Seed Multiplication Chain
At the time of the release of a variety, a small quantity of seed normally known as nucleus seed is available with the plant breeder.
The Commercial quantity of seed is produced after a series of multiplication steps. Starting from a maintenance programme in which the nucleus seed is multiplied in a generation system of multiplication as breeder, foundation and certified seed.
Nuclear Seed:
These are 100% Genetically pure seeds, i.e. seeds with Physical Purity. These are also referred to as the Pedigree Certificate seeds.
Seed Multiplication Chain:
- Breeder Seedis the original source of all classes of certified seed.
- It is held, maintained, and controlled by the originating plant breeder, sponsoring plant breederor institution, in such a way as to maintain its genetic purity and identity.
- Golden-Yellow Certificate.
- Foundation seedis the progeny of breeder seed and is produced by the State Farm Corporation of India, National Seed Corporation, and State Seed Corporation under the technical control of qualified plant breeders or technical officers. Its production is supervised and approved by the certification agency.
- White Certificate.
- Certified seedis the starting point to a successful crop as well as an important risk management tool. Certified seed is grown under stringent production requirements and has minimal weed seeds or other matter. You’re getting varietal purity.
- Blue Certificate.
- Farm Saved Seeds
Seed Replacement Ratio (SRR):
The Seed Replacement Ratio (SSR) denotes how much of the total cropped area was sown with certified seeds in comparison to farm-saved seeds. It also denotes actual quality seed distributed to farmers vis-a-vis actual seed required for the cultivation of crops.
Problem:
Due to the huge demand-supply gap, India suffers from a dismal seed Replacement Ratio.
- The public sector was limited to producing quality seeds of only low-value food grain crops; while the private sector since it was allowed to enter into the market has focused on high-value crops.
- Further, since wheat and rice are self-pollinating crops; the entire R&D efforts can pass on to farmers who can save the progenies of these plants as farm-saved seeds.
Government Initiatives
- Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare has asked the State Governments to prepare variety-wise seed rolling plants to meet year-wise, and season-wise requirements of quality seeds. This seed rolling plant will fulfil the double purpose of improving the Seed replacement rate along with the Variety Replacement Rate so that sustainable agricultural production and productivity can be ensured.
- Indian Seed Market is growing fast and during the recent past, the hybrid seed market of vegetables and cereals has shown remarkable growth. There has been an enhancement in the availability of certified/quality seeds. The availability of certified / quality seeds in the country has increased from less than 40 lakh quintals during the decade of the 60s to 370 lakh quintals in 2015-16.
Generation system of seed multiplication:
The choice of a proper seed multiplication model is the key to the further success of a seed programme which basically depends upon:
- The rate of genetic deterioration
- Seed multiplication ratio and
- Total seed demand
Based on these factors different seed multiplication models may be derived for each crop and the seed multiplication agency should decide how quickly the farmers can be supplied with the seed of newly released varieties after the nucleus seed stock has been handed over to the concerned agency, so that it may replace the old varieties.
In view of the basic factors, the chain of seed multiplication models could be:
- Three – Generation model
Breeder seed – Foundation seed – Certified seed
- Four – Generation model
Breeder seed – Foundation seed (I) Foundation seed (II) – Certified seed
- Five – Generation model
Breeder seed – Foundation seed (I)- Foundation seed (II) -Certified seed (I) – Certified seed (II)
Farmers versus Seed Research Companies
Rights of Farmers:
It is necessary to recognize and protect the rights of the farmers for their contribution made at any time in conserving, improving and making available plant genetic resources for the development of new plant varieties.
- This is essential for the farmers to be self-reliant.
- This would enable them to be free from the forces of the market.
Rights of Companies:
To accelerate agricultural development, it is necessary to protect plant breeders’ rights to stimulate investment in R&D for the development of new plant varieties.
- Such protection facilitates the growth of the seed industry which will ensure the availability of high-quality seeds and planting material to the farmers.
In order to bridge this difference Plant Varieties Act was passed in 2001.
Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001
The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act is the main legislation that deals with the intellectual property rights of the seeds and the rights of the farmers to reproduce these seeds.
This act was brought in the context of the TRIPS Agreement under WTO that India had ratified. This act gives effect to provisions of the TRIPS Agreement. The legislation is fully compliant with Article 9 of the Seed Treaty or the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA )
Provisions of the PPVFR Act
- Aim: To provide for the establishment of an effective system for the protection of plant varieties, and the rights of farmers and plant breeders and to encourage the development of new varieties of plants.
- The farmer is entitled to save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under the PPV&FR Act, 2001 except brand name.
- It establishes the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority to implement this act.
Success of the Legislation
- Even farmers have become innovators: India has received about 16,620 applications for Plant Variety Protection out of which 66% have been received from farmers alone.
- Under the provisions of the PPV&FR Act, 138 farmers/farming communities have been awarded with Plant Genome Saviour Awards.
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Pepsico’s Lays Potato Issue |
| Pepsico has been growing its potatoes for the processing of Lays chips under its “collaborative farming programme” since 2016. The potato was grown by about 12,000 farmers with whom the company had an exclusive contract to sell seeds and buy back their produce.
However, PepsiCo filed rights infringement cases against nine farmers in 2019, when it found that several farmers who were not part of its “collaborative farming programme” were also growing and selling this variety in Gujarat. |
The Seed Treaty
The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), also known as the Seed Treaty, was adopted by the Thirty-First Session of the Conference of the FAO of the United Nations on 3 November 2001.
It aims at establishing a global system to provide farmers, plant breeders and scientists with access to plant genetic materials. It also recognizes farmers’ rights, subject to national laws and envisages fair and equitable benefit sharing arising from the use of genetic resources.
It is a comprehensive international agreement that fulfils the following:
- It establishes the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing to facilitate plant germplasm exchanges & benefit sharing through the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA).
- It puts 64 of our most important crops which together account for 80% of the food we derive from plants – into an easily accessible global pool of genetic resources that are freely available to potential users in the Treaty’s ratifying nations for some uses.
- It ensures food security through the conservation, exchange and sustainable use of the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA).
- Protecting traditional knowledge: It recognizes the enormous contribution farmers have made to the ongoing development of the world’s wealth of plant genetic resources. It calls for protecting the traditional knowledge of these farmers, increasing their participation in national decision-making processes and ensuring that they share in the benefits from the use of these resources.
- It creates a legally binding obligation on states that have joined it. India is a contracting party to the treaty.
