Good seeds mean high yields and happy farmer

Use of good quality seed is a prerequisite for the production of high yields. High quality seeds help to increase agricultural productivity; improve food security; lower money spent on food purchases and imports and raise domestic economic activity.

The seed industry in Kenya has grown tremendously over the years from a single company (Kenya Seed) in early 1980s to the current over 120 after the liberalisation of the sector in the 1990s.

The sector is made up of public and private companies. There are about 12 public institutions led by Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) Seed Unit, plus others that are emerging in public universities (Egerton, University of Nairobi and Maseno), Agricultural Development Corporation and other parastatals like Kenya Seed.

Private sector constitutes the larger seed producers. With increased competition, distribution of seeds has greatly improved. Today, all mid-sized towns and centres have one or more agro-dealers and many farmers travel shorter distances to access certified seeds. In short, access to quality seed is the foundation of high yields and incomes.

The Kenya’s seed industry, like any others, is divided into the formal and informal systems. The formal sector focuses on breeding, producing and selling seeds certified by the regulator, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), as per Seeds and Plant Varieties Act (CAP 326).

The informal sector, on the other hand, produces seeds that farmers save/recycle on the farm, thus, are not certified.

The informal sector could account for up to two-thirds (60-70 per cent) of most seeds planted by farmers in Kenya, while formal sector seed purchases are least frequent.

FAKE SEEDS

This to some extent explains the low yields experienced in the country, especially by small-scale poor-resource farmers.

Crops like maize that have been supported by massive research efforts (including in Europe) have more formal seed system.

Sadly, despite these advances, average maize yield is estimated at 1.5 tonnes per hectare, which is the same as the 1960 global average.

Average yields for many staple food crops like beans, millets, sorghum, green grams, groundnuts and cowpeas similarly are low, ranging between 0.45-1 tonne/ha, contributing to a continuous cycle of poverty and hunger for most smallholder farmers.

About 75 per cent of farmers in Kenya are small-holders who, although custodians of local cultivars, often suffer from non-availability of adequate quantity and quality seeds to sustain the crop diversity suitable for their agro-ecological and socio-economic needs as well as the demands of consumers. Since seed is a technology, its penetration in rural communities is highly hampered by poor infrastructure, which is a common constraint to the development of agriculture.

Therefore, viable seed supply systems to multiply and disseminate the seed or plant material are critical for the success of food production.

There has been continuous release of new varieties by KEPHIS, but use of uncertified low quality seeds is rampant due to fact that farmers are often unaware of the appropriate seed for their regions.

Second, many new seed varieties are unavailable to farmers because they have not been fully commercialised by the research institutions like KALRO, universities and seed companies.

Fake seeds is another big problem. This results into poor germination, high impurities and low yields. Farmers should, therefore, ensure every certified seed has mark of high quality to show:

 Trueness to type (often referred to as variety purity).

 Satisfactory germination and vigour: >90 per cent.

 Freedom from other materials (plant debris, dead, broken seeds, seeds of other crops and weed seeds).

 Freedom from seed-borne pests and diseases.

For farmers who save/recycle their seed stock of formerly certified seed (open-pollinated varieties), it is highly advisable to replace stocks approximately every two to three years to ensure continuing purity and freedom from diseases, for higher yields.

However, this is discouraged as it often leads to diseases, and many other challenges.

As compared to formal certified seed sector, the low yields in informal sector is associated with poor seed storage from season to season, or poor selection discipline by farmers.

QUALITY STANDARDS

Average estimates indicate that up to 30-60 per cent of improved varieties saved and recycled for more than two years fail to achieve much yields.

There, always get quality, improved certified seeds from stockiest.

There are several types of seeds which include:

i) Breeders: These are new varieties developed by the breeder.

ii) Foundation: These arise from multiplying breeders’ seeds to pre-basic and basic levels, which are then used to produce a certified seed crop.

iii) Certified: These are large quantities of seeds multiplied from basic and pre-basic, which then becomes certified for distribution to farmers in the formal sector.

Seeds are fragile and alive, hence it is advisable to minimise negative impacts on quality during storage, which arises from excess heat, moisture and insects. Crop variety also varies and some seeds (especially those with high oils and protein content) like soya and groundnuts are difficult to maintain for even one season (more than six months) before they lose viability, but others like vegetable seeds can be kept for 10 years if stored properly.

Seeds should be produced to quality standards; incorporating genetic positions for certain regions so that the farmer will actually realise the productivity gain and is available at a packaging and price point that matches the farmer’s risk preferences.

Limitations in the seed industry include lack of awareness on newly released higher-performing crop varieties; over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture for seed production, which is contributing to erratic and inconsistent seed supply patterns inhibiting uptake of improved varieties; weak research-extension linkages characterised by poor communication and high seed prices packed in inappropriate sizes and lack of improved policy environment to drive seed innovation/ technologies.