasing collaboration between the private sector and other stakeholders, in the food system. It will also require integrated value chains that connect farm to fork, competitive markets that provide better prices to farmers, and an enabling environment that supports innovation and action. This would also imply restructuring agriculture processes and policy interventions, ensure that our products are of the right price and right commodity. In this article, we will discuss how Advanta Seeds is supporting the initiative of doubling the income of the farmers, whilst at the same time we ensure that our products are of the right price and right commodity. As a seed company, we exist to improve the genetics of the hybrids and develop a seed that is suitable for a very certain environment. Thus, we are developing hybrid seeds that are increasing the yield per unit area. This yield is achievable by various factors like:
• Improvement in the agronomy.
• Improvement in the Heterosis of the hybrid.
• Improvement in the pest and disease tolerant, and creating a new value to farmers.
• Improvement in productivity.
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• Resource use efficiency or saving in cost of production.
• Increase in cropping intensity.
• Diversification towards high value crops.
The sources outside agriculture include:
1. shifting cultivators from farm to non-farm occupations, and
2. improvement in terms of trade for farmers or real prices received by farmers.
UPL is working for the last one decade in both, vegetable and field crops globally. This article aims to provide the reader a glimpse of how Advanta Seeds and UPL are contributing towards doubling the farmers’ income. We will discuss three different hybrid crops that are innovated by the Advanta research team and explain how they help farmers double their income.
Green fodder Our forage seeds are utilized by dairy and forage farmers for receiving high yield of crops. The increase in demand for dairy products has dominated the utilization of forage seeds in India. Dairy companies are the largest consumers of forage seeds in India. Most of the forage seed market in the region is uncertified, however, the demand for certified seeds are higher. The forage seed market in the region is highly concentrated on hybrid-seed production. The market is dominated by the informal trade sector, the public sector and NGOs. About 5% of the market is taken by the private sector in the region. The global forage seeds market is estimated to be valued at USD 9.91 Billion in 2016 and projected to reach USD 17.37 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 9.81% from 2016 to 2022. Growth in the market can be attributed to factors such the rapid increase in demand for animal feed, increasing livestock population, and improvement in the quality and quantity of forage crops. Although there is an outstanding improvement of dairy enterprises in recent years, the dairy farmers faced some problems in developing their dairy enterprise. The major constraint hindering the development of dairy sector is shortage of feed. Green fodder and feed concentrate is the root cause of poor performance of the dairy sector in general as the genetic milk production potential of crossbred cow could not be exploited fully in absence of proper nutrition. India hosts 330m livestock, with around 300m cows and buffalo. Dairy is one of the most rewarding unit for farmers. India is the home for largest dairy animal population and milk production, with 80% less productivity (1.2 Lts per day) than the world average of 5.8 Lts per day. The poor performance in productivity is mainly due to animal genetics and animal nutrition. In the last ten years, animal genetics is being improved by the introduction of exotic breeds. Animal nutrition is a serious problem in both quality and quantity. The conventional fodder has less digestibility and its directly affects the milk yield. Its stated, 1% improvement in digestibility increases milk yield by 5% (Miller and Stroup 2003). There is a huge gap between supply and demand of Green (64%) and Dry (25% deficit) fodder. The main reason, for such a huge deficit is that fodder was not considered as important as cereal and vegetable crop by dairy farmers. UPL took the initiative to bridge the gap and launched a series of fodder hybrids to boost fodder production and productivity, they are Pear millet based multicut-nutrifeed, sweet sorghum – sugar graze, sorghum sudan grass – Jumbo, Multicut Rye grass- makhan grass. The hybrid fodders were designed and bred in such a way to do the following:
a. To fulfil the animal feeding requirement
b. For high nutritional, high palatable and high yielding forage crops
c. To improve animal life and health Seed Times May - August 2017
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d. To improve quality milk production
e. Increase in Farmer income per day
f. Increase in livelihood of the dairy farmers
g. 365 days’ green fodder for the livestock
UPL’s Sugar Graze is a sweet sorghum based fodder, with very high biomass (Fig. 1) and is popular among the farmers Punjab, Haryana, UP, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh. Innovation is the key to produce more crops per drop. Having contributed in meeting the quantity of fodder, now UPL will be launching Brown midrib trait in sweet sorghum to meet the demand of quality fodder. The BMR trait increases the digestibility of sweet sorghum by 1.5%, which translates into a 7.5% improvement in the milk yield (Table 1). Table 1 Comparison of conventional fodder with Sugar Graze- hybrid fodder Distance
Name of Rice Variety
Sugar graze - Hybrid fodder
Conventional fodder
High yielding Nutritious Fodder (75T/ha)
Low yielding & Non Nutritious (30T/Ha)
Late Flowering Single Cut Hybrid with low lignin%
Early flowering
Late Flowering Single Cut Hybrid with low lignin%
Early flowering
Brix 16% to 18%
Less brix 10%
Tall, thick, soft stems with Soft Internodes and broad leaf width
Dwarf, thinstem, narrow leaf, low energy, less protein
More Digestibility & Palatability
Low digestibility
Suitable for Silage & Hay Making
Less suitable for silage
High Energy more Protein
Less protein, less eneryg
High dry matter
Less Dry matter
Tested & recommended by ICAR
No certification
Benefits of a good fodder include:
• Milk production
• Milk productivity
• Lactation days
• Reduced milk production cost
• Reduced concentrates
• Timely calving, reduced dry period
• Healthy – Reduced Methane Emission
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Fig 1. Robust Sugar graze fodder grown by local farmer in the middle, flanked by UPL representatives (Punjab, 2016)
Sweetcorn Sweetcorn is often quoted as the money spinner by the farming community, due to its short duration and assured remuneration. Sweetcorn is a genetic mutant of Maize and stores more sugar than field corn. It is generally fit to grow through the year across all geography. Globally, Sweetcorn is produced for the fresh, frozen and canned markets, but in India major market share contributes for fresh consumption. It has become a latest entrant in our kitchen, finding its way in several cuisines due to its taste and nutrition. Sweetcorn role in doubling income of farmer:
• It is a unique dual cash crop for both farmers of all kind of landholding
• It yields fresh green fodder for cattle to increase milk output
• It has good green cob yielding potential for the market with assured price.
UPL’s role in scaling up farmer’s income through sweetcorn: UPL is the second largest player in India sweet corn markets, UPL has been the leader in tropical sweetcorn occupying 70% of Thailand sweetcorn market. Two hybrids Hi-brix39 and Hi-brix53 are popular throughout India due to their wide adaptation and high TSS (total soluble solids). UPL sweetcorn, acts as one of the key hybrids for doubling farmers’ income by their unique genetic trait. Most of the sweetcorn hybrids in market bears a single marketable cob per plant, but UPL’s Hibrix39 & Hibrix53 both are capable of bearing two marketable cobs per plant (Fig. 2). This leads to more marketable cobs per unit area, uniform yield and fetching additional revenue for the farmer (Fig3). Fig2. Hibrix39 sweetcorn with two cobs
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Fig. 3 Hibrix39 in field
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Okra Hybrids India is ranked first in the world in terms of producing with a produce large quantity being provided (0.35 million Ha). Okra is a rich source of dietary fibre and is considered to be the most important vegetable in India. The average landholding of Okra growers is less than 0.5 Acre and it directly impacts the revenue of small farmers. Role of genetics in doubling the farmer income: Okra is exposed by serious viral diseases like yellow vein mosaic virus (YVMV) and Enation leaf curl virus (ELCV). Viral disease is often very difficult to control using insecticides on whitefly vectors (Fig 4). UPL’s okra hybrids are tolerant to both YVMV and ELCV strains prevalent in major Indian growing regions. Virus tolerance helped in survival of the hybrids for a long duration in field and set a new benchmark in yield by doubling the “fruit picking number”. In summer season, conventional Okra hybrid/ varieties will able to provide 35 to 40 Okra pickings in summer, due to severe virus pressure. UPL’s Okra hybrids Taj, Mona, Venus Plus can survive in field due to its strong virus tolerance and provide 60 to 65 okra pickings, benefitting the farmers. This is clear example of genetics helping the farmers to double income of farmers. Fig 4 Susceptible checks for ELCV (right) and UPL Okra hybrids tolerant to ELCV(left)
Conclusion There is, however, almost an agreement that the net income of farmers can be doubled by providing them quality seeds that ensure high yield that work with the traits. Advanta Seeds is just half way through, and we have many genetics in the pipeline which we are working on. Therefore, all these factors that come together will make us achieve our goal of doubling farmers’ income. The low level of farmers’ income and year to year fluctuations seen are a major source of agrarian distress. This distress is spreading and getting severe over time impacting almost half of the population of the country that is dependent on farming for livelihood. Persistent low level of farmers’ income can also cause serious adverse effect on the future of agriculture in the country. To secure future of agriculture and to improve livelihood of half of India’s
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population, adequate attention needs to be given to improve the welfare of farmers and raise agricultural income. Achieving this goal will reduce persistent disparity between farm and non-farm income, alleviate agrarian distress, promote inclusive growth and infuse dynamism in the agriculture sector. Respectable income in the farm sector will also attract youth towards the farming profession and ease the pressure on non-farm jobs, which are not growing as per expectations. Doubling farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; income by 2022 is quite challenging but it is needed and is attainable. Three-pronged strategy focused on (i) development initiatives, (ii) technology and (iii) policy reforms in agriculture is needed to double farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; income. The rates of increase in sources underlying the growth in output need to be accelerated by 33 per cent to meet the goal. The country needs to increase its use of quality seed, fertiliser and power supply to agriculture by 12.8, 4.4 and 7.6 per cent every year, respectively. The area under irrigation must be expanded by 1.78 million hectares and the area under double cropping should be increased by 1.85 million hectares every year. Areas under fruits and vegetables is required to increase by 5% each year. In the case of livestock, improvement in herd quality, better feed, the increase in artificial insemination, reduction in calving interval and lowering age at first calving are the potential sources of growth. Most of the development initiatives and policies for agriculture are implemented by the U.S. They invest much more than the outlay by the sources on many development activities, like irrigation. Progress of various reforms related to the market and land lease are also U.S. subjects. If the seed industry can make well-coordinated efforts, we can achieve the goal of doubling farmers income.
Reference: Miller F. R., Stroup J. A. (2003). Brown midrib forage sorghum, sudangrass, and corn: What is the potential? Proc. 33rd California Alfalfa and Forage Symposium, pp.143-151.
The article has been published with permission of author
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