Lok Sabha Question No. 3215 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-21
Subject: New Crop Varieties
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, BHARATENDRA SINGH, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3215

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 21/03/2017

## NEW CROP VARIETIES

## 3215.  SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

KUNWAR BHARATENDRA:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k ,oa fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  India's  Public  sector  agriculture  research  institutions  led  by  the  Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has released 310 new crop varieties during 201516 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether new crop varieties have the potential to increase the farm production and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether these new crop varieties also play an important role in handling nutritional deficiency in grains/crops and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether there has been any change in the cropping pattern to exploit the potential of new crops varieties  in the country, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by  the  Government  to  help  in  increasing  farm production in the country?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k ,oa fdlku dY;k.k ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h

## (SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

- (a) The National Agricultural Research System (NARS) comprising Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) has released 389 new varieties of different field crops during the years 2015 (81) and  2016 (308) through Central  Sub-Committee  on  Crop  Standards,  Notification  and  Release  of  Varieties  for Agricultural Crops. These include, 202 varieties of cereals, 66 of oilseeds, 51 of pulses, 36 of fibre crops, 24 of forage crops and 10 varieties of sugar crops.

(b) The  new  varieties  of  crops  have  the  potential  to  increase  the  farm  production  as these are identified and released on the basis of yield superiority in multi-location testing compared to best check varieties.

(c) The ICAR has developed a number of varieties with enhanced nutritional quality in several  crops  e.g.  high  zinc  and  high  protein  in  rice,  high  zinc  in  wheat,  quality  protein (high lysine & tryptophan) in maize,  low erusic acid & glucosinolate in mustard,  high iron in lentil and pearlmillet, etc. to meet the  nutritional security.

(d) In general there is no major shift in cropping pattern at large scale in widely adopted cropping systems in the country. The new varieties are developed and tested for suitability in the existing cropping systems and agro-ecologies and accordingly released for cultivation under these conditions to exploit their potential. However, the short duration, high yielding and stress tolerant varieties of foxtail millet (SIA 3085 and Suryanandi) and pigeonpea  (ICPL  88039)  helped  in  changing  the  cropping  pattern  beneficially  in  some areas  in  Andhra  Pradesh  and  Madhya  Pradesh  where  cultivation  of  these  varieties  was observed  to  be  more  remunerative.  Early  maturing  varieties  of    mungbean,  Virat  and Shikha,  are  released  to  diversify  cereal  based  cropping  system  as  these  are  suitable  for summer cultivation.

(e) The ICAR in collaboration with SAUs has taken several initiatives to increase the farm production by development of high yielding varieties resistant to diseases and pests; tolerant  to  submergence,  salinity,  terminal  heat  and  drought;  development  of  hybrids  in different crops and adoption of improved production technologies. Breeder seed to the tune of  1.27  lakh  quintals  of  improved  varieties/hybrids  of  field  crops  was  produced  and supplied  to  indenting  agencies  during  2015-2016    for  strengthening    and  sustaining  the seed chain. A large number of front line demonstrations of different crops are  organized to demonstrate the new varieties and technologies at farmers fields.

Besides,  the  Central  Government  schemes  like,    Bringing  Green  Revolution  in Eastern  India,  National  Food  Security  Mission,  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojna,  National Mission  on  Sustainable  Agriculture,  National  Pulses  Development  Programme,  etc.  are implemented to increase the farm production  in the country.

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