Hybrid Rice Research and
Development in India
AS Hari Prasad1, BC Viraktamath1 and T Mohapatra2
1Directorate
of Rice Research, Hyderabad and
2Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, India
Rice in India
 A staple food crop that holds the key for
food security (43%)
 Occupies 44 M. ha (22% of cropped area)
 Annual Production > 100 M t
 A source of livelihood for millions
 Earns foreign exchange of > 6000 million
US $)
For India – Rice is life
Rice – Our Heritage…..
Population, production of food grains
and rice Trends and Projections
1600
Population
1400
Food grain
In Millions
1200
1200
Rice
1012.4
800
646.3
548.2
439.2
93.3 (2002) Rice
361.1
400
65.46
85.00
211.3 (2002) Food grains
111.53
146.55
201.6
90
0
1951-60
1961-70
1971-80
1981-90
1999-00
253
305
100
140
2009-10
2024-25
Irrigated
Uplands
Hills
Area: 56.3 %
Production: 63.5%
Productivity: 3.0 t/ha
Area: 16 %
Production: 5.8%
Productivity: 1.1 t/ha
Area: < 1 %
Production: < 1 %
Productivity: 1.2 t/ha
Rice is grown
everywhere
Below sea level
(in Kuttanad)
Rainfed Lowland
Deep water
Area: 23.7 %
Production: 26.7%
Productivity: 2.0 t/ha
Area: 3.5 %
Production: 4 %
Productivity: 1.4 t/ha
Hybrid Rice Research in India
 A systematic goal oriented project on hybrid
rice was initiated by ICAR in December, 1989
 This programme had financial support from
ICAR, FAO, UNDP, Barwale Foundation and
technical backstopping from IRRI, Philippines
 Private sector has also been playing key role in
hybrid rice research and development
 This Programme was coordinated by the
Directorate of Rice Research, Hyderabad
National Hybrid Rice
Research Network
Delhi, Pantnagar, Faizabad,
Karnal, Kapurthala
DRR, Hyderabad
Karjat
SRC & CC
Mandya, Maruteru,
Coimbatore
Cuttack,
Chinsurah
Major activities under Hybrid Rice Network
 Development and evaluation of hybrids
 Development and Improvement of parental
lines
 Optimizing packages for hybrid rice cultivation and
seed production
 Use of molecular tools for improving efficiency
 Technology dissemination
 Public-Private partnerships
 Coordinating the research activities
Ongoing hybrid rice research activities
 Genetic improvement of maintainers and development of
CMS lines
 Exploitation of inter sub-specific heterosis in rice
 Development and Evaluation of three line hybrids
 Breeding of parental lines and Hybrids suited to Aerobic
and salinity/alkalinity Conditions
 Molecular breeding for Disease Resistance, Fertility
Restoration and Wide Compatibility in Rice
Evaluation of Hybrids
Total hybrids evaluated : 3500
Hybrids Released : 70
Public Sector hybrids : 31
Private Sector hybrids : 39
Central Releases : 43
State Releases : 27
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
Hybrid rice area in India (‘000 ha)
Hybrid rice Seed Production
Economic and efficient hybrid rice seed production is a
prerequisite for successful adoption of hybrid rice
Hybrid Rice Seed Production package
Hybrid seed production
activity generates additional
employment of 65 person
days/ha and most of them
are women.
Seed produced (Region wise)
AP (Karimnagar
and Warangal)
(80)
Others (4)
Maharashtra
(8)
Hybrid rice seed
produced (2012)
Karnataka (8)
Public-Private Partnership MOUs with
Private Seed Companies
Public Private partnerships
Indian Hybrid Rice Consortium
Hybrid rice cultivation (with 2.5 million hectares during
2013) has contributed:
 Additional 3-4 million tonnes to the total rice
production in the country
 Generated additional employment of 60-80 days per
hectare benefitting the rural communities.
Constraints in Hybrid Rice Development
 Marginal heterosis of the available hybrids
 Narrow genetic base of the female parental lines
 Diversified consumer preferences for grain quality
 Very few hybrids in late duration and limited choice of
hybrids for unfavourable ecologies
 Susceptibility of parental lines to major pests & diseases
 Higher seed cost
 Lower market price offered by the millers/traders
 Very low number of breeders (<20) involved in public
sector
 Lack of strong institutional mechanism for production
and supply of quality seed of public bred hybrids
 Lack of funding support for public sector research
 No uniform subsidy component on hybrid seed cost
 Restrictions on providing subsidy only to the Govt.
notified hybrids
 Lack of focused extension strategy
 New generation hybrids devoid of many of the drawbacks of the
earlier released ones already available and many in the pipeline
 Public policy in favour of increased private sector participation in
research and development of new plant varieties/hybrids.
 Large and vibrant seed industry with proven capability to
produce and supply quality seed
 Increasingly receptive farming community for adoption of hybrid
technology.
 Seed certification continue to remain voluntary
 Subsidy on seed cost for notified hybrids
 Availability in abundance of qualified scientific and technical
manpower for meeting the expanding seed industry need.
 Breeder strength in multinational companies is at desired level
unlike in both public and Indian private sector companies
 Priority to hybrid rice research in the 12th Plan
Key strategies and policy options to promote
hybrid rice development in India
 Development of parental lines that can produce highly
heterotic rice hybrids
 Development of heterotic gene pools (a concept well
exploited in corn needs to be explored in hybrid rice
development)
 Diversification of CMS sources
 Identification of alternate sources suitable for hybrid seed
production
 Human resource development through exposure visits and
training programmes
 Refining the seed production technology to enhance the seed
yields, so that cost of hybrid rice seed can be reduced.
 Involvement of seed agencies in the public sector, NGOs, and
farmers cooperatives along with private seed sector
 Strengthening the existing institutional mechanism for the
production and supply of breeder, foundation, and certified
seed
 Extension agencies to play greater role in creating much
needed awareness among the farmers about the advantages
of cultivating hybrid rice through various innovative
strategies.
 Identification and popularization of promising hybrids for
different states from the available released and notified
hybrids
 Providing adequate funding support and human resources to
the hybrid rice research and development in the country.
 Promoting through special schemes like ‘Bringing green
revolution to Eastern India’ and ‘National Food Security
Mission’
 Providing a strong interface between the public sector and
private seed sector for popularization of the technology.
 Encouraging the contract farming models involving hybrid rice
cultivation in different parts of the country.
 Procurement of hybrid rice produce by FCI and other agencies
for PDS