A well-functioning seed system is key to timely access to low cost and quality seed by farmers.

Improved varieties are critical to increase grain production in terms of both quality and quantity.

Hence, decision-makers in agriculture face the challenge of developing an integrated and cost effective seed system that can generate and deliver improved seed varieties to farmers. This is to ensure seed security and enhancing livelihoods particularly of the dryland farmers.

This is the thinking of scientists from the National Agricultural Semi-Arid Resources research Institute (NaSARRI) breeding crops to suit the interest of farmers in the drylands and semi- arid regions

Background

The current status of Uganda’s seed value chain for grain legumes and dryland cereals is faced with challenges since most seed companies are not engaged in multiplication of seed of these crops for onward use by the farmers.

As such scientists from NaSARRI have now teamed up with experts from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMTY) which is one of the centres of the Consortium of International Agriculture Research Centres (CGIAR) to come up with ways of strengthening the seed system in a bid to reach out to farmers.

The crops to be dealt with under a two year project include finger millet, sorghum and groundnuts.

Apart from NaSARRI participation there are also scientists from other African countries in East Africa, Southern and West Africa participating in the project

The arrangement is that scientists from the participating countries can be in position to avail crop varieties for multiplication to their colleagues.

A case in point is that since NaSARRI is able to breed groundnut varieties against the rosette disease, there will be no need to carry out the same research in Malawi but materials can be availed for onward breeding.

The major aim is to meet the target of breeder seed in the participating African countries.

Project implementation

The scientists at NaSARRI with stakeholders involved in the seed value chain of the crops have been in a week long engagement in a bid to identify the desired attributes of the three crops suitable for the farmers and processors in order to come up with seed that will be beneficial to the end users.

Chris Ojiewo working with CIMMTY explaining the project background notes that there was a previous project Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Systems in Africa (AVISA) where breeders were urged to implement production of improved variety of crops of interest which generated a number of varieties.

This therefore calls for the seed generated to be processed the farmers which calls for the two year project which is looking at strengthening the seed system for crops in dry land areas.

The aim is to move produced seed which are on the shelves at the research Institutes to farmers as well as to create a network of experts in seed value of the three crops not only in Uganda but the entire East and Central Africa.

The Director of NaSARRI Dr Michael Ugen explained that there is need to enhance the seed of the three crops of choice in a bid to reach out to farmers.

He contends that NaSARRI has developed a number of varieties of sorghum, groundnuts and finger millet but seed companies are not multiplying them for uptake

Already there are existing farmer groups in Eastern and Northern Uganda who are developing seed of these crops but they need to empowered further

Seed production process

Dr Ugen notes that production seed is not the same as growing crops for grain and a lot of procedures have to be followed

In the past farmers used to physically look at a healthy plant with good grains, which they would select for seed for the next planting season

However scientifically since there is the challenge of cross pollination of the plants, this means a farm used for growing seed must be isolated to avoid cross pollination.

The agronomy must be thoroughly followed including removal of weeds and those that are stunted must be removed from the field

The seed variety when growing must be uniform and during harvesting, the seed size must be uniform.

It must be harvested at the right time and when drying the right moisture rate must be obtained.

Once harvested the post-harvest handling must be thorough. It must properly sorted and kept in the triple bags not to allow insects in and it has to be preserved with recommended chemicals. This enables the seed to be protected during planting to avoid insect destruction.

Seed attributes of the three crops varieties

The scientists and stakeholders dealing in the three selected crop varieties discussed and came up with attributes and other characteristics desired by the farmer and processors.

Sorghum

Dr Scovia Adikini the programme leader, dry land cereals with her team noted that Sorghum and finger millet seed system is currently poor because it is farmers who are breeding it and keeping it for planting but it would be good if seed companies take it up at production level.

However her team is encouraging quality declared seed of the two plants to be produced by farmer groups which must be certified for commercialisation.

The team has been sensitizing these farmer groups and they are going to register them in be to enable them participate in organised seed production.

Therefore looking at the required sorghum traits, the team is looking at quality requirements, grain size which must be high yielding.

The preferred famer and consumer varieties are Seso I, Seso II and Seso III because of their colour and goodness for food.

The scientists say Seso I is tolerant to drought, it is high yielding and has a long shelve life coupled with good aroma.

Seso II is preferred by local brewers who use it for making traditional brews and it is early maturing while Seso III is suitable for brewing, it’s good for feed and has good micro nutrients which is preferred in schools for the children.

Millet

The team identified the challenge of farmers taking up improved millet varieties due to lack of awareness because the seed system is lacking.

The scientists recommend Naromill 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 varieties for seed system improvement

This is because they are high yielding, drought tolerant, the seed has uniformity and the colour is light which is preferred by consumers.

Naro mill 1 id tolerant to blast, Naro mill2 has big grains, Naro mill 3 is a good tiller and its flour is good for confectionery industries, Naro mill4 is early maturing and Naro mill 5 is high yielding and tolerant to drought

All the varieties are good for nutrition because they contain Iron and Zinc content.

Ground nuts

Dr David Kalule Okello, the legumes programme leader and ground breeder with his team attribute low farmer uptake of the improved varieties due lack of awareness about the same and the need to strengthen ground nut seed system.

He notes that seed producers expect early maturing, high yielding and tasty groundnut varieties which are tolerant to pests and diseases while processors prefer varieties which are sweet in peanut butter and have good flavour while aggregators are particular about the seed weight.

Therefore the recommended varieties for seed production include Serenut 1R which has sweet taste, Red Beauty which is early maturing, easy to shell and has more seeds per pod

Others are Serenut 8R which is drought tolerant, has long shelve life, high yielding, has uniformity in colour and big seeded.

Serenut 9T is big seeded and heavy as well as high yielding  while Serenut 6Tis easy to harvest , has high oil content  and Serenut 14R is the most liked by farmers because it all the attributes in the rest of the varieties

Most of the varieties farmers want  are dependent on shelve life, disease resistance, high yielding, high iron and zinc content, seed weight and high in oleic.

The scientists have been tasked to determine the financial budget for the work to be implemented in two years with the hope of achieving a strengthened seed system of the three crops.