A senior scientist has lambasted the procedure used to identify and release seed varieties to farmers across the country. The director of the Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), S K Sinha, points out in a report to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research that it is the inability of official committees to recognise the productive and fertile seed varieties that is "mainly responsible for achieving no success in varietal diversification", and not the favourite whipping-boy, research failures.
Disease-resistant and high-yield varieties are scarce even in parts of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, considered the wheat bowl of the country. In fact, there are no replacements for the most commonly used wheat variety, HD 2329, which has been around for over a decade and is becoming increasingly susceptible to diseases. Sinha claims that two superior wheat varieties, DL 803-2 and DL 802-3, developed by IARI, were summarily rejected at the All-India Wheat Researchers' Workshop held in Hissar last year.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.