Seed provides foundation to productive agriculture, be it crop husbandry, horticulture or fisheries. It is cheapest input among all and plays seminal role in enhancing agricultural productivity. The seed sector plays a major role in the dissemination of latest agricultural technologies to farmers through high quality seeds of high yielding varieties as exemplified by consistent increase and record production of field crops. AICRP on Seed (Crops) played its part in augmenting quality seed production (breeder seed & other classes), research back up on various aspects of seed science and technology, infrastructure establishment to support seed activities, seed related technology dissemination, capacity building and more importantly making seeds available at right place and time by innovative model deployment (participatory seed production and seed village programme etc.). The development of high yielding varieties/ hybrids of wheat, rice, maize, pearl millet and sorghum in early sixties were the landmark beginning for development of the seed programme in the country. The World Bank assisted considerably for strengthening of Indian seed programme by launching NSP I in 1977-78 and subsequently NSP II in the following year. The ICAR along with its partner i.e. SAUs shouldered the responsibility of producing the breeder seed through launch of All India Coordinated Research Project on seed called ‘National Seed Project (Crops)’ in 1979-80 with two components viz. Breeder Seed Production (BSP) and Seed Technology Research (STR). The seed programme of the country was further strengthened with NSP III through World Bank assistance in 1989-90, which not only supported the ICAR and SAUs but also Department of Agriculture Corporation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW), Seeds Corporations, Seed Certification Agencies and Private Seed Industry to a great extent in production, processing and in providing quality seeds to the farmers. Similarly, in a bid to foster seed multiplication chain and for strengthening seed production infrastructure facilities in the country, ICAR launched ICAR Seed Project- ‘Seed Production in Agricultural Crops’ during 2005-06. As per the recommendations of ‘Review Committee on AICRPs/AINPs of ICAR’, the two flagship seed programmes of ICAR were merged into single entity and rechristened as AICRP on Seed (Crops) during 2021-22 with two components viz. Quality Seed Production (QSP) and Seed Technology Research (STR).

The AICRP on Seed (Crops) is mandated to produce breeder seed as per national requirement, to augment quality seed production among agricultural crops and to develop region specific seed technologies as per the contemporary needs of seed industry under five broad theme areas of seed science viz. seed production and certification; seed physiology, storage and testing; seed pathology, seed entomology and seed processing. During 2024-25, Quality Seed Production and Seed Technology Research components were operational at 67 centres and 26 centres respectively, under AICRP on Seed (Crops) at various SAUs and ICAR institutes across the country.