How safe Hybrid seeds are?

Farm Questions
1

Hi,

I have a one year old child.
I want to learn agriculture to harvest organic vegetables for her.

Recently i bought “Vegetable Seeds Hybrid LOT-MINI-X for Kitchen Terrace Balcony Gardening 10 Items” in ebay.
I am told that those seeds are not good for health.

Is that true?
I am buying organic whenever possible.
Otherwise, I buy those “Chemical” Vegetables

Please advice. If those seeds should not be used, please tell me where can i get organic seeds?
I am from south side of India. Pondicherry

Thanks

2

Dear Sri Agriz,

It is not true. Hybridization process is not a wrong process. It is in practice by all most all the Agri/Horti Universities, Institutes , Private companies, Breeders etc , in all most all the countries, including India.

The hybridization process is: Govt of India is storing all male and female seed varieties, in seed bank. They will be given to the required at specified rates… Male no xxx will be crossed with female no yyy or male seed 1234 will be crossed with female seed 4321. In this process, breeders will select one combination, which will be with very good qualities and they will release it after so many studies.

Here I think that you have miss understood, between GM seeds and Hybrid seeds. difference between GM seeds (Genetically Modified seeds ) and Hybrid seeds is lot. No comparision… GM seeds are dangerous. Upto my knowledge we should not use them.
using GM seeds ,may not be good for our health. Even some countries have banned and so many controversies are existing.

with good wishes, g.p.rao, farmer

3

Thank you sir.
Yes. I thought all hybrid seeds are GM seeds.
How do i know that a seed is genetically modified?

4

Dear Sri Agriz,

About GM seeds,To be frank, my knowledge is very very limited. But I know that it is a very big,complicated product, which requires so much huge money,so many permissions and so much hallam-gullam.

Hence,I feel and inform you Don’t worry about GM seeds sir. It is a very difficult thing. only one are two companies, like Monsanto etc are having that capacity and that too they have to take so many permissions.It is not that easy.

Please contact Sahaja Samrudda , Lalbagh, Bengaluru, Karnataka , which is a subsidary for Jaivik Krishik society of Karnataka and a organic certyfying company, and they sell all the old,original seeds at very low price.I advise you to proccure them. So many varieties are available with them including Black rice/paddy.

wish you all the best, g.p.rao …farmer

5

Sir
Kindly permit me to submit the following, since I was involved in taking the back of the decision of Govt. in bringing GM Brinjal to India.

Kindly permit me to inform that Hybrid seeds are different from GM seeds. Hybrid seeds are cruising the plants of the same category of the Plans of High yielding. It is similar to that of Saplings. Where saplings are not possible Produce the seeds of Hybrid by crossing the similar plants of different Characters. For example, a variety of Rice is Pest resistance while giving less yield. Another way one plant in the same category gives high yielding but prone to pests. Scientists are crossing these two varieties for getting GOOD CHARACTERS in both the plants in a Hybrid Variety.

But in GM, the Genetic Characters of the Plant are entirely Changed.Then it may give side effects to the Consumers. For example in GM Paddy the scientists of Monsanto have immuned a Character of self Producing a Pesticide to protect the Plant from Pests. Being it is not a Food Product, Govt. have permitted GM Cotton. But definitely it will give side effect in a long run in wearing the cotton of GM, where residues are embedded. It is not correct to say “It is a very difficult thing. only one are two companies, like Monsanto etc, are having that capacity and that too they have to take so many permissions.It is not that easy”. THREE Years back Mr. Jayaram Ramesh has tried to Bring GM variety of Brinjal. On initiation of Several NGOS and GREEN, PEAS have moved the Public against such decision. So long as Money Monger Politicians are there everything is Possible in India. Because GREEN PEAS are initiating on this GM Brinjal aspect, the then Govt. of India has made several cases and withholding their Bank Accounts several Months, to trouble them.Even then they have fought for the People of IndiaSo all we should be careful and make a watch on the activities of Governments like a watch Dogs for us and for our Future Generations.
MANNE SN,
for Vasudha Green Farms,
vasudha Green Farms,
vasudhagreenfarms@gmail.com
9133498366.

6

I appreciate your intention to provide quality vegetables to your child.

Hybrid Seeds are introduced for getting more produce. Hybrid Seeds can be used for growing only one crop and if you try to use their seeds, the next crop will not be successful. Hybrid Seeds are sterilised to not produce the next crop. GM Seeds are not good for our health. Unfortunately, there is not much awareness among us.

Anyway, you can get Open Pollinated or Heirloom or Traditional or Organic Seeds from different places. If you are in Facebook, I suggest you to check with Paramez Zurich (089739-82739) or Rambabu Karri.

Check the facebook of Paramez as he visit different parts of Tamilnadu. I bought few seeds from him when he was in Chennai.

7

All of the hybrid seeds planted by the farmer will produce similar plants while the seeds of the next generation from those hybrids will not consistently have the desired characteristics. Controlled hybrids provide very uniform characteristics because they are produced by crossing two inbred strains. Elite inbred strains are used that express well-documented and consistent phenotypes (such as high crop yield) that are relatively good for inbred plants

8

Thank you Sir,

The Posting i made are not Hybrid seed . In general Term we are calling them as Hybrid seeds.The seed we put in our posting are neither Hybrid nor genome seed. But it is High-Yielding Paddy seeds and can be used for generations.In the present time the seed companies are not producing Hybrid verities in Paddy. They are developing and releasing High-yielding verities.

MANNE.SN,
for Vasudha Green Farms,
vasudhagreenfarms@gmail.com,
9133498366

9

Agriz,

My notes from Padmashree Mr. Palekar classes:

Every crop has a definite energy absorption capacity based on which it produces food from photosynthesis. This food is used by plants for growth, producing flower/fruit,seed, and some part stored in root.

In hybrids a part of food meant for quality of produce, growth, daily maintenance etc is diverted to producing fruits and seeds. This results in less growth of plant and less immunity to diseases but potential for more production. One may notice that hybrid varieties are short and invariably need sprays.

Further the production from hybrids is devoid of nutrients that make up that crop. For ex. what we see as carrot may not be real carrot containing those nutrients, vitamins/minerals, taste/flavor for which we eat it…though it looks like one.

So, seed is expensive, crop needs sprays, in the end it is food with less fiber, nutrients, flavor etc. Do we want to go this way?

Implication on environment is another topic - soil health lost since chemical fertilizers are a must, in turn water usage high. Hybrids are grown among other variety farms nearby and via pollination there is dilution of other varieties for the worse.

In short, hybrids mean mere quantity with no quality. Please reconsider decision to use hybrid. Alternatives are local varieties and varieties developed via selection which I believe are called straight line varieties.

10

Dear Dr chandra sir, and all our forum farmer friends,

As stated earlier, Hybrids are natural only and they are not bad and lot of difference when compared with GM( genetically modified ) varieties.

Govt of India, like other governments, maintaining a seed bank, both male and female, for all the crops.

They, both male and female seeds will be numbered, and will be sold to the breeder companies, as and when they require.

For example male abcde will be cross polinated with female 12345, and like wise so many males with somany females, will be cross polinated and breeders will record the yields, note the disease resistance, like so many charectors. They study the produced in the markets, keeping quality etc, so many parameters, and finally release one or more varieties.

Here, I want to state, that m/s Known You Seed co, Taiwan has released one Hybrid papaya variety, named Redlady, during 1994_95. It was such a successful, still suitable another variety has not yet come and farmers are using same hybrid variety, and market demand is there for same variety. Even this company has not released another variety even after 22 years. Record.

In coconuts, tall varieties will be crossed with short varieties and short varieties will be crossed with tall varieties and if any good charector variety found, it will be released to the markets.

In this all most all universities and horticulture institutes are releasing some varieties. Like this, m/s Deejay nurseries have released some 3 varieties and from past 10 years, they are leaders in the south Indian farmers.

Here, one thing to be noted is, all these hybrids are natural products and not any synthetic and/or GM ,or any dangerous ones.

Hybrids are natural products only and they are safe. This is not only my opinion, and the undersigned discussed with several authorities and found safe. More over they as safe as straight varieties. Since they give more yield, more taste or more keeping quality, we should not think that they are injected with artificial qualities. I request all of us to discuss, gather information from authorities of Icar,Iari, Iihr, Uas, Tnau etc etc regarding the safety of hybrid varieties.

With best wishes, g.p.rao, farmer

11

Very well said and i completely agree to what you have mentioned. Adding a bit to it…I am a very small time farmer and this info i have gathered talking to various farmers who practice natural farming.

A seed basically grows into a plant, a tree, leaves, fruits, etc. For a seed and for nature entire plant/tree is a body of growth. A seed/nature never designs anything for a specific part of the plant to grow bigger and better. It is designed to grow as per how nature allows it to. For us (and many other species) fruit is the main food we will consume from the plant. But for many other species leaves, tree bark, roots, etc etc are food. So basically nature designs a plant in a specific manner.

And then with our greed to gain more and bigger we came up with hybrid seeds. The plant started giving bigger fruit but it cut short the length of other aspects of the entire plant body. A short height plant giving more fruits, bigger fruits, etc. Every specie thrives to have its hold on this planet and hence we all species strive for our survival and well being. A fruit usually is loaded with seeds. You cut open a fruit and not one but you will find that the plant has deposited thousands of seeds in its fruit. So that it can progress in the process of evolution. What kind of fruit will you call a hybrid fruit as it grows and develops, but do not have potent seeds in it?

I know markets and our food plates are loaded with farm produce growing from hybrid seeds but i would never term it as natural completely. What if someday you are approached by a learned scientist and he tells you that he can develop your next child with longer hands, bigger eyes and much bigger brain? What will your reply be??? :wink: