FARMER’S PARTICIPATORY QUALITY SEED PRODUCTION
Quality seed is the pre-requisite for raising a successful crop. Producing quality seeds requires genetically pure, virus free initial planting materials coupled with strict monitoring by the team of experts for maintaining genetic purity and to ensure disease free materials. There is an increasing demand for quality seed cane material. ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute has been the reliable source of quality seed cane materials for sugarcane farmers across the country for institute developed varieties.
Farmers participatory seed production was initiated in the year 2016 – 2017 to meet the growing demand of quality seed canes. This programme operates in three phases under the direct involvement of the institute scientists. In the first phase, tissue culture seedlings were produced through apical meristem tip culture obtained from the maintenance breeding plots available in the institute’s research farm. These tissue culture plants were tested for genetic fidelity and are also indexed for viruses to ensure disease free initial material. In the second phase, these disease free and vigorous tissue culture seedlings were planted in the institute farm for producing breeder seed. This breeder seed production is being monitored by a team of scientists to ensure the quality. The third phase begins by supplying the breeder seeds produced in the institute to the selected seed farmers to produce quality seed canes in their field. The seed production fields are regularly monitored by the seed team from the institute. At 7 to 8 months of age, the seed canes after manual harvest are supplied to factories based on their indents. Sugar factories usually follow a three-tire nursery system to multiply these seed materials obtained from ICAR – SBI, before giving it to commercial sugarcane cultivation.
Potential impacts:
In the past eight years, the varieties viz., Co 86032, Co 06030, Co 0212, Co 06022, Co 0403, Co 09004, Co 11015, Co 14012 and Co 18009 were multiplied and supplied to the sugar factories in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. From 2016-2017 to 2023-2024, a total of 9186.93 tons quality seed canes has been produced and supplied to various co-operative and private sugar factories. A revenue of Rs. 45.94 lakhs have been generated to the institute through this programme. The demand for seed canes have been steadily increasing every year, foreseeing the possibility of area expansion in coming years. For the year 2025-2026, the co-operative and private sugar factories have placed indents for about 2100 tons of quality seed cane material. To cater this, ten farmer’s fields have been selected this year and sugarcane seed material was planted in 32 acres using 1,97,000 breeder seed settlings from four popular varieties Co 86032, Co 11015, Co 14012 and Co 18009.
This farmer participatory programme is beneficial to farmers because of the premium price (Rs. 3500 per ton), reduced cost of cultivation by avoiding labour intensive detrashing operation, exclusion of harvesting charges, short duration (6-7 months), buy back assurance and immediate payment on harvest. In addition, due to the quality and vigorous breeder seed cane materials coupled with the experience of the progressive seed farmers, an average yield of 40 to 45 tons/acre is reaped by them, in a very short time. Through the supply of 9186.93 tons of quality seed canes so far, the seed farmers together have earned a gross revenue of 2.76 crores. This encouraged the seed farmers to continue in ICAR-SBI’s farmers participatory seed production programme, proving its profound success.
