Good seeds make a happy farmer

Seed is life and it forms the foundation of high yields and incomes. Producing high-quality seeds of various crop varieties and increasing access to smallholder farmers and educating them about the benefits are central to improving food security.

Seeds contribute 20-50 per cent of yields of most stable crops like maize, wheat and legumes.

At the small-scale subsistence level, Kenya’s maize yield is estimated at 22.5 tonnes/ha (8-15bags/acre), which is the same as 1960 global average.

These yields are also almost similar to that of US maize average yield of 1.5 tonnes/ha in mid 1930s before development of hybrid maize.

Yields of other crops like beans, pigeon peas, millets and groundnuts, which farmers don’t buy certified seeds every year are lower ranging between 800-1,200kg/acre.

Good quality seeds of the improved varieties are the cornerstone of crop productivity since they are a greater incentive to use better fertiliser, weeding on time, spraying chemicals against pests and diseases and investment in irrigation.

Despite the importance of seeds, in Africa, only one-third come from companies while two-thirds are derived from the informal sector, according Tegemeo Institute of Egerton University.

The situation is worse than in West Africa where less than 10 per cent seeds are sourced from informal seed sector.

In Kenya, although there is a more developed seed systems with large number of seed companies selling certified seeds, they only account for less than 30 per cent (quarter) of national seed requirements and the remaining 70 per cent coming from farmer-saved seeds, which include beans, millets, cuttings and groundnuts, among others.

Maize dominates the formal seed system, accounting for over 75-80 per cent of total seed production and sales.

Certified seeds of self-pollinated crops like beans, pigeon peas, chickpeas and millets and other planting materials that have less profitability for seed companies is 5-15 per cent of the total seed produced.

To reverse this trend and increase quality seed availability, there is need to better access to released improved varieties; increase seed production through government strategic institutions; increase private sector participation; decrease regulation of self-pollinated seeds (legalising standard seed or Quality Declared Seed (QDS) and increase research and development in seed system and innovation for rapid variety release to markets, especially in rural and asals areas.

Overall, farmers in remote areas are often cut off from any agricultural development initiatives and injection of new crops and varieties into their seed systems is low.

However, in Kenya the seed industry has grown tremendously over the years from a single seed company in early 1980’s to the current over 120 companies after the liberalisation of the industry in the 1990s.

This has resulted in increased seed volumes that require to be certified through field inspections, factory processing, sampling, testing, labelling and sealing.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT

The Seeds and Plant Varieties Act (CAP 326) empowers Kephis to undertake these activities as well as regulate the importation and exportation of seeds.

This is undertaken through adoption of international standards and procedures such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) seed scheme standards/procedures for field inspection and the International Seed Testing Association’s (ISTA) standards/procedure’s for seed sampling and testing.

The global trend currently is geared towards creating an enabling environment for self-regulation as has been adopted by both the OECD and ISTA.

The government, through the agriculture sector development strategy, recognises the importance of accessibility and affordability of farm inputs, including seeds, for sustainable agricultural development.

The Seeds and Plant Varieties Act, 2012 provides the legislative framework for authorisation of competent private or public persons to undertake specified certification activities.

The objective of authorisation is, therefore, to complement the service to enhance efficiency in the process of certification.

Self-regulation is a concept that will create an enabling environment for effective participation of both public and private sectors in the production and inspection of quality planting material and promote sustainable access of affordable seed.

Some of the key issues to ensure farmers get high quality seeds are: seed sampling and testing for purity analysis, germination analysis, seed health testing to ensure that seed companies will package products that are pure/free of purities.

Any seed that meets these standards and packaged are issued with a seed testing Certificate by Kephis called white label stuck to the packaging of seed.

Once farmers buy any seed from agrovets or seed companies, they should obtain the correct seed for their regions.

They should grow recommended crop varieties developed and suitable to their regions. To get the recommended maize/bean, wheat/barley or any variety for their, they need to text name of crop e.g maize, their division in Kenya

To receive an SMS for the recommended crop variety for your region; type crop eg MAIZE#DIVISION e.g Maize#Lanet and send message to 20441 using Safaricom or Airtel network.

You will receive details of seed varieties at a cost of Sh2.

Prof Paul Kimurto is a crop expert and in-charge of Agro-Science park/Seed Unit, Egerton University.

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Explaining seeds

Botanically speaking, a seed is the result of the sexual reproduction of a plant. When the flower is fertilized, seeds are produced inside the fruit which protects them and grows bigger.

When ripe, a dry fruit will open and let the seeds out; a fleshy fruit will have to be digested by animals or have to get rotten before seeds can be released.

Each year, tons of fruits splash on the earth, and millions of seeds rain on the ground. This is how plants reproduce.

A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering known as the seed coat.