Superiority of an on-farm conserved land variety, ..Meerut Yellow" over improved composite varieties of maizein situ conservation of agro-biodiversity

Abstract

Although green revolution largely solved the food problems of India despite alarming growth of population, ecologist did not consider this green revolution as environment friendly. With the introduction of high yielding varieties (HYV), the fertile soil has rapidly been covered with these HY varieties, so that the locally well-adapted on-farm conserved land varieties were relegated to marginal land and harsher environments. Yield and quality of these improved varieties could not be sustained and therefore, these varieties periodically required replacement. However, the technology of high yielding/hybrid varieties discriminates against resource-poor farmers and can be grown only by resource-rich farmers who could afford to purchase fertilizer, pesticides and other inputs required for the cultivation of these varieties. In the present paper it has been demonstrated that an on-farm conserved land variety of maize can be superior in yield to the recently developed improved varieties, suggesting that conservation of such varieties is essential to promote evergreen revolution and to ensure food security.