Hybrid Seed Production for Boosting Crop Yields: Applications, Challenges and Opportunities

This book provides an overview of various procedures involved in hybrid seed production of field and vegetable crops, including historical development and principles, maintenance of seed purity of parental lines, evolution of breeding systems, male sterility and self-incompatibility. A section of the proposed book is dedicated to quality control procedures, comprising of purity testing, seed testing and certification process, and seed production management. The major shortcomings of the existing systems, new opportunities and future prospects of hybrid seed production are also discussed. The book focuses on field and vegetable crops like rice, maize, pearl millet, sorghum, pigeon pea, rapeseed, mustard, cotton, castor, soybean, and sunflower among others.

This book is for students, researchers, and professionals working in the field of public sectors and commercial seed industries, as well as to other stakeholders who are working to improve their skills on hybrid seed production.

Amrit Lamichaney has obtained his PhD degree in seed science and technology from ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India. He is currently working as associate professor at Department of Horticulture, Sikkim University, Gangtok, India. During his research career of more than 10 years, he has contributed to development of varieties (IPFD 19-1 and IPFD 19-3) in field pea. He was also involved in seed science research, seed production, and germplasm conservation. He has authored more than 45 articles in national and international journals and has delivered various oral and poster presentations in numerous national/international seminars/symposiums.

Ashok Kumar Parihar has obtained his PhD in plant breeding and genetics from Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. He is currently working as senior scientist in the Crop Improvement Division of ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, and also associated as principal investigator of plant breeding program in All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Rabi Pulses. During his research career of more than 14 years, he has developed 12 high yielding multiple disease resistance field pea varieties, namely IPF 16-13 (Harit), IPFD 10-12, IPFD 12-2, IPFD 11-5, IPFD 2014-2, IPFD 9-2, IPFD 11-10, IPFD 12-8, IPFD 13-2, IPFD 16-3, Shikhar and Arpan suitable for different agro-climatic conditions. He has so far published more than 75 research papers in different national and international journals. He has also published 7 books, 35 book chapters, >100 popular articles, and 10 technical bulletins.

Abhishek Bohra is currently working as senior scientist in ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, India. He has served as principal investigator for national hybrid breeding program for nearly a decade. He has contributed towards the development of various pigeon pea hybrids and varieties. He has made contributions to develop new germplasm for pollen sterility trait for application in hybrid development and identification of promising genetic stocks that serve as donors for enhancing key breeding traits. His research work has resulted in publication of more than 100 research papers, 20 book chapters, and 2 edited books.

Pradip Karmakar is presently working as a scientist at ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, India. He has completed his PhD in vegetable science from ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi in 2012. His area of specialization is vegetable breeding (okra and cucurbitaceous vegetables) with major focus on productivity enhancement, resistance breeding, nutritional quality, processing, long distance transportation and marker assisted breeding. He has published 20+ research papers in international and national journal, 1 edited book, 3 technical manuals, 20+ book chapters, 30+ popular articles, 12 extension folders and more than 25 research abstracts.

S. J. Satheesh Naik (PhD, PGDIPR) graduated from University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. Presently he is working as scientist at the Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur and associated with All India Coordinated Research Project on Kharif Pulses. He has more than 30 peer-reviewed national/international publications and has delivered various oral and poster presentations in numerous national/international seminars/symposiums. Dr. Naik has developed and released four high-yielding pigeonpea hybrids/varieties and several trait specific pigeonpea donors have been registered with ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi.