High yielding variety to Boost Agriculture Production

High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds plays vital role in the progress of agriculture. They are considered as `miracle seeds’. The high yielding programme was launched in the Kharif season of 1966 in selected areas having assured rainfall. Seed is the basic and crucial input for attaining sustained growth in agricultural production. The yield of traditional is low.

The green revolution of the sixties would not have occurred without the High Yielding Varieties of Wheat and Paddy. These high yielding varieties along with increased area under irrigation, fertilizers saw India becoming a bread basket from once being level as a begging bowl. Unfortunately, presently our yields are less comparative to the yields of crops in other countries. This has severely reduced our total production. If Indian agriculture is to remain in competition with the global agriculture it has to increase the per unit yield of its crops. This requires the development and production of seeds which have more yields, resistant to diseases, are susceptible to insect pest attack, and can withstand the environmental extremities.

Sustainable intensification of agriculture is a good alternative to avoid localized chronic food and nutrition insecurity when between 75 and 90 per cent of staple foods are produced and consumed locally. System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has emerged as an alternative to the conventional rice growing methods. SRI uses less water, is more efficient in using available water and considerable higher yields are achieved by this method. Unleashing the full potential of smallholders, including that of women farmers, is thus key to global food and nutrition security, creation of decent work, and sustainable agriculture.

High Yielding Varieties are undoubtedly land substituting, water economizing, more labor using, and employment generating innovation; nevertheless, they are very delicate and sensitive and therefore require a great deal of care if a successful harvest is to be obtained.

By:- Abhishek Tyagi
Department of Agriculture
Uttaranchal (P.G.) College of Biomedical Sciences and Hospital