Varietal Replacement Research Articles

A Review on Seed and Varietal Replacement in Indian Agriculture and Its Impact for Farmers Income

This article provides a complete overview on the Seed and Varietal Replacement Rates in India and examines the significant advancements in seed technology and their transformative impacts on Indian agriculture. As technological innovations and policy reforms have introduced high-yielding, good quality and resistant varieties for biotic and abiotic stresses, these improvements have greatly influenced seed replacement rates and varietal adoption in different climatic conditions. The study highlights how these developments contribute to enhanced crop productivity, better resource use efficiency, and increased food security. Key areas of focus include the role of biofortification in improving nutritional quality, the adoption of drought-tolerant crops to combat climate challenges, and the benefits of high-quality certified seeds. The article emphasizes that optimizing seed replacement rates and integrating advanced seed technologies are crucial for achieving sustainable agricultural practices and maximizing farm profitability. Continued investment in research and effective extension services are essential to support the widespread adoption of these innovations and drive future advancements in Indian agriculture.

Quality seed production scenario of Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) in India: A 24-year retrospective analysis

Egyptian clover/Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is the most popular winter leguminous multi-cut fodder crop widely cultivated in the northwest and central parts of India. Quality seed significantly impacts farm productivity, farmers’ profitability, and socioeconomic welfare. Foundation and certified seeds enable high-quality seed production, making breeder seed (BS) the most important link in the seed supply chain. In India, berseem BS indent had increased from 1998 - 99 to 2012–13; afterwards, it followed a constant but decreasing trend. Of the 27 notified cultivars, 24 came into the seed supply chain between 1998–1999 and 2021–2022, indicating high varietal availability to stakeholders. The study examines the potential causes of the national decline in BS indent and production and the differences in these figures over time. The highest BS indent was received for the variety JB-1 (276.1 q), followed by BL-10 (205.1 q), Mescavi (165.6 q) and Wardan (153.7 q) from 1998 - 99 to 2021–22. The varietal replacement rate (VRR) is high, 43.30 %, for the varieties that have reached the age of five or less in the recent three years (2019–20 to 2021–22). Additionally, it has been calculated that if the seed chain operates at 100 % efficiency, the BS generated (48.1q) in 2021–22 can cover an area of almost 0.12 million hectares in 2024–25. The study offers an in-depth overview of berseem BS indent and production, an analysis of the difficulties encountered in BS production, and future directions for expanding variety and producing excess BS in the nation.

Barriers and enablers of crop varietal replacement and adoption among smallholder farmers as influenced by gender: the case of sweetpotato in Katakwi district, Uganda

Barriers and enablers of crop varietal replacement and adoption among smallholder farmers as influenced by gender: the case of sweetpotato in Katakwi district, Uganda

Demand-side and supply-side factors for accelerating varietal turnover in smallholder soybean farms

The rapid growth of soybean cultivation in the world augurs well for achieving SDG2 of promoting sustainable agriculture, ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition. India started promoting soybean cultivation in the 1970s to combat dietary protein deficiencies and augment smallholders' incomes. However, soybean yield remains low and plateaued at one ton per hectare for the past three decades. This paper leverages a large primary dataset and explores the speed of soybean varietal change by applying survival functions and analyzing determinants of varietal turnover time employing a dynamic framework and harnessing duration analysis. The results show that adopting leading soybean varieties has reached saturation and that policy intervention can have an immediate impact. The weighted average age of soybean varieties in farmers' fields is relatively high at 15.6 years, implying a slower varietal change rate. The lack of improved varieties with desirable traits, poor information flow, and growers’ preference for traits beyond yield-hamper faster varietal substitution. Further, analysis indicates regional variations in driving the speed of varietal replacement. The findings have significant implications for spurring soybean yields through investments in varietal development, leveraging modern molecular methods for long juvenility and photo-insensitivity, disseminating information, and institutional changes enabling the private sector participation in crop breeding.

Study on Varietal Replacement Rate of Groundnut in Saurashtra Region of India

The study conducted during 2024 investigated the dynamics of Variety Replacement Rate (VRR) in groundnut cultivation in Gujarat, India, which contributes significantly to the country’s oilseed production. The study encompasses 180 farmers from three districts in the Saurashtra region, where 40.5 per cent of the nation’s groundnut production originates. The study analyzed the extent of the VRR which states that around 41.11 per cent of the respondents had replaced variety every 3-5 years followed by 30 per cent had no replacement from 5 years and the remaining 28.89 per cent of the respondents had replaced variety for every 2 years. The extent of VRR is influenced by gender, livestock possession, access to credit, occupation, risk orientation, innovativeness, and extension contact. Concerning the perception of farmers towards varietal replacement rate (VRR), 45 per cent of respondents exhibited a neutral perception, followed by 27.78 per cent having a favorable and 27.22 per cent having an unfavorable level of perception towards the varietal replacement rate, emphasizing the need for interventions. Occupation, innovativeness, training received, and awareness significantly influence VRR perception. There is a positive and highly significant relationship between perception towards VRR and the extent of VRR at a 1% significance level with a chi-square value of 22.32.

Varietal Replacement and Rice Productivity in Palakkad Plain Agroecological Zone of Kerala

Varietal Replacement and Rice Productivity in Palakkad Plain Agroecological Zone of Kerala

Twenty-four years lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) breeder seed production in India: a retrospective study.

Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) is the second most significant winter leguminous fodder crop after berseem in India. Breeder seed (BS) is the first stage of the seed production chain, as it is the base material for producing foundation and certified seeds. In India, lucerne BS demand has been reduced by 85.58% during the last 24 years (1998-1999 to 2021-2022), declining from 2150kg to 310kg. Out of 14 varieties released and notified so far, only nine varieties entered the seed chain since 1998-1999. It shows narrow varietal diversification and, hence, needs robust breeding programs towards enriching genetic variability and varietal development. The present study also highlights the disparity in BS demand and production over the years and puts forth the possible reasons behind the reduction in BS demand and production in the country. Out of the nine varieties, the BS demand of Anand-2 (53.11%) was highest, followed by Type-9 (19.44%) and RL-88 (13.60%). Varietal replacement rate (VRR) was found to be moderate, i.e., 23.67% for the varieties having <5 years old age in the last 3 years (2019-2020 to 2021-2022). It has also been estimated that BS produced (233kg) during 2021-2022 can cover the approximate area of 6,300 ha at farmers' fields in 2024-2025 if the seed chain functions 100%, effectively. The present study provides a holistic overview of lucerne BS demand and production, challenges in BS production, and the way forward to develop more varieties and surplus BS production in the country.

Can traders' meetings boost seed sales of new rice varieties and promote a market-driven seed system? Evidence from Nepal

PurposeFarmers in developing countries are used to recycling and purchasing seeds of old and low-yielding varieties, leading to low seed and varietal replacement rates. Seed companies in Nepal have started to conduct traders' meetings (TMs) to promote new rice varieties. This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of this approach in promoting new rice varieties.Design/methodology/approachThe authors assess the effectiveness of TMs by surveying 238 agrodealers from 7 districts of Nepal. The authors used the binary logit model to study the determinants of participation in TM and an instrumental variable approach to estimate the impact of TMs on sales of the promoted rice varieties.FindingsResults indicate that the TM significantly influences traders' knowledge and increases the probability of selling new rice varieties promoted. However, TMs did not significantly increase the overall sales of promoted rice varieties.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on cross-section data; thus, unobserved fixed effects could not be accounted for. The study finds only one relevant and valid instrumental variable and therefore could not conduct any exogeneity test.Originality/valueSeed companies in Nepal started to conduct TMs to promote new rice varieties since 2019. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the usefulness of TMs and the impact of these events in changing traders' attitudes toward domestic rice seed varieties or in business performance (annual sales of the promoted varieties) have not been assessed. Therefore, the study findings will help to promote the market-driven seed system and increase the seed replacement rate.

Wheat seed demand assessment assisted by genotyping in Ethiopia

Summary This study examines the extent to which wheat varieties supplied by the formal seed system align with the varieties demanded and used by farmers in Ethiopia. The framework of stated and revealed preferences drawn from the consumer preference theory is used to analyze farmer demand for different wheat varieties. We used official data from the formal seed sector and representative survey data from wheat farm households in Ethiopia. The survey data allow to contrast the farmer reported varietal use with genotyping by sequencing (also known as DNA fingerprinting). Farmers’ reliance on informal seed sources and own saved seed, among others, contributes to the misidentification of the varieties they grow. Consequently, farmers are likely to misinform the formal seed demand assessment leading to either an over- or underestimation of actual seed demand for specific wheat varieties. Genotyping by sequencing, as opposed to farmer reports, established the persistence of old varieties. This also implies vulnerability of wheat production to disease dynamics depending on the longevity of disease resistance by the variety in use. Apart from narrowing the gap between the actual and stated demand and ensuring timely replacement of wheat varieties, genotyping-assisted estimates can save seed carry-over cost. Genotyping by sequencing is increasingly used as the new benchmark and gold standard for identifying and tracking the adoption of crop varieties. The technique has potential to enhance the performance of the seed sector through effective planning that can optimize resource commitments and accelerate the rate of varietal replacement.

Quantification of informal spread of high yielding wheat (Triticum aestivum) seeds among farmers of National Capital Region

Over decades, the total wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production of the country has been able to meet the domestic consumption and export considerable amount of it. APEDA reports the export of 2.26 lakh MT of wheat for the worth of `424.94 crores/60.55 USD Millions during 2018–19. Further increase in production is only possible through varietal replacement with varieties having higher productivity potential in the existing production area through horizontal spread. Two reputed wheat varieties of ICAR-IARI, viz. HD 2967 and HD 3086 with good nutrient content and resistance as well as tolerance to major fungal diseases were distributed among 572 farmers of two villages of Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh respectively, with predominant rice-wheat cropping cycle to assess their acceptance level over space and time among villagers through assessment trials from winter (rabi) season 2014–15 to 2019–20. In selected, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh villages the relative yield advantage of HD 2967 was 21.7% and 19.9%, respectively and of HD 3086 was 17.5% and 14.3%, respectively over the local check. HD 3086 additionally reported bold grain, less lodging and less quality loss in the situation of repeated rainfall in maturity stage. The popularity and acceptance of the varieties were evident by the horizontal spread for HD 2967 i.e. 468.2 ha (Haryana) and 383.2 ha (Uttar Pradesh) from 6 and 6.4 ha, respectively from the winter (rabi) season of 2014–15 to 2019–20. The study re-affirms the philosophy of Farmer-to-Farmers spread of modern technologies including the HYV seeds.

Khesari (Lathyrus sativus L.), an ancient legume for future gain: An expedition collection from parts of West Bengal state of Eastern India

Grasspea plays a considerable role in food and nutritional security of the local people. Notably, in the eastern parts of India, there is a long history of cultivation and uses of this crop. An expedition was undertaken to collect germplasm of grasspea in lower-Gangetic riverine belt and coastal areas of West Bengal of eastern India lying between latitude 21.43-24.44°N and longitude 87.23-88.90°E. From results of a structured questionnaire administered to grasspea farmers in 57 villages located in 96 local government areas, it appeared that grasspea is the primary winter pulse cultivated in this region. A large variability of germplasm exist, ranging from small to bold seed, green to yellow colour seed types, moderate to the high biomass type of grasspea. Most of these landraces have been adopted over the years from neighbouring communities, but in a few instances, the varietal replacement was noted which came either through the involvement of government department or local seed dealers. The highest proportion of the accessions (52.38%) were collected from Purba Medinipur district, and the lowest (19.05%) from Paschim Medinipur. On-spot evaluation of morphological traits variations was detected in the descriptor characteristics across the locations. A total of 21 accessions was collected and assessed on-spot for characters, viz ., size, shape, skin colour, taste and texture of the epidermis, revealed significant variation. The implications of this survey results for grasspea improvement in India are discussed in the present study.

Climate Warming and Crop Management: A Comprehensive Analysis of Changes on Distribution of Suitable Areas for Double Rice

Understanding the effect of climate warming and technological progress on crop production systems is crucial for developing climate adaptation strategies. This study presents a methodological framework with which to assess the suitability of the double rice cropping system in Southern China and the effects of crop management and climate warming on its distribution. The results indicate that the isolated effects of climate warming have led to the northward and westward expansions of double rice northern limits over the past six decades and an increase in suitable areas by 4.76 Mha. Under the isolated effect of crop management, the northern limits of the medium- and late-maturity double rice changed significantly due to the increased accumulated temperature required caused by varietal replacement and planting date change, which moved an average of 123 and 134 km southward, respectively. A combined scenario analysis indicated that crop management could offset the effects of climate warming and push the northern limits southward, reducing the overall suitable area by 1.31 Mha. Varietal replacement and other crop management methods should also be appropriately considered in addition to climate warming to develop locally adapted agricultural management strategies.

Assessment of Varietal Replacement Rate of Potato in India: Constraints and Extension Strategies for Improvement

The assessment of varietal replacement rate is as important as the adoption rate of improved varieties in estimating the performance of crop improvement programs, especially for countries approaching moderate to full adoption level. In India, more than 95 percent of the total potato area is under improved varieties. There are many studies pertaining to the extent of adoption of improved potato varieties, but there is a scarcity of studies about the varietal replacement of potato varieties in India. Thus, this study attempted to assess the varietal replacement by measuring the weighted average age of the improved varieties and also to examine the constraints for slow replacement rate and the extension strategies for improvement. The study revealed that more than 50 percent of the total supply of breeder seed by the ICAR-CPRI were varieties that were about 40-50 years old. Varieties lesser than 10 years old constituted only about 8 percent of the total supply. The weighted average age of improved varieties supplied from plains, hills and total supply was 30.18, 29.44 and 30.16 years old, respectively. This indicates that significant potato area in India is still under old varieties. The study also revealed that there are many institutional, technical and socio-economic constraints, responsible for the low varietal replacement rate in India. Extension strategies like participatory varietal development, frontline demonstrations, use of ICT tools, capacity building for farmers and other stakeholders, establishment of seed villages and encouragement of public-private partnership in the seed sector are recommended for rapid varietal replacement rate so that farmers will get the benefits offered by the new varieties.

Farmers’ Trait Preferences for Varietal Replacement: A study to boost rice productivity in Odisha, India

The average age of the popular rice varieties being grown in the state of Odisha is higher than the stipulated 10-year timeframe. This is an obstacle to productivity enhancement through varietal replacement. Farmers in Odisha growing these varieties have expressed their desired traits for replacement of these long-grown varieties. The desired characters of an ideal variety have been mapped for major older varieties. Since varietal fitment and farmer’s choice vary widely between rice eco logies, the research outcomes were compartmentalized between medium and lowland. Thus, these research outcomes will be crucially helpful for breeding program to develop varieties that match evinced expectation of the farmers. The ranking of trait preferences will also augment the varietal research program to the exact needs of the rice growers in the state. Rice productivity in Odisha is one of the least in the country. Replacement of existing older varieties with a high yielder as per farmers’ choice is a strategic way to boost the productivity. The findings with regard to current varietal landscape, farmers’ trait preferences are crucially important for augmenting rice productivity and strengthening food security in the state.

Tailoring rice varieties to consumer preferences induced by cultural and colonial heritage: Lessons from New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in The Gambia.

Rice breeding priorities in Africa often focus on agronomic gains. However, being a net importer of rice, the continent’s varietal replacement success also crucially hinges on new varieties’ market competitiveness vis-à-vis imports. Markets have been profoundly shaped by cultural and colonial heritage. Indigenous preferences for African rice can be traced back to ancient rice domestication and have been subsequently influenced by Asian rice import standards as a result of colonial import substitution policies. New Rice for Africa (NERICA) crosses between African and Asian rice species have the potential to reconcile these dual indigenous/import preferences, but little is known about their market competitiveness. We use auction market data to assess the intrinsic and extrinsic consumer value of NERICA in The Gambia relative to two market standards: branded, Asian rice imports and the most popular locally grown Asian rice variety. We categorize rice consumers into four market segments, based on their heritage as evidenced by their preferences and genealogical lineages. NERICA outperforms both Asian rice standards in terms of market competitiveness, and its value is further reinforced by colonial heritage and labeling, but somewhat weakened by cultural heritage. Consumers were found to pay price premiums for NERICA in the range of 5% to 22% relative to Asian rice imports, with the highest premiums offered by consumers with colonial heritage, representing 86% of the sample. Maintaining and expanding this market will require breeders to incorporate trait mixes that reconcile agronomic gains and consumer preferences induced by cultural and colonial heritage.

History and progress in genetic improvement for enhancing rice yield in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract Genetic improvement has been given high priority in rice research for development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This paper provides an overview of historical efforts of genetic improvement in SSA focused on improving rice productivity. It further describes yield gain of new rice varieties evaluated in recent field experiments in four selected breeding target domains, and summarizes adoption studies on rice varieties. Efforts to develop rice varieties adapted to diverse rice production systems in SSA have been made by several research organizations, including national agricultural research institutes, bilateral organizations, and three CGIAR centers. The efforts have resulted in the release of around 570 rice varieties in 10 major rice-producing SSA countries by 2020. Among these varieties, the most well-known are interspecfic upland rice varieties “New Rice for Africa (NERICA)” that were developed from crosses between improved Oryza sativa tropical japonica and Oryza glaberrima varieties. However, recent field assessements demonstrated that upland rice yield can be further improved through introduction of upland indica materials from Asia. In contrast, lowland interspecific rice varieties out-yielded the previously released improved O. sativa varieties in selected SSA countries. Field assessments in Senegal and Madagascar did not demonstrate the yield advantage of the recently-developed varieties including hybrids over best performing ones released before. The adoption level of improved varieties in terms of share of area occupied by improved varieties in 18 SSA countries was 40 % in 2008 with old varieties that were released before 2000 being dominant and 7% of the total rice area occupied by NERICA varieties. Especially in irrigated and rainfed lowland rice systems, the majority of dominant varieties were still those introduced from Asia. Panel data between 2002 and 2019 from the Senegal River Valley also confirmed this, and Sahel 108, which was introduced from Asia and released in Senegal in 1994, accounted for >70 % of the total rice area in both the wet and dry seasons in 2019. The implications of this review for future rice genetic improvement and varietal replacement in SSA are discussed.

Production, varietal improvement programme and seed availability of annual oilseeds in India: Current scenario and future prospects

Oilseeds are important components ofIndian Agriculture. The demand for oilseeds and edible oils would be 61.5 million tonnes and 17.2 million tonnes, respectively, during 2021-22 and the projected supply of oilseeds be only 39.20 million tonnes against the highest ever production of oilseeds in India i.e. 33.42 m t during 2019-20. As the level of self sufficiency is around 40%, there has been a large import of vegetable oils valued at `81,097 crores during 2020-21 to meet the consumption requirement of the country. Therefore, it is imperative to evolve new climate resilient technologies to increase production. Use of high yielding varieties and quality seeds with a contribution of 15%-20% each to the yield, is the first and foremost approach to enhance oilseeds production. The present paper reviews the current scenario of kharif and rabi annual oilseeds, development of varieties, their induction in to the seed chain and seed production during the last decade (2010-11 to 2019-20). Oilseeds area, production and yield showed inconsistent trend during the decade. The highest area (28.05 mha), production (33.42 m t) and yield (1284 kg/ha) were recorded during 2013-14, 2019-20 and 2017-18, respectively. Area under sesame, niger, linseed, sunflower, safflower and castor ubstantially decreased during 2019-20 and consequently the production also decreased as compared to the base year (2010-11). Nevertheless, there was increase in yield/ha of these crops barring soybean. A total of 299 varieties of nine oilseed crops were developed during the last 11 years. This includes 23 bio-fortified varieties having nutritionally superior-edible oil such as high oleic acid in groundnutand safflower, high linoleic acid in linseed, low erucic acid (and concomitant increase in oleic acid) in oil and/or lowglucosinolates in seedmeal in rapeseed-mustard and KITand lipoxygenase free soybean. Seed production chain of oilseeds during 2020-21 consisted of 261 varieties/hybrids comprising 62 of groundnut, 48 of soybean, 64 of rapeseed-mustard, 29 of sesame, 26 of linseed, 9 of niger, 7 of sunflower, 12 of safflower and 4 of castor including 152 varieties released during the last 10 years (up to 2020). There has been a continuous surge in the requirement for seeds of oilseed crops from 2010-11 (57.88 lakh q) until 2018-19 (58.56 lakh q). Seed requirement during 2019-20 was lower (55.61 lakh q) by 3.9% (2.27 lakh q). The highest seed requirement (67.13 lakh q) for seeds was during 2014-15, an increase of about 16.0%. Seed availability during the decade was always higher except for 2014-15 and 2015-16 which recorded 7.7% and 13.6% shortfall, respectively. The seed replacement rate was morethan ideal except for groundnut, castor and sunflower and varietal replacement rate was also high. Bridging the huge yield gap and bringing additional lands in non-traditional areas and/or seasons and utilization of rice fallows are some ofthe options for enhancing oilseeds production. The latter, needs systematic and concerted efforts to identify suitable varieties and develop matching technologies involving time and cost. Efforts should be made, in the first instance, to reduce yield gap to below 20% in the next 3-4 years by facilitating access of farmers to timely availability of various critical inputs including credit, regular and timely technical backstopping and attractive remunerative prices to the crop produce through market interventions. This would lead to gear up additional production of oilseeds up to 9.0 m t in the immediate future.

Unleashing the social capital of self-help groups for strengthening seed systems in Uttar Pradesh, India

Women's empowerment and varietal replacement of crops are often unconnected domains in agricultural development; an experience connecting both in India has global potential. Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana, a women's empowerment and poverty reduction program in Uttar Pradesh, embedded seed practices within the collective structure of women's self-help groups. Through collective efforts, women became successful in the production and dissemination of quality seed of new rice and wheat varieties, reaching more than 30,000 small-scale farmers. They appropriated several components of the seed value chain; their social capital became instrumental in varietal replacement. The self-perception of women as knowledgeable farmers changed, as did the perception of household and community members; therefore, seed activities contributed to intrinsic women's empowerment. • The social capital of SHGs is an asset for inclusive and effective seed systems. • SHG involvement in seed systems increases access to new varieties for poor farmers. • Early generation seed supply hinders seed producers' access to new varieties. • Development organizations working with SHGs can contribute to varietal replacement. • Seed activities of women SHGs contribute to instrumental and intrinsic empowerment.

Productivity potential and profitability of whole package technology in oilseed crops

The productivity of oilseed crops in India is low due to rainfed cultivation, small operational land holdings, lack of varietal replacement (groundnut and sesame), losses due to biotic and abiotic stresses and low adoption of agronomic practices and other improved technologies. There is a potential to increase productivity of oilseeds by using best production practices and right combination of inputs at right time. Several technologies were developedby the All India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRP) on oilseed crops that can significantly increase the productivity of oilseeds. Realizing the importance of extending these technologies to farmers, frontlinedemonstrations (FLDs) were conducted. Data from a total of 24,035 FLDs conducted on whole package technology over an area of 9727 ha in nine oilseed crops in different agro-ecological situations of the country during 2014-15 to 2018-19 were analyzed in this paper. The results showed increased yield, gross monetary returns and additional net returns with improved technologies (IT) as compared to farmers' practices. The benefit cost ratio was also higher indicating the profitability of improved technology. In order to speed up the adoption of improved technologies by farmers, there is a need to provide timely access to key inputs like, quality seeds of high yielding cultivars and availability of agro-chemicals in time at village level. There is also a need to forge required partnerships involving extension agencies, state departments of agriculture and input agencies in educating the farmers on the impact of improved technologies, organizing exposure visits to model farms and ensuring timely availability of quality inputsto enhance oilseed productivity and profitability.

Analysis of seed chain and its implication in rapeseed-mustard (Brassica spp.) production in India

India is ranked third after Canada and China sharing about 11.0% of the global rapeseed-mustard production (72.41 mt) and 24.7% and 29.4% in terms of area and production, respectively, of oilseeds in India during 2018-19. Of the projected demand of 82-101 m t of oilseeds by 2030, contribution of rapeseed-mustard is projected at 16.4-20.5 m t, considering its share of 20%-25% in production. Near doubling the production of rapeseed-mustardfrom its current production of 9.26 m t within 10 years is a daunting challenge necessitating multi-pronged strategy. First and foremost approach would be to bridge the exploitable yield reservoir (EP II) of 57.2% in rapeseed-mustard. Seed is the technological carrier and facilitates the realization of potential of variety and crop management technologies. The present paper reviews global scenario ofrapeseed-mustard production and Indian scenario ofseed sector, seed systems, seed production chain, seed status and its implication in production ofrapeseed-mustard. India has a very robust seed systemcomprising both public sector institutions and private seed companies; this systemacts as a driver of growth in agriculture. Of the three seed systems prevalent in India, viz., formal, informal and integrated, formal system wherein guiding principles are to maintain varietal identity, purity and to produce seed of optimal physical, physiological and phyto-sanitary qualityis predominant. Seed chain ofrapeseed-mustard during 2019-20 was maintained with 55 varieties comprising 35 of Indian mustard, 11 of toria, 5 of yellow sarson and 2 each of gobhi sarson and taramira. Varietal mismatches in the breeder seed production was only 5.6% during 2019-20. Breeder seed production was higher by two to three folds than the indents during the last 11 years (2009-10 to 2019-20). During the last 10 years there has been a surge in seed requirement from 2.20 lakh q to 2.64 lakh q. Seed availability during this period was always higher by 2.3%-27.8% than the requirement, except during 2016-17 when a marginal deficit (0.8%) was observed. The seed replacement rate (SRR) is above the threshold level (33%for self- and 50% for cross-pollinated crops) and varietal replacement rate (VRR) is also high as contribution of old and obsolete varieties (released up to 1993) has substantially reduced from 49.4% (2014-15) to 1.7% (2019-20) forIndian mustard; 81.1% (2014-15) to 25.1% (2019-20) for toria and 64.0% (2014-15) to 18.9% (2019-20) for yellow sarson. Increased availability of seed, adequate SRR with high VRR are some of the contributing factors for enhanced yield from 1143 kg/ha to 1511 kg/ha during 2008-09 to 2018-19 in rapeseed-mustard. This paper also highlights some of the issues and strategies for quality breeder seed production.