RA 00048.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

inherent production potentiality. The limit can be
reached by adopting r e c o m m e n d e d production
technology, provided t h e s e e d is of t h e right
variety and of the right quality. It has, therefore,
been appropriately said that it is t h e s e e d that sets
t h e limit of production. The importance of t h e
s e e d in increasing agricultural production has
been recognized since long ago.
Historical
N e w crops and varieties have b e e n r e c o m ­
m e n d e d for general cultivation for m a n y years.
W h e n e v e r n e w crops o r n e w varieties w e r e
introduced or d e v e l o p e d as a result of research,
a t t e m p t s w e r e m a d e t o produce and distribute
seeds of such varieties through t h e channels
available and to the extent possible under t h e
prevailing circumstances.
It has been s h o w n that the use of i m p r o v e d
s e e d is one of t h e cheapest m e t h o d s of increasing
production w h i c h mainly n e e d e d organizational
efforts. Considerable emphasis has been laid on
this program as a part of the overall national plan
for agricultural d e v e l o p m e n t during the planning
era starting f r o m 1950. A n u m b e r of seed f a r m s
w e r e started for t h e production of foundation
s e e d s and a n u m b e r of farmers w e r e enrolled and
registered as s e e d g r o w e r s for production and
supply of certified seeds, w i t h t h e main objective
of m a k i n g e v e r y taluk in t h e c o u n t r y selfsufficient.
W i t h t h e release of n e w hybrids and highyielding
varieties in t h e country in t h e 1960s, t h e
p r o g r a m a s s u m e d an altogether different d i m e n ­
sion and conception. The first s e e d testing laboratory
w a s established in 1 9 6 1 . The National Seeds
Corporation (NSC) w a s set up in 1963. The Seed
A c t w a s passed in 1966 and t h e Seed R e v i e w
T e a m (SRT) gave its report in 1968 in w h i c h it
m a d e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s keeping i n v i e w t h e n e e d
for a strong s e e d industry in t h e country. In t h e
initial stages, the s e e d industry m a d e t r e m e n d o u s
p r o g r e s s — c o n s i d e r e d as of a kind unparalleled in
t h e w o r l d — i n a short period. Douglas (1972)
analyzed t h e situation as it existed in t h e beginning
of t h e 1970s and m a d e important and
relevant suggestions for t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e
s e e d industry in t h e country w i t h special refere
n c e to s o r g h u m . The position w a s analyzed in
d e p t h b y t h e N C A a n d t h e findings and r e c o m ­
m e n d a t i o n s can be f o u n d in its interim report
(1972) as w e l l as in t h e final report (1976c).
Intensive efforts to popularize s o r g h u m hybrids
began in 1 9 6 6 / 6 7 . Progress achieved can be s e e n
f r o m Table 4. The area covered in 1979 w a s about
1 5 % . Coverage has been better in Maharashtra
a n d Karnataka but only in the kharif season. The
available hybrids and varieties have been f o u n d to
be suitable to conditions prevailing in t h e m o n t h s
of s u m m e r and kharif seasons. The o p t i m u m
period for s o w i n g has been o b s e r v e d to be f r o m
February to June. A t t e m p t s m a d e so far to
develop suitable hybrids and varieties for the rabi
season have just resulted in t h e release of a f e w
varieties suited to s o m e areas only a n d t h e y are
yet to b e c o m e popular.
Present Position
The seed industry has been built up to a certain
e x t e n t during t h e last 15 years. The question n o w
is w h e t h e r the existing infrastructure is sufficient
to produce and supply t h e n e e d e d quantities of
s e e d of t h e appropriate quality. The s o r g h u m s e e d
r e q u i r e m e n t s in 1985 and 2 0 0 0 AD as projected
by the N C A are given in Table 5. It m u s t be said
that as far as production of seed is concerned,
t h e r e is no dearth of f a r m e r s w h o are capable of
producing the n e e d e d quantity of seed. A g o o d
n u m b e r of farmers have b e e n trained, w h i l e m a n y
m o r e can be trained in a short period. It has b e e n
successfully s h o w n that farmers in India, although
illiterate, have the capacity to absorb technology
concerning seed production and to deliver any
quantity of certified s e e d under an a g r e e m e n t
w i t h an agency. The p r o b l e m , h o w e v e r , is in
organizing a large n u m b e r of farmers in different
parts of t h e country and in motivating t h e m to
Table 4. Area (in million ha) under sorghum hybrids.
Year Area Year Area
1966/67 0.19 1973/74 1.10
1967/68 0.60 1974/75 1.31
1968/69 0.70 1975/76 2.19
1969/70 0.56 1976/77 2.37
1970/71 0.80 1977/78 3.10
1971/72 0.69 1978/79 3.10
1972/73 0.87 1979/80 3.00
Source: Unpublished data from the Planning Commission,
Government of India, New Delhi.
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