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Abstract
This paper presents results of a 1995 survey of 864 maize-growing households in six states
that account for more than 70% of India's maize area: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The current adoption of improved open-pollinated maize
varieties (OPVs) and hybrids is quantified, the relationship between adoption of improved
germplasm and use of improved crop management practices is examined, the economic impacts of
adoption are estimated, farmers' seed procurement and management practices are described, and
implications for maize research and development policy are discussed. On the whole, the survey
results confirm that India's national maize seed industry is expanding rapidly. Since seed policy
reforms were introduced in the late 1980s, the area planted to improved OPVs and hybrids has
grown rapidly, and adoption of improved germplasm has fueled important changes in farmers' crop
management practices. However, special policy measures may be needed to ensure that the benefits
of improved germplasm are widely shared, such as the introduction of targeted input subsidies
designed to reduce the cost of adopting improved seed and complementary inputs, government
investment in irrigation infrastructure to reduce production risk in drought-prone environments,
and market development initiatives to provide small-scale producers with access to stable and
reliable outlets where they can sell surplus grain.