This refers to the recent statements of Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister wherein they stressed for growing hybrid crops and also for replacing the conventional varieties and seeds. I do agree that hybrid crops give higher yield, promising self sufficiency and food security, but there are other aspects of hybrid crop biology which need to be understood well. First of all we should know that hybrid crops are raised from hybrid seeds which are produced through a laborious breeding program. This enhances the cost of these seeds. Second, when a hybrid crop is raised from hybrid seeds, it cannot in turn become the source of quality hybrid seeds. The seeds produced by a hybrid plant whether by self pollination or cross pollination, in both cases are of inferior quality than the parent(s). There is a considerable reduction in yield when the crops are raised from the seeds produced by the hybrid crops. Thus, if you dream of growing hybrid crops, you need to purchase these specially-bred hybrid seeds each year. This is simply a burden on the farmers and our farmers may not afford to purchase these costly seeds on each sowing occasion. The traditional varieties or landraces provide them the needed option of saving free seeds which they use in the subsequent seasons.

But in case of hybrids, it is a single time use. Growing hybrid crops, thus, crop up farmer’s dependence on the market and the agency for the seed. This dependence may well be exploited by the seed-providing agency or agencies with tremendous market monopoly. Thus, the statement of the minister that we should replace all seeds of local varieties with the hybrid ones is not veiled in wisdom. This will end up in snatching independence of farmers; they will be left at the mercy of the companies producing hybrid seeds. Third, government should also know the source, I mean agency or agencies which produce and provide hybrid seeds to the farmers. This is most important because the quality of hybrid seeds determines the yield you get, keeping the other growth conditions constant. The poor quality or less heterotic hybrid seeds are easily produced and then sold in the market. These seeds give less yields and thus farmers are deceived who purchase these seeds at higher costs with an expectation to get higher yields. The quality of the hybrid crop products(fruit, seed, vegetable) needs to be tested, because ultimately it is not only the quantity of food, fruit or vegetable which is important, it is the quality or composition which is also of paramount significance. Last, but the most important thing which prompted me to arrow this letter is the preservation of traditional varieties of our crops and other species. The hybrid crops if grown on a large scale will drive the local varieties into extinction. We have tasted this phenomenon bitterly in case of rice. The imported rice varieties hybridised with the local landraces causing gene depletion and gene pollution in them, which resulted in their extinction. Last year there were many agricultural experts who were mourning the loss of local rice varieties of Kashmir. They were seeking funds for preserving the local rice germplasm. The present government backed initiative of growing hybrid crops without taking care of the local varieties is surely going to wipe out our local crop varieties and other species. This bio-diversity loss will surely have grave, negative economic and ecological implications for this region.

(Khursheed Ahmad is Assistant Professor Department of Botany Islamia College Srinagar)

Lastupdate on : Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 IST