- Hybrids have great potential to increase oilseed production by exploiting hybrid vigor, as seen with castor and sunflower hybrids. However, only a limited number of hybrids exist for other crops like mustard and safflower. - India's average oilseed yield is about half the world average, and deviations from the national average are more often negative than positive. This huge yield gap and increasing demand mean India must import about 40% of its edible oil needs. - Both public and private sectors need to step up hybrid development efforts by introducing diverse germplasm, developing stable male sterility systems, and collaborating in areas like disease resistance breeding. Sharing of materials between sectors could accelerate this process.

1. Role of Hybrids in Oilseeds
M. S. BASU

2. The Perspectives:
• Has great relevance in selected crops to enhance
oilseed production by exploiting hybrid vigour
• Classical example; Castor hybrids in Public Sector (14)
& Sunflower hybrids (<35) in Public and Private together
•Limited number of hybrids are also available in R&M
and Safflower
• Realization of best level of yields depends on
production system, high quality seed production and
stable male sterility functions
•A challenging task when the prevailing situation is not
conducive for exploiting reasonable level of yields

3. Crop A/P/Y World India Leading Country India’s
Position
Groundnut A (m. ha) 22.23 6.74
P (m. ton) 47.77 7.99
Y (kg/ha) 2149 1187 China Second
R&M A 28.47 7.28
P 49.47 8.13
Y 1737 1117 China, Canada Third
Soybean A 93.00 7.71
P 221.50 8.27
Y 2382 1073 USA, Brazil, China Fifth
Sunflower A 23.70 2.34
P 31.33 1.44
Y 1322 627 Russia, China, France Ninth
Castor A 1.26 0.86
P 1.14 0.99
Y 902 1146 India First
Total
Oilseeds Y 1987 1004
Oilseeds yield in India is just
half of the world average
Prevailing Productivity Level of Oilseeds in India vs World

4. State Oilseed Area
(lakh ha)
Yield
(kg/ha)
Natl. Av.
(kg/ha)
Deviation
(%)
Andhra Pradesh Groundnut 18.76 728 1187 38.7 (-)
Castor 3.45 406 1146 64.6 (-)
Sunflower 4.44 671 627 6.6 (+)
Gujarat Groundnut 19.54 1734 1187 31.5 (+)
Castor 3.42 1944 1146 41.0 (+)
R&M 3.38 1349 1117 17.2 (+)
Karnataka Groundnut 10.40 645 1187 84.0 (-)
Sunflower 14.27 552 627 13.6 (-)
MP Soybean 42.55 1058 1073 1.42 (-)
R&M 8.09 1047 1117 6.7 (-)
Maharashtra Soybean 23.47 1077 1073 0.4 (+)
Sunflower 3.55 580 627 8.1 (-)
Rajasthan R&M 36.65 1205 1117 7.3 (+)
Soybean 7.44 1150 1073 6.7 (+)
TN Groundnut 6.19 1775 1187 33.1 (+)
Sunflower 7.10 1624 627 61.4 (+)
UP R&M 7.90 1149 1117 2.8 (+)
Deviation in Yields of Important Oilseeds from Natl. Average

5. The Fact Remains:
• Our average oilseeds yield is 50% less than
world average
• Deviation from National Average yield towards
Negative (-), overrides Positive (+) yields by 9%
• India resorted to import 40% of its consumption
requirement; means huge demand and supply gap
• Demand of edible oil is growing at 6% per annum
• Net demand of oilseeds by end of 2011-12
estimated to be 52 m. ton – almost double from
the present level of production
How to augment???

6. Stepping into Hybrid Development Process
• Introduction of geographically diverse elite
materials and identification of high heterotic
combiners
• Development of stable CMS and fertility
restorer system in commercially important
crops like Sunflower, Mustard, etc.
• Access to A, B, & R lines of popular Public
Hybrids to hasten the process

7. The Challenge Programme
in Public Seed System
• Germplasm enhancement for drought, salinity,
acid soils besides foliar fungal/viral and soil
borne diseases
• Introgression of novel genes from cross-
compatible wild species / trans genes
• Collaborative research that may prove
rewarding in the areas of:

8. Challenge Programme - Cont.
• Aphid and White Rust resistance in Indian
Mustard
• Resistant to Alternaria Blight, Sclerotinia Rot
• Necrosis in Sunflower
•Stem rot / Collar rot
Need – Sharing of materials – hot-spot facility
(Potential partners: Commodity Instt. of ICAR /
selected SAUs)

9. Important Consideration Before Introduction of
Hybrids
•Indian oilseed farmers resorted to grow short-duration
crop varieties to match rainfall pattern and cropping
sequences practiced - unlike USA, China, etc.
•75% of the 27.5 m. ha under 9 oilseeds is rainfed besides
other adversities like, acid soils, salinity, high temp., etc.
•Limited access to quality seed of improved varieties and
other essential inputs, in time
•Low seed Replacement Ratio (SRR) in majority oilseeds
•Inadequate market support/incentive to oilseed growers

10. Area Under Irrigation in Different Oilseeds
Crop Irrigated area (%)
Groundnut 17.9
Rapeseed-mustard 68.8
Soybean 3.9
Sunflower 20.9
Sesame 6.3
Linseed 8.3
Castor 66.1
Safflower & Niger <1
75% of oilseeds area is rainfed

11. Seed Replacement Ratio in Oilseeds
Crop SRR (%)
Groundnut 8.7
Rapeseed Mustard 44.6
Soybean 28.7
Sunflower 56.4
Sesame 22.7
Linseed 4.0
Castor 33.6
Safflower 11.8
All Oilseeds 8

12. Case Study - Mustard
Area under Mustard 64 lakh ha
Seed Requirement 84,000 Q
Seed Rate 1.5 kg /acre
Replacement Ratio 44.6%

14. Area Expansion
• Crop intensification in underutilized farming
situations like rice fallows (15 m. ha)
• Intercropping in widely spaced crops (45 m. ha)
• Situations of limited water availability
• As options under contingency planning (toria,
sunflower and sesame) and as catch crops
• Replacement of less-remunerative crops e.g.
upland paddy with oilseeds
• Promotion of oilseed crops in saline (safflower,
mustard, sunflower, castor) and acid soils
(groundnut)
Limited scope for area expansion by crop substitution

15. Enhancing Productivity
A combination of technologies
involving :
- High yielding varieties/hybrids
- Balanced and integrated crop nutrition
- Efficient crop management
- Integrated pest management
Major avenue for enhancing oilseeds production

16. Impact of Protective Irrigation in
Enhancing Oilseeds Yield
Oilseed crop % Increase in yield
Groundnut 45
Rapeseed & Mustard 16-42
Safflower 17-53
Castor 26-63
Sunflower 23-60

17. Productivity Improvement Through Minimum
Interventions in Oilseed Crops
Crop Productivity Improvement (%)
Variety
/hybrid
Nutrient
Management
Plant
protection
Irriga-
tion
Weed
Control
Groundnut 21-32 14-22 23-36 50 20
R&M 32 37 31-119 32 22
Sunflower 23 27-34 26-33 41-55 21
Castor 21-69 18-41 24 38-71 63
Safflower 36 40-43 18 51-60 32
Sesame 52-65 42 17-60 20-31 82
Linseed 30-53 38-45 34 37-70 37
Niger 45 48 36 18-33 31

18. Number of Varieties/Hybrids Released
1967-
1985
1986-
2004
Last five
years
Hybrid
Public/Private
Groundnut 40 100 19 Nil
Sunflower 6 42 7 16 / 12
Safflower 9 21 6 01 / -
Castor 13 30 6 14 / 1
R & M 47 81 30 02/3 ?
Sesame 29 64 20 Nil
Niger 2 18 8 Nil
Linseed 17 40 13 Nil
Soybean 25 57 22 Nil
Total 188 453* 131

19. Crop No. of varieties
notified
No. of varieties in
seedchain
Groundnut 130 40
Rapeseed-mustard 98 54
Soybean 82 30
Sunflower 42 8
Safflower 24 10
Castor 28 12
Sesame 66 44
Niger 16 9
Linseed 45 20
Notified Oilseed Varieties in Seed Chain

20. Market Share in Total Volume of Indian
Mustard Seed
Hybrid Private
Research
Variety
Notified
PSU
Notified
Private
Total
< 1% 9% 50% 40% 100%

21. What is required to hasten hybrid
development process?
• Besides varietal development, we need to
have a robust hybrid development
programme in Mustard using PPP route to
enhance oilseeds production substantially
• New sources of CMS in Mustard are now
available in NRCPB. These should be
made available along with restorers to
boost the hybrid development programme
in private sector.

22. Cont.
• ICAR may like to share alternate CMS
system developed from morichandia /
ogura cytoplasm or any other such system
with Private Partners under MoA
• NBPGR should make available trait
specific germplasm e.g. Double 00 or High
Glucosinolate, etc. to add value in our
products

23. Similarly, in Sunflower
• Sharing of resistant sources to Necrosis and
Alternaria from public domain to private
• Access to the new sources of resistance from
NBPGR / commodity instt. of ICAR
• Joint screening of materials at hot-spots in PPP
mode
These could facilitate faster development of
productive hybrids with inbuilt resistance
diseases/pests of economic importance and
stabilize yields

24. Industry Initiatives on Mustard in India
• Seed Industry has already taken initiative to develop
improved mustard varieties with 5-10% higher yields
and adoption rate of such varieties is increasing
• Industry is now geared up to introduce CMS based
hybrid. CMS hybrid should increase the productivity in
mustard by 10-15%
• So far 5 CMS based hybrid have been introduced of
which 2 are from Govt. sector and 3 are from private
sector
• The need of the hour: Introduction of hybrids with
preferred traits e.g. herbicide tolerance, canola quality
and drought tolerance should be made easy and
support provided by the Govt.

25. Development of Seed System with
Private Partnership
• To enhance SRR dramatically, Breeder/
Foundation Seed production as a policy
should be taken by the Public/Private
Institutions using the Polythene Mulch
Technology – approved by ICAR with
special support from DAC
• Allow contract farming for massive seed
production following formal and informal
model of DAC funded project to ICRISAT

27. Policy interventions
 Removing all artificial barriers regarding
processing, storage and movements of
oilseeds and oils
 Effective market intervention with support
price
 Marketing support in non-traditional areas
 Import tariff regime to be managed in such a
way that domestic oilseed sector is not
adversely affected
 Quality assurance to negate trade barriers

28. To Conclude
1. Provide a level playing field for both the public and
the private sectors
2. Facilitate the import of the best planting materials for
R&D and subsequent commercialisation by the
private sector
3. Provide an ambience to the private sector where it
has freedom to operate
4. Passport data of all relevant germplasm to be posted
on the website of NBPGR so that the seed sector is
able to select and access them with convenience
5. Aggressively promote PPP for R&D
6. Promote the active participation of the private sector
in this national effort

29. THANK YOU