Submitter: ICAR
Seed is the primary input for successful production of food grains and other crops. Many of South South nations don’t have the well developed seed system. Once the country is made self sustainable in seed production, its agriculture production becomes sustainable and self relient.
Indian seed system comprises of 56 ICAR Research Institutes, 48 central/ state agricultural universities, 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, one national level corporations viz. National Seed Corporation Limited (NSCL), 17 State Seed Corporations (SSCs), seven public sector undertakings, more than 550 indian and multinational seed companies, 25 Seed Certification Agencies (SCAs), one Central Seed Testing and 171 State Seed Testing Laboratories (and 20 have ISTA membership including 8 ISTA accredited) which makes it a robust system to serve the seed industry and farmers. India seed system can be replicated in the collaborating countries.
The above varieties have been bred for different agro-climatic conditions of the country and also adapted to site specific conditions also. Mapping the agro-climatic conditions of the destination nations, these varieties can be introduced directly in the similar environmental conditions. Seed availability will lead to adoption of these varieties for higher production in target nations.
The seed availability of different varieties have helped in continuous enhancement in total food grain production during past five years even under bad weather conditions too.
With the availability of seed and the package of practices, these seeds of different varieties can be grown in the similar environmental condition countries .
Deputy Director General (Crop Science), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi
Email: ddgcs.icar@nic.in
Phone: 91-11-23382545, 23046560