Seed Preservation [UPSC Notes]

Women farmers of Humnapur village of Telangana’s Medak district have been engaged in seed preservation. These women follow a 1:2 ratio system to preserve seeds. One seed is saved for use the next year, while two seeds are given away, either to other families or sold in the market. In this article, you can learn more about seed preservation and its significance from the IAS exam perspective.

Need for Seed Preservation

The most crucial and significant input for agricultural productivity is seed. In actuality, seed preservation is the most economical way to raise agricultural productivity and output. 

• The quality of the seed heavily influences how well other agricultural inputs, including fertilisers, herbicides, and irrigation, work to increase productivity and production. 
• Twenty to twenty-five percent of productivity is attributed to seed quality. Therefore, it is crucial that the nation’s farmers have access to high-quality seeds. 

Telangana Women’s Seed Preservation System

• The 1:2 ratio system has helped Dalit families sustain the traditional system of mixed cropping and, thereby, ensure nutritional security.
• These activities help local farmers to improve local ecology and food security.
• It helps to preserve seeds and to navigate changes in soil and weather conditions.
• With the help of a 1:2 ratio system, indigenous varieties of millets and other grains can survive in red and black soils without needing extensive irrigation. 
• This allows for cultivating various crops both during Kharif and Rabi seasons.

Other Initiatives for Seed Preservation

• Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law Sangham: Under this initiative, older women conduct agricultural workshops for the younger generations. It helps to ensure that the system of preservation and knowledge of indigenous seeds carries on. 
• Mobile Biodiversity Festival: Through the Mobile Biodiversity Festival, seed caravans travel across parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to rediscover, restore and preserve indigenous varieties of crops.

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