Local varieties in India - New insights into adaptation patterns, performance and preferences over modern varieties of selected cereals among different seasons and regions

The successful development and deployment of widely adapted, input responsive high yielding varieties (HYVs) in cereals along with required inputs have been widely adopted and consequently these HYVs replaced the specifically adapted local varieties (LVs). In this review, on the basis of 13 years data (2000-01 to 2012-13), attempts have been made to analyze the prevalence of local varieties (LVs), pattern of their adaptation, adoption and diffusion, yield including variability in the yield in cereals and coarse cereals in different regions and seasons in India. It was observed that HYVs did not replace LVs completely and LVs still cover significant area and are virtually grown in all regions and seasons in India. The adoption and adaptation pattern of HYVs was found to be highly asymmetrical. It was also revealed that under marginal conditions, the performance of LVs is comparable and even out yield HYVs, but under favorable environmental conditions with high input and better management conditions, HYVs performed extremely well and, therefore, highly responsive to inputs. The yield gains obtainable through HYVs over LVs, varies from season to season in the same region and in different regions in the same season. The variability in yield (CV) was always higher in LVs as compared to HYVs among all cereal crops as LVs are grown under marginal, sub optimal and low input management conditions. The significant negative association was observed between average yield and CV in case of rice HYVs, LVs of sorghum and in both HYVs and LVs in maize.