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Developing Seed Systems for Dissemination of Chickpea and Rice Lines Appropriate to the High BARInd Tract

A. M. Musa
People’s Resource-Oriented Voluntary Association (PROVA), B/251, Kazihata, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

K. D. Joshi
CAZS Natural Resources, CIMMYT Office, PO Box 5186, Singha Durbar Plaza Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal

C. Johansen
5 Westgate Court, Leeming, WA 6149, Australia

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A shortage of good-quality seed of improved varieties of chickpea is a major constraint to the increased production and yield of chickpea in the High Barind Tract (HBT), as well as elsewhere in Bangladesh. Farmers mostly grow “local” varieties with seed of poor quality. This shortfall is not likely to be made up by publicly funded seed production enterprises or by large-scale commercial seed producers. Therefore, the development of small-scale village-level seed production seems the most viable solution. However, the adverse conditions of temperature, humidity, and pest susceptibility characteristic of the rainy season in Bangladesh mitigate against the production of good-quality chickpea seed. Nevertheless, there are procedures of seed processing for storage that can effectively overcome these problems, at minimal financial cost to resource-poor farmers. From the late 1990s, the NGO PROVA has been conducting chickpea seed production and farmer training programs, first to bulk up sufficient seed of improved varieties to meet the needs of on-farm research and development programs and second to promote village-level entrepreneurship in chickpea seed production and marketing, to meet local seed requirements. In the 2004-05 season, 330 farmers were reached and 45.7t of good-quality seed was produced. Key factors for chickpea seed preservation are adequate seed drying; sealing in plastic bags with naphthalene added; storage of bags in cool, dry, well-aerated locations; monitoring for rodent and insect damage to storage bags; and germination testing. After training, farmers could readily adopt the recommended procedures. Prices of chickpea seed and grain have been rising markedly in recent years, making chickpea seed production and marketing a profitable enterprise, if properly conducted. However, further guidance to farmers is required in methods of packaging, labeling, advertising, and local-level retailing of chickpea seed. Because of the need to identify short-duration rice varieties that would allow timely planting of chickpea to be grown on residual soil moisture after the rice harvest, PROVA implemented a participatory varietal selection program for short-duration rice introductions. This required rapid bulking up of seed of test entries for wide-scale farmer evaluation across the HBT. Therefore, rice Developing seed systems for dissemination of chickpea and rice lines appropriate to the High Barind Tract A.M. Musa, K.D. Joshi, and C. Johansen148 Musa et al seed production and preservation techniques were also imparted to farmers, following the methods used for chickpea but with fewer precautions necessary to maintain seed quality. More widespread farmer training in seed production, preservation, storage, and marketing techniques will be required if the rate of adoption of improved varieties of chickpea and rice is to increase. Increased farmer knowledge of seed technology stimulates farmer demand for further knowledge of improved agronomic techniques in general, as seed is considered as a vehicle for several components of improved agronomy. Training in improved seed systems and technology should be directed at entire rural families as women and children are usually heavily involved in postharvest activities.

Keywords: High Barind Tract, HBT, Good-quality seed, Chickpea.

Location: In Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Seed Technology

Commodity: Rice, Chickpea

Objectives:

To attempt empowering the farmers of the High Barind Tract (HBT) with the knowledge to be able to meet their needs of the good-quality seed of improved varieties of chickpea.

Methodology:

Despite the sensitivity of chickpea seed to spoilage in the climate of Bangladesh, measures can be taken that effectively alleviate such damage. The recommended procedure, based on extensive use by PROVA in recent years, is as follows: * Fields for chickpea seed production should be designated early in the crop growth cycle and extra precautions taken to maximize their yield (e.g., protection against Helicoverpa pod borer). The fields should be of a known improved variety and should be examined for uniformity of plant type, and off-types discarded so as to maintain varietal purity. Chickpea is self-pollinating and so varietal deterioration through cross-pollination should not be a concern, only mixing of seed of different genotypes. * Harvest seed when the crop is fully mature, and dry it as soon as possible after any rain event near maturity. ? Conduct threshing and seed drying on a floor completely devoid of other chickpea seed to avoid mixing seed. * Dry seed spread out in one layer for at least 8 hours in full sunlight (at ambient shade temperatures of 25–35 ºC). This should lower seed moisture content to an acceptable level (8–9%) and force any bruchids already present in the seed to vacate the seed-drying area. * Check seed for seed of other species (e.g., weeds) and of other chickpea varieties (if distinguishable), and remove by hand accordingly. * After sun drying, place seed in shade and allow it to cool to shade temperature, before placing it in a thick plastic bag of 15–50-kg capacity. * Place one naphthalene ball (1 g) for every kg of seed, evenly distributing the naphthalene as the bag is filled. Dry leaves of the neem tree can be used if naphthalene is not available or there is any chance of the seed being consumed by humans. Another alternative is to thoroughly mix 5 mL of mustard, linseed, or neem oil per kg of seed. However, a prerequisite to ensuring that seed is free of bruchids is thorough sun drying and insect-proof packaging (see above). * After filling the bag, immediately tie the neck to make an insect-proof seal. Place the plastic bag in a gunny (jute) bag or large drum (plastic or metal) for extra protection. * Store bags in a cool, dry, sheltered location, on a ramp raised above ground level so that air can circulate around the bags. * Check bags during the rainy season for any signs of insect (e.g., ant) or rodent damage. If such damage has occurred, the seed will have to be sun-dried again and repacked as described above. * After opening bags prior to sowing, the seed needs to be checked for viability (percentage germination). Take 50 seeds from representative bags and place them between moist cloth or paper. Inspect seed for germination at 4–5 days. For the degree to which germination is less than 100%, calculate the extra seed needed to attain the recommended seed rate (e.g., if germination is 80%, then 25% extra seed will be needed to achieve a given seed rate). Placing sealed bags of chickpea seed in cold storage (5–10ºC) will better ensure that there is no high temperature or humidity, or insect or rodent damage, but this is considered unnecessary if the mentioned precautions are taken. In any case, cold storage of seed of field crops is generally beyond the reach of resource-poor farmers. The postharvest handling of chickpea seed is usually done by the women and children of the household; therefore, they need to be targeted in any training program on seed preservation.

Source of Information: International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), 2008. ISBN 978-971-22-0229-2

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The ready availability of good-quality seeds of improved chickpea varieties remains a constraint to chickpea production in the HBT, and throughout Bangladesh. Alleviation of this constraint will depend on the proliferation of small-scale seed producers empowered with the necessary technical know-how. Although chickpea seed is particularly sensitive to loss of quality in storage compared with other crop plants, there are established methods of seed preservation well within the reach of resource-poor farmers. Dissemination of this know-how will depend on the conduct of further training programs, directed at all rural household members as women and children play an important role in postharvest operations for chickpea as well as for other crops. Training must not only encompass the technical aspects of seed preservation but also promote skills in small-scale marketing. This will require locally implemented quality control and effective packaging, advertising, and marketing. Although preservation of rice seed is less problematic than that of chickpea seed, there is also a need to promote village-level production of good-quality rice seed if farmers are to have timely access to new, improved rice varieties. Effective models, such as Farmseed, have been successfully tried elsewhere in Bangladesh and they should also be promoted in the HBT. Good-quality seed of improved varieties of crop plants can be a vehicle for other components of improved agronomy, such as seed priming, seed treatment with pesticides, inoculation with beneficial microorganisms, appropriate seed rate, etc. It is suggested that the improvement of farmers’ knowledge of key technical and scientific aspects of the seed will create farmer demand for information on other components of improved agronomy, leading to higher and more stable yields. There is thus a need for more comprehensive training programs, directed toward the entire rural family, on seed technologies of the major crops grown.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings