Use of indigenous seeds

L i n k s :

Home	Techniques & practices	Services
About us	Organic farming & you	Training
Contact us	Related issues & General info	Consultancy
Site map	Order satavic.org on CD	Organic food

Click here to subscribe to our free monthly electronic newsletter on organic farming

Use of indigenous seeds

Photographs (click on caption to see images) :

1) Pearl millet is a traditional staple food in Asia and Africa where it has been cultivated for centuries. The number of traditional varieties is therefore not surprisingly remarkable. Photo source : ICRISAT

2) Traditional seeds are hardy, undemanding and suited to the conditions of their native regions. They are threatened today and ironically the largest genebanks are held by those interested in their genetic code, not preservation

3) According to the late Dr. Richharia, the well-known rice scientist, there are over 200,000 varieties of rice in India alone. The so-called green revolution has resulted in a massive loss of on-farm biodiversity. Photo courtesy : CIKS

One of the most negative results of the commercialisation of agriculture is the total dependence by the farmer on external sources for all his farming inputs, including seeds. Whereas earlier farmers used to save and share their seeds, today they depend wholly upon seed companies for their requirements. Indigenous seeds are more suitable to a particular region or situation than any hybrid variety.

There are a number of reasons why it makes sense to use indigenous or traditional seeds (called heirloom seeds in the West). Compared to hybrid seeds, they are hardy, pest-resistant, withstand unfavourable conditions in the area of their origin, require less water and nutritional inputs, fit in better in the organic method of farming and may even have special characteristics such as nutrition, fragrance or colour,

Hybrid seeds on the other hand are developed for very specific situations and have precise water and nutritional requirements, generally on the higher side. They are also more prone to pest attacks and diseases. Besides being costlier, hybrids cannot be saved or shared with any benefit to the farmers. In fact, even where improved varieties are not hybrids, it is usually illegal for farmers to save or share such seeds. In some western countries, it is now illegal for farmers to share or sell even their local seed varieties on the grounds that the seeds are not certified!

However, all this does not mean that just about any indigenous seed should be freely used by farmers. As with hybrids, all varieties are not suitable for commercial cultivation. Many farmers save seeds selectively after seeing the vigour and growth of individual plants. This is an old tradition and is and needs to be continued.

Click here to read about other techniques, practices and specialised forms of organic farming.

Pages on this website relevant to seeds, genetic materials and related issues :

Hybrid seeds

Seed conservation and sharing

Indian farmers rediscover advantages of traditional rice varieties

Biopiracy

Genetically modified seeds and other organisms

Dr. Richharia's story

About Monsanto

Global centres of biodiversity

Bt cotton

You may also like to read on this website :