High Yielding Variety (HYV) plants High Yielding Variety (HYV) plants played vital role in the progress

of agriculture. They are considered as `miracle plants. The high yielding programme was launched in the Kharif season of 1966 in selected areas having assured rainfall. Plant is the basic and crucial input for attaining sustained growth in agricultural production. The yield of traditional is low. High Yielding Variety Plants are developed to get higher yielding. The main advantages of High Yielding Variety plants are yielding of farms with the use of HYV plants in high compared to the use of traditional plants. HYV plants give better quality yielding. The maturity time of crop is less. Multiple crops can be grown easily. Plants are mostly flood and drought resistant. Problems of pests and diseases are less. HYV plants generate additional employment. Net agricultural income increases substantial. HYV Plants helps socioeconomic transformation for farmers. Paddy, Wheat, Maize, Jowar , Bajra and other crops utilized HYV plants over large area within a short period.

HYV plants yield more under irrigated conditions. However, the crop demands controlled irrigation. These crop should be irrigated at right time as per the schedule and in right quantity. Most of the HYV plants are dwarf varieties. They need higher doses of fertilizer. HYV crops are highly susceptible to pests. Right quantity of pesticides to be usedto overcome this problem. In the first three five year plans, measures were taken to set up plant multiplication forms in each block and plant testing Laboratories at selected places. Legislative measures were taken to introduce Quality Controlled Plants. Government has set up National Plant Corporation (NSC) in 1963 to Seven Regional Units and State Farms Corporation (SFC) in 1963 60 supply quality plants. All India Corporation Improvement and Plants Producers Association and All India Plant Growers Association were also started functioning at National level. It is one of the vital programme undertaken by the Government. As a result of sustained research in agriculture, many high yielding varieties /hybrids have been released in our countries (India 2000). Rice- In rice, more than 600 high yielding, early maturing, dwarf disease resistant varieties have been evolved. Many rice hybrids such as ProAgro 6201, APRH - 2, KRH - 2, CORH - 2, Pant Shankar Dhan - 1, Narendra Shankar Dhan - 2, Sahyadri and fine grained hybrid Pusa RH -10 are released for cultivation. For cold regions of our country, scented rice varieties such as Pusa Basmathi - having high export value are released. Wheats-Similarly, more than 260 high yielding, disease resistant varieties of wheat are released. Besides triple dwarf wheat UP - 310, many high yielding varieties are added in later days. They include PBW - 343, PBW - 396, Sreshtha, DP 2425 for irrigated areas of north western Punjab. Durum wheat - suitable for instant foods and having high export value - varieties such as PDW - 215, PDW - 233, Malav Shakthi, HD 4672 etc are released for cultivation. Maize-In maize, 130 composites and hybrids with high yield potentiality have been developed so far. Some early maturing hybrids with high yielding qualities are Vivek - 9, Pusa early hybrid Makka - 3, JH 3459, KHMH - 175, Kohinoor and Aravalli Mekka - 1. High protein hybrids like Shaktiman - 1 and Shaktiman - 2 are also released. They are useful for baby food industry and poultry feed industry. Pulses-In pulses, more than 430 improved varieties were developed and released. They include high yielding disease resistant short duration varieties of pigeon pea like (red gram) Pusa ageti, Pusa 84, UPAS 120, chickpea (bengal gram) like K850, H 208, Pusa 240, urd bean (black gram) like Pant 430, PSI, CO 5, mung bean (green gram) like PS 16, T44, Aasha. Pulses occupy a unique position in our agriculture in terms of their suitability to different cropping system. High yielding varieties of oil seeds like Ground nut (MH2, Kaushal), Mustard (Pusa Bold, Pusa Agarni), Soya bean (Pusa 24, Durga) and sunflower (Modern, Arun) All these varieties and hybrids were developed and released adopting one of the breeding methods. Release of variety / hybrids in various food crops in the last 3-4 decades has been the prime reason

for achieving our present level of food production (209 million tons). The process of release of new varieties and hybrids is a continuous process, as old varieties / hybrids lose their potentiality and new varieties / hybrids have to be evolved. Moreover, our country has greatly varying climatic and soil situations coupled with equally varying agricultural practices. The preferences of foods and varieties of food preparations have also resulted in varying type of requirements. Combined effect of all these variations is the release of large number of varieties suitable for different situation and requirements.