A Low Cost and Fast Track

Scheme for Induction of

Biotech and Hybrid Seed Production

And Production of Grafted Plug Nurseries
In Pakistan

By
Muhammad Boota
 Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department
G-9/4, Islamabad
Background

1. It is a well known fact that domestic production of well adapted

hybrid and biotech seeds and quality planting material can overcome
the barriers in enhancing the farm productivity.

2. There are more than 600 national seed companies engaged in

production of certified seeds of traditional varieties of wheat, cotton
and paddy crops. The companies have adequate network of
registered seed growers, processing and packaging facilities and
marketing outlets.

3. However only 5% of national seed companies have initiated some

breeding programs but mostly are deficient in basic infrastructure,
skills and technologies required for handling competitive breeding
programs.

4. It is not financially feasible for national companies of a developing

country like Pakistan to launch a high-tech seed production program
based exclusively on original research due to high cost and long
period required for technology harvesting.

5. The experience of China, India, South Korea, Turkey, Thailand and

other countries show that a mix of selective original research and
fast-track technology acquiring scheme is the sustainable and cost-
effective way to progress.

6. It is better initially to focus on single crop or single group of crops for

high-tech seed production for managing appropriate resources
required for breakthrough and success.

Requirements of Shifting to High-Tech Seed Production:

7. Development or out sourcing of Biotechnology traits for control of

insect pests, diseases and weeds, improvement of quality and
enhancing storability.

8. Breeding or acquisition of elite parent lines for production of various

hybrid seeds.

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 9. Transfer of technology for commercially viable techniques of hybrid
seed production.

10. Expansion of domestic and cross-border market size for

sustainable production of high-tech seeds.

11. Establishment of Germplasm Units and Registered Nurseries

for production of healthy and value-added nurseries of fruit plants
and vegetable crops.

Steps Taken by the Government:

12. Various development projects are going on for creation of

biotechnology traits (NIBGE & CEMB), development and out-
sourcing of commercial hybrids (PARC & MinFA) and for
establishment of Germplasm Units (Provincial Governments).

13. MinFA is actively participating in efforts for establishment of

regional seed markets at platforms of ECO, D-8 and CWANA.

14. Plant Breeder’s Rights Bill and Seed (Amendment) Bill are on
the way for protection of Intellectual Property Rights and for making
the seed business fully documented respectively. This will create
enabling environment for enhanced investment and transfer of
technologies in seed sector.

Further Steps Needed for Fast-Track Technology Transfer:

15. Identification and outsourcing of useful public domain

biotechnology traits for immediate utilization in breeding programs.

16. Recognition and bargaining mechanism for low-cost

outsourcing of biotechnology traits and elite inbred lines for
commercial utilization.

17. A modest technology transfer program for commercially viable

techniques of hybrid seed production including use of cost-effective
chemical hybridizing agents, rapid multiplication techniques and
grafted plug nursery production.

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18. Fast-track Reverse-Breeding of public domain commercial
hybrids of various crops.

Scheme for Hybrid Seed Production

1. A company embarking on hybrid seed production program for a

particular crop will require following elements;

a) Parent inbred lines of a well adapted elite hybrid.

b) Appropriate system for maintenance of parent lines.
c) Commercially viable mass hybrid seed production
technology.
d) Selection of production site with proper isolation and
optimum agronomic conditions.
e) Relevant seed processing and packaging arrangements.
f) Suitable seed storage infrastructure with facility for handling
carry-over stocks.

2. It is better to acquaint with commercial hybrid seed production

technology prior to acquiring parent lines through following
arrangements;

a) Agreement with any suitable seed company for

contractual third party seed production as practiced in
Thailand, India and South Africa.
b) Encouraging Multinationals for domestic hybrid seed
production.
c) Joint ventures for shared business operations as
experienced in Turkey and India.
d) Arrangements with public sector of China and Turkey for
training and capacity building of local professionals.
e) Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) can play a
role in acquiring and transfer of commercial hybrid seed
production technologies.

3. The cost of acquiring parent inbred lines of elite well adapted

hybrids is generally very high and can not be recovered in a
small consumer market; whereas the cost of original research

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 to develop commercially viable hybrids is even higher. To start
with it is advisable to use following low cost scheme for
domestic hybrid seed production program;

a) Public sector research institute may develop hybrids and

transfer parent lines to private seed companies through
open auction under tenure license or one time payment.

b) Parent lines can be recreated through “Reverse Breeding”

techniques which have been extensively utilized in China
and are quite cost effective. The steps required for
reverse breeding are detailed below.

c) Traits of Cytoplasmic Male Sterility (CMS) and Restorer

Gene can be identified through simple reverse breeding
techniques.

d) Public domain commercial hybrids can be identified

through IPR database search.

e) Establish a managed environment capacity is must to

facilitate three generations of the crop per year so as
work of six years is completed in two years on fast-track
pattern.

Scheme for Biotech Hybrid Seed Production

4. The cost of acquiring biotechnology traits is generally very high

and can not be recovered in a small consumer market; whereas
the cost of original research to develop commercially viable
biotechnology traits is even higher. To start with it is advisable
to use following low cost scheme for biotech hybrid seed
production program;

a) Public sector research institute may develop

biotechnology traits and transfer them to private seed
companies through open auction under tenure license or
one time payment.

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 b) Public domain commercial biotechnology traits can be
identified through IPR database search.

c) Establish a managed environment capacity is must to

facilitate three generations of the crop per year so as
work of six years is completed in two years on fast-track
pattern.

d) Public sector research institute may also help the private

seed companies in generating Biosafety data and
managing other Biosafety requirements for use of new
gene constructs in traditional breeding programs.

Additional Value Addition Technologies

5. Production of grafted plug nurseries of Tomato, Bitter gourd,

Onion, Melon and Watermelon provide additional opportunity
for value addition and cost recovery of hybrid seed production.

6. Hybrid seed production scheme of the crops which can be

subjected to rapid multiplication techniques can be easily
shifted from open-field production to indoor production system.
Indoor production system is cost effective, more sustainable,
easy to handle/monitor, risk free and compatible with proper
management of skilled labor.

7. Indoor hybrid seed production coupled with rapid multiplication

and production of grafted plug nurseries will revolutionize seed
industry and will provide with competitive edge to national seed
companies in domestic and regional markets.

8. Cost effective chemical hybridizing agents can be identified to

replace cumbersome process of incorporating male sterility and
restorer traits in female and male lines respectively.

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 Free Consultancy Services
For Biotech and Hybrid Seed Production

FSC&RD offers free consultancy services for seed industry development to

willing national seed companies under standard terms of agreement in
following fields;

1. Establishment of a seed enterprise for production of certified

seeds and planting material.

2. Pedigreed seed production of BNS, Pre-basic and Basic

categories.
3. Organizing an accredited seed testing lab in private sector.

4. Production of certified fruit plants and vegetable nurseries.

5. Production of grafted plug nurseries of vegetable crops.

6. Rapid multiplication techniques for selected crops.

7. Developing multi-purpose managed environment facility.

8. Fast-track breeding system assisted by managed environment

facility.
9. Reverse breeding techniques for recovering parent lines from a
commercial hybrid.
10. Reverse breeding techniques for identification of
cytoplasmic male sterile lines and lines with restorer gene.

11. Positive screening of inbred lines against common

diseases and abiotic stresses.
12. Indoor hybrid seed production system for selected crops.
13. De-hybridization of elite hybrids to convert them into open
pollinated varieties.
14. Search methods for identifying public domain hybrids and
biotechnology traits.

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15. Linkages for outsourcing of inbred lines and biotech traits.
16. DUS trials and registration of varieties/hybrids.

17. Identification of cost effective chemical hybridizing agents.