For the first time in its history, ICAR- Indian Institute of Maize Research, Ludhiana proudly initiated the branding and sale of its own hybrid maize seeds marking the beginning of an inspiring journey. Now, under the proud banner of ICAR-IIMR Ludhiana, the first consignments of LQMH 1, IMH 221 (DMRH 1417), IMH 229 (DMRH 1410), DMRH 1308, and IMH 222 are being dispatched to Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and West Bengal.
Over the past seven years, ICAR-IIMR, Ludhiana has successfully developed and released 25 maize hybrids, notified by the Central Varietal Release Committee (CVRC). An additional 15 hybrids are in the pipeline, ready for release and notification. These hybrids gained popularity amongst stakeholders as reflected by the highest breeder seed indent share of 26-64% received through Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC), Government of India consistently in the last four years. Owing to the growing demand of these hybrids, more than 40 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed with 28 private seed companies.
However, access to high-quality seeds at the right time and affordable prices continues to be a significant concern for farmers. Most hybrid maize seeds are produced in the peninsular regions of India, particularly Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This leads to increased seed costs due to transportation to northern, western and eastern parts of the country.
To address this issue, ICAR-IIMR, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal, and the West Bengal State Seed Corporation (WBSSC), has taken proactive steps to standardize seed production sites for their maize hybrids in the West Bengal. As a result, in the past five years, nearly 32,465 quintals of hybrid seed (including the estimated production for Rabi 2024-25) have been produced for DMRH 1308, DMRH 1301, and LQMH 1 across various districts including Nadia, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Murshidabad, Paschim Medinipur, and North 24 Parganas.
Two of the institute’s hybrids DMRH 1301 and DMRH 1308, released in 2017 have had a significant impact. Since their release, these hybrids have remained in seed chains and have been taken by 18 different private seed companies through the signing of 24 MoUs with ICAR-IIMR. Based on the DAC breeder seed supplied, the estimated cumulative acreage since their release is 11.57 lakh hectares for DMRH 1308 and 4.41 lakh hectares for DMRH 1301. Hybrids released after 2020 such as LQMH 1, IMH 224 and IQMH 203 are also gaining popularity among the farmers as 6, 5, and 2 MoUs signed respectively with private seed companies.
This milestone is a testament to collective vision, dedication, and commitment of the Institute to serve farmers with high-quality seeds at prices less than 50% of the prevailing market rates and significantly enhancing ICAR-IIMR’s outreach and resource generation.
Hanuman Sahay Jat, Bhupender Kumar, Shankar Lal Jat and Bahadur Singh Jat
(Source: ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, Ludhiana)
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