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Abstract
Variety change and genetic diversity are important means of combating crop losses
from pests and diseases in modern agricultural systems. Since the Green Revolution,
genetic diversity among wheat varieties released in India has increased but variety
change on farms continues to be slow. In this article, we define and summarise indices
of variety change and genetic diversity for the wheat varieties released and grown in
Indian Punjab during the post-Green Revolution period. We evaluate the effect of
each index on technical efficiency with a Cobb-Douglas yield model after testing for
exogeneity. Findings support the hypothesis that slow variety change has offset the
positive productivity effects of diversifying the genetic base in wheat breeding during
the post-Green Revolution period. Policies that speed the rate of variety change and
contribute to a more equitable spatial distribution of modern varieties could support
wheat productivity in the Punjab of India, reinforcing plant breeding successes.