This reliance increases seed and cultivation costs for local farmers, with prices ranging from INR 800 to INR 1,000 per kilogram.

Punjab Sees Successful First Field Trial of Hybrid Maize Seed Production

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Indian Institute of Maize Research (ICAR-IIMR), Ludhiana has successfully conducted its first hybrid maize seed production field trial in Punjab. Officials said that this marks a significant step towards reducing the state’s dependency on hybrid seed imports. The trial was carried out during the late Kharif season in a farmer’s field in Gajiana village, Moga district, using the hybrid variety DMRH 1308, according to ICAR-IIMR scientists.

Punjab sources nearly all hybrid maize seed from southern states such as Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where seed is produced and transported to northern markets. This reliance increases seed and cultivation costs for local farmers, with prices ranging from INR 800 to INR 1,000 per kilogram in peak season.

The successful trial demonstrated that hybrid seed can be produced effectively under Punjab’s climatic conditions even during late Kharif. The harvested seed can be used directly for spring cultivation, reducing storage costs. As compared to conventional maize cultivation, hybrid seed production could substantially boost farmers’ incomes, with potential returns of INR 2.5–3 lakh per hectare, about double the returns from commercial maize farming.

ICAR-IIMR Director Dr. H.S. Jat and Senior Maize Breeder Dr. Bhupender Kumar reviewed the trial results and described them as encouraging. The institute is now expanding similar trials with partners in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam, aiming to diversify hybrid seed production beyond peninsular India, researchers said.

Source: Times of India