Legume seed production for sustainable seed supply and crop productivity: case of groundnut in Tanzania and Uganda

Sustaining crop production and productivity in sub-Saharan Africa requires the availability and use of quality seed of improved varieties by smallholder farmers. The private sector has been considered as the best way to sustain seed supply and crop productivity. Unfortunately, the private sector’s share in the seed production and delivery in sub-Saharan Africa countries has not been very substantial for decades. As a consequence, farmer access to quality seed of recently released varieties remains very low. This manuscript analyzes the experiences of informal seed producers who graduated to formal private seed enterprises to understand the effectiveness of the support they receive to become viable seed ventures. We used comparative research methods to analyze the qualitative and quantitative data collected to understand the underlying mechanisms. The findings showed that the analyzed seed enterprises started with as little as about USD 300 and have already multiplied over tenfold their initial capital. They benefited from a wide variety of supports, e.g., quality seed production, marketing, partnerships, and value chain development trainings and infrastructures, from extension workers, research centers, national and international NGOs, and the other private seed enterprise operators like large public seed enterprises and agro-dealers. The seed enterprises are producing pre-basic, basic, and certified seed of cereals and self-pollinated legume crops delivered directly to farmers, institutional markets, and agro-dealers. The seed production data have been increasing for the past three years with an area expanding from about 30 ha to over 150 ha per year for chickpea. The seed production and delivery practices being employed are smallholder farmer-based practices that are environmentally friendly. For sustainable and reliable seed production and delivery systems in sub-Saharan Africa, a bold step is needed whereby the informal seed production entities are nurtured and upgraded into formal certified seed production ventures that deliver social and economic benefits to the promotors and the communities.

Download Full-text

Effect of Row Spacing and Seeding Rate on Russian Thistle (Salsola tragus) in Spring Barley and Spring Wheat

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10010126 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 126

Author(s):

Judit Barroso ◽

Nicholas G. Genna

Keyword(s):

Seed Production ◽

Crop Yield ◽

Spring Wheat ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Integrated Management ◽

Spring Barley ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Row Spacing ◽

Seeding Rate

Russian thistle (Salsola tragus L.) is a persistent post-harvest issue in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Farmers need more integrated management strategies to control it. Russian thistle emergence, mortality, plant biomass, seed production, and crop yield were evaluated in spring wheat and spring barley planted in 18- or 36-cm row spacing and seeded at 73 or 140 kg ha−1 in Pendleton and Moro, Oregon, during 2018 and 2019. Russian thistle emergence was lower and mortality was higher in spring barley than in spring wheat. However, little to no effect of row spacing or seeding rate was observed on Russian thistle emergence or mortality. Russian thistle seed production and plant biomass followed crop productivity; higher crop yield produced higher Russian thistle biomass and seed production and lower crop yield produced lower weed biomass and seed production. Crop yield with Russian thistle pressure was improved in 2018 with 18-cm rows or by seeding at 140 kg ha−1 while no effect was observed in 2019. Increasing seeding rates or planting spring crops in narrow rows may be effective at increasing yield in low rainfall years of the PNW, such as in 2018. No effect may be observed in years with higher rainfall than normal, such as in 2019.

Download Full-text

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), Common Chickweed (Stellaria media), Shepherd's-Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), and Field Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense): Fecundity, Seed Dispersal, Dormancy, and Emergence

Weed Science ◽

10.1614/ws-d-13-00074.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 62 (1) ◽

pp. 97-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Erin C. Hill ◽

Karen A. Renner ◽

Christy L. Sprague

Keyword(s):

Seed Production ◽

Seedling Emergence ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Seed Fate ◽

Stellaria Media ◽

Thlaspi Arvense ◽

Emergence Patterns ◽

Field Pennycress ◽

Winter Annuals ◽

Winter Annual

Winter annual weeds protect the soil from erosion and retain nutrients during the winter; however, they can also act as a host for crop pests and pathogens and impede planting. Increased knowledge of the reproductive biology and the seed fate of winter annuals would be useful to improve management and crop productivity. The objectives of this research were to determine the recruitment biology of shepherd's-purse, henbit, common chickweed, and field pennycress, including seed production, dispersal, dormancy, and seedling emergence, based on growing degree days (GDD). Henbit was the least prolific of the four weeds studied, producing 800 to 40,000 seeds m−2at naturally occurring densities; shepherd's-purse was the most prolific, producing 11,000 to 400,000 seeds m−2with 40 to 230 plants m−2. Fifty percent seed rain occurred for henbit, common chickweed, shepherd's-purse, and field pennycress at 620, 790, 880, and 1300 GDDBase,0C, respectively. Overall, seeds were dormant for all species at the time of dispersal. In 2 of 3 yr, dormancy of later-dispersed common chickweed decreased after 6 mo of storage at natural, fluctuating temperatures in the absence of water. The emergence patterns of the four species followed the Gompertz equation and were indicative of facultative winter annuals. The emergence patterns by rate were similar between henbit and common chickweed and between shepherd's-purse and field pennycress. Seed production, dispersal, dormancy, and seedling emergence were influenced by moisture; therefore, including a precipitation or soil moisture component into a GDD model (such as the use of hydrothermal time) would improve the accuracy of predicting winter annual reproduction, seed fate, and emergence.

Download Full-text

THE IMPORTANCE OF BORAX IN LEGUME SEED PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTH

Soil Science ◽

10.1097/00010694-194401000-00008 ◽

1944 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 75-84 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

J. R. PILAND ◽

C. F. IRELAND ◽

H. M. REISENAUER ◽

FIRMAN E. BEAR

Keyword(s):

Seed Production ◽

The South ◽

Legume Seed

Download Full-text

Planting Materials Seed Systems of Finger Millet, Rice and Taro in Jumla, Kaski and Bara Districts of Nepal

Nepal Agriculture Research Journal ◽

10.3126/narj.v6i0.3343 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 10-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Bimal K Baniya ◽

Radha K Tiwari ◽

Pashupati Chaudhary ◽

Surendra K Shrestha ◽

Pushpa R Tiwari

Keyword(s):

Seed Production ◽

Finger Millet ◽

Rice Seed ◽

Seed Selection ◽

Seed Supply ◽

Millet Seed ◽

Seed System ◽

Rice Seeds ◽

Planting Materials ◽

Informal Seed Supply

Formal and informal seed supply systems of rice (Jumla, Bara and Kaski), finger millet and taro(Kaski) were studied in three ecosites of Nepal during 1999-2001 to understand the processes ofseed flow, seed production, seed selection and storage systems. A survey was conducted at 48 to96 households. Informal seed supply was the only system in Jumla and Kaski and formal systemexisted only in Bara. The main sources of seed were farmer's own saved seed (67-91%), seedfrom neighbors and relatives. Exchange of germplasm was the main basis of fulfillment fromother sources. All farmers obtained seed from their own village, while farmers introducedmaterials occasionally from outside village. Most of the farmers followed seed selection beforeor after crop harvest. Rice field selection and plant selection based on a fixed set of criteria wasthe common practice. Non lodged plants with more grain per panicle, bold grains, well-maturedand uniform plants, long panicle, true to type, good looking grains, free from diseases andinsects were the main rice seed selection criteria. All farmers from both sites stored rice seeds bylocal methods in the locally available containers. Mor and Mudkothi are the special strawcontainers to store rice seed in Bara. Dhara is a special mud structure used to store rice seeds inJumla. Finger millet seed supply system was mostly similar to that of rice seed system. Ninetyone percent farmers saved seed for their own use; however, many of them changed finger milletseeds lots or varieties regularly for their particular plot. Ears selection during harvest by setcriteria for seed purpose was the common practice. Farmers stored finger millet seed carefully insmall locally available containers and tried their best to maintain the quality of seed duringdifferent stage of seed production. Taro has diverse planting materials: cormels, corms witheyes, suckers and corm with small cormels. Taro planting materials management is totallyinformal and almost 89% farmers saved these materials for their use and replaced them mostlyafter 3 years. Farmers had fixed criteria of corms and cormels selection for planting purpose andfocus and more on disease free. Storage of planting materials was locally by using localmaterials and methods. Understanding of seed system in various crops helps to developconservation strategy.Key words: Seed flow; seed production; seed selection; seed storage; seed systemDOI: 10.3126/narj.v6i0.3343Nepal Agriculture Research Journal Vol.6 2005 pp.39-48

Download Full-text

THE APPLICATIONS GROUPER SEED PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT MARICULTURE DEVELOPMENT

Jurnal Ilmu dan Teknologi Kelautan Tropis ◽

10.29244/jitkt.v6i1.8632 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Suko Ismi

Keyword(s):

Survival Rate ◽

Seed Production ◽

Production Technology ◽

Larval Rearing ◽

Application Technology ◽

Seed Supply ◽

Tiger Grouper

Application technology for grouper seed production was conducted by dissemination activities, aimed for dissemination technology in several places having aquaculture prospects in order to facilitate seed supply. The research was conducted in 2012 collaborated with the Department of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Lamongan Regency and Fisheries Academy of Sidoarjo. Application technology for grouper seed production was conducted in Tunggu village, Paciran district, Lamongan, East Java. Grouper seeds which maintained were tiger, cantik, and cantang. Seed productions were performed from egg to juvenile with size of ±3.0 cm,in which the eggs were transported from hatchery in Bali and larval rearing was conducted based on the produced technology. The results showed that survival rate of tiger grouper was 8.3%, cantang grouper was 11,6%, and cantik grouper was 12.4%. The results showed that R/C ratio was >1, in which the business was profitable. The technology can be applied to the community and grouper seed production can support aquaculture activities. Keywords: Grouper seed, production, technology, R/C ratio, aquaculture

Download Full-text

Artificial seed production of Pangasiid catfish in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

10.1079/ac.92519.20203483627 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Thanh Phuong Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Seed Production ◽

Mekong Delta ◽

Research Programme ◽

Larval Rearing ◽

Growth And Survival ◽

Seed Supply ◽

Artificial Seed ◽

Research Findings ◽

Artificial Seed Production ◽

Pangasius Bocourti

Abstract The two pangasiid catfish, Pangasius bocourti and P. hypophthalmus, are widely cultured in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. However, seed supply until recently was dependent on fry and fingerlings caught from the Mekong River. In 1994, a research programme was carried out on artificial seed production of these two species in captive conditions. In 1995, about 30,000 fingerlings were first produced in An Giang and Can Tho provinces and a proper technique of induced breeding, progressive human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) treatment, was determined. This technique, involving two steps of hCG injections, successfully induced ovulation in 66% of 67 treated females of P. bocourti. Application of this technique to other pangasiid catfish species such as P. conchophilus, P. hypophthalmus, P. mekongensis, and P. larnaudii also resulted in breeding success. Research on larval rearing has also been conducted to improve the growth and survival of pangasiid larvae. Extension of research findings of induced breeding and larval rearing has allowed mass seed production of pangasiid catfish in the Mekong Delta.

Download Full-text

Success and failure of sand goby culture.

10.1079/ac.62329.20203483181 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Van Khanh Pham

Keyword(s):

Natural Resources ◽

Seed Production ◽

Foreign Exchange ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Production Systems ◽

Sand Goby ◽

Export Markets ◽

Seed Supply ◽

Wild Seed

Abstract The success in the seed production of the sand goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata) has contributed to the protection of natural resources and the availability of seed for aquaculture. About 30-50 million sand goby fingerlings are produced in hatcheries for domestic and export markets every year. Grow-out production systems of sand goby developed in the 1990s. It helped to increase the incomes of many fish farmers and contributed to the country's foreign exchange earnings. Constraints to hatchery-produced seed for grow-out have resulted in difficulties for sand goby seed producers. Hatchery-produced seed commands a higher price than wild seed and thus is not able to completely replace the natural seed supply. However, wild seed is of uneven size and capture methods are not standardized, resulting in the fish body being easily scratched, leading to disease and mortality. The fish is sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and vulnerable to diseases which are difficult to treat. The market for this species is also limited.

Download Full-text

An analytical model to evaluate the performance of associative seed producer organizations in the framework of Plan Semilla - Agrosavia (Colombia)

Agronomía Colombiana ◽

10.15446/agron.colomb.v37n2.76948 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 173-188

Author(s):

Leisdy Lázaro-Palacio ◽

Yesid Aranda-Camacho

Keyword(s):

Cluster Analysis ◽

Analytic Hierarchy Process ◽

Seed Production ◽

Analytical Model ◽

Environmental Resources ◽

Analytic Hierarchy ◽

Procedural Rationality ◽

Seed Supply ◽

Hierarchy Process

Low access and use of quality seeds limit agricultural competitiveness. Since 2013, the Corporacion Colombiana de Investigacion Agropecuaria -Agrosavia- initiated “Plan Semilla” with the aim of consolidating nuclei of quality seed producers under associative schemes that guarantee quality seed supply in the regions where the seeds will be used. Between 2013 and 2016, we undertook characterizations of the organizations participating within the framework of Plan Semilla using various qualitative tools for their diagnostics. However, it was not possible to specify the actions that needed to be taken in order to strengthen these organizations. The aim of this research was to generate an analytical model to evaluate the performance of participating organizations that would establish quality seed production nuclei and to validate the model’s use in those organizations that produce cocoa seed in the Plan Semilla framework. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to construct the model, which is composed of 4 dimensions (technical capacities, environmental resources, organizational capacities,and management capacities) that are related to criteria that are considered decisive for the consolidation of nuclei of quality seed producers. The model was assessed by 11 experts who identified the importance weight of the elements. In the validation, we used indicators from 30 cocoa seed producer organizations participating in Plan Semilla. We calculated additive utility functions and used a cluster analysis to define the thresholds and to establish the level of performance of the organizations. The results have improved the procedural rationality for the classification of organizations that seek to consolidate quality seed production nuclei.

Download Full-text

LINKING COMMUNITY-BASED SEED PRODUCERS TO MARKETS FOR A SUSTAINABLE SEED SUPPLY SYSTEM

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s001447971000061x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 425-437 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

J. R. WITCOMBE ◽

K. P. DEVKOTA ◽

K. D. JOSHI

Keyword(s):

Seed Production ◽

Seed Quality ◽

Small Contribution ◽

Rice Varieties ◽

Participatory Varietal Selection ◽

Seed Supply ◽

Farmer Groups ◽

Total Turnover ◽

Managerial Capabilities ◽

Capital Reserves

SUMMARYA review of the outcomes of past attempts at establishing sustainable seed producer groups in Nepal showed that after donor support was withdrawn a lack of marketing skills resulted in the groups no longer producing seed. Learning from this review, when we initiated new attempts at establishing sustainable seed producer groups in Chitwan district, Nepal, we emphasized the strengthening of their marketing and managerial capabilities rather than training in technical issues such as seed quality control. We imparted marketing skills to committee members of farmer groups at an initial training course in Chitwan in 2001. This inspired at least three existing farmer groups in Chitwan, already established for other agricultural activities, to enter into cereal and legume seed production and its marketing. Following their establishment in 2002 we supported them initially by purchasing some of their seed production. This was progressively withdrawn and, after three years, the groups independently marketed all of their substantial seed production. They built up capital reserves mainly from subsidies and by attracting funds from new shareholders with only a small contribution from retained profits that were only about 5% of total turnover. The capital reserves reduced or eliminated the need for loans thus increasing the chances that the enterprises would be sustainable. In contrast, other government-supported groups had practically no cash reserves despite substantial seed sales. By 2010, two of the three groups were still operating and had substantially increased turnover. Shareholders who were also seed producers benefited from being members of the group and from an increased income of 10% by producing seed instead of grain. Our intention in supporting these groups was to promote the scaling out of new rice varieties produced by client-oriented breeding (COB) or identified by participatory varietal selection but most of the seed that was produced was of obsolete varieties. Policies are needed to preferentially promote new varieties by supplying more information about them and increasing the subsidy on their seeds compared with older varieties. Continuing promotion by the organizations that bred them is also desirable but constrained by limited funding for COB.

Download Full-text