HYV stands for High Yielding Variety. These are high-quality seeds that are produced by crossing high-yielding crops having superior seed-producing capability. They are resistant to insects and diseases and have a high yielding potential. HYVs are characterized by a combination of traits such as higher crop yield per area, dwarfness, improved response to fertilizers, early maturation, and resistance to many diseases. They are heavily used in commercial and plantation farms and are developed in the field of biotechnology. HYVs are most important among wheat, corn, soybean, rice, potato, and cotton.

HYVs played a significant role in the Green Revolution, which refers to the use of high-yield variety (HYV) seeds, invented by the crop geneticist Norman Borlaugh. HYVs can produce up to ten times more crops than regular seeds on the same area of land. They have reduced starvation and famine in developing countries. However, HYV crops require a lot of fertilizers and pesticides to grow, increasing costs and pollution. They also require a more reliable source of water, and the poorest farmers have been unable to buy HYV seeds, so they are of no benefit to them.