Adoption of hybrid seeds to help raise rice productivity

However, currently out of total annual rice output in India only 3% is produced through hybrid seeds

Rice output in India can be raised at least by 15-20% by increasing use of hybrid seed which currently stands at much lower than the technologically advanced seeds used normally in other agri crops, a Rabobank study said.

Out of total annual rice output in India at around 99 million tonnes (USDA estimates for 2012-13 season), only 3% is produced through hybrid seeds. The remaining quantity comes through breeding of conventional seeds only. Since the genetically modified Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice is not allowed for commercialization in India, scientists and technocrats would have to focus only on improved variety of hybrid seeds to raise productivity.

“The primary focus for rice research should be on developing hybrids with improved productivity and acceptable cooking quality requirements. Hybrid rice has a potential to raise production between 15-20%,” the study said.

The existing guidelines mandate any hybrid seed to be able to deliver at least 10% higher output than the normal conventional seeds in that category. Some of the circulating hybrid rice seeds, however, delivery over 10% of additional output on favourable climatic condition.

Comparing India’s presence in hybrid rice with China, the study said that the world’s largest producer has made great strides in rice production by undertaking hybrid rice cultivation in a major way. Currently, almost half of China’s total area under rice cultivation is under hybrid varieties, and a similar approach could also be taken in India. The Indian government is already focusing on hybrid rice cultivation in the eastern states and needs to extend this practice to the rest of the country.

Percentage of hybrid in select commodities in India
Crop	Hybrid seed use of tatal consumption (%)
Cotton	90-95
Corn	60
Rice	3
Pearl millet	80
Sunflower	95-100

Currently, hybrids are very limited to the northern and eastern parts of India due to the nature of the grain, which is not preferred in many parts of the country. In order to expand the market for hybrid rice, companies need to invest in research to develop hybrids suitable for western and southern India. Some of the ‘must have’ factors for entering and expanding India’s presence in hybrid paddy are high yield advantage over other varieties, good genetic purity, suitability for a wider geographical area and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

The initial research for vegetables and oilseeds has shown excellent results in fruits and vegetables such as okra, bottle guard, watermelon, musk melons, tomatoes etc. Going forward, there could be an immense scope for developing hybrids for some novelty vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, baby corn, lettuce and asparagus.

Therefore, private companies should have access to advanced hybrids or else they will need to focus their research on developing hybrids with tolerance to viral infections. The same is true for oilseeds, and continuous effort towards productivity / quality improvement is needed for developing superior quality hybrids in the future.

Large seed producing companies including Bayer Crop Science, Dow Agro Sciences, Pioneer, Monsanto and Syngenta are currently active in both upstream technology and downstream distribution activities in the Indian seed market. These companies have strong research base with high spends on research and development (R&D) operations for new traits development, and a good germplasm base of their own.

The study suggests that MNCs in India should continue to focus on acquiring domestic companies with a good local germplasm base and good distribution strength in the seeds space, but they should also be on the lookout for agrochemical companies strong in developing new chemistries.