Seed System: The Key for a Sustainable Pulse Agriculture for Smallholder Farmers in the Dryland Tropics

Mula, M G and Sameer Kumar, C V and Mula, R P (2013) Seed System: The Key for a Sustainable Pulse Agriculture for Smallholder Farmers in the Dryland Tropics. In: 23rd PHILARM National Convention, 16 -18 April, 2013, Villa Caceres Hotel, Naga City, Camarines Sur, Philippines.

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Abstract

Seed is the fundamental life-blood of agriculture and the foundation of a successful farming for smallholder farmers in the dryland tropics. The farmer does make arrangements for many farm inputs but the seed is the primary input. Good quality seeds, which have genetic and physical purity; health standards; high germination and moisture percentage, can increase farmer’s production by about 20-30%. The Green Revolution (GR) program has influenced seed system in the 70’s in vegetables and cereals but not in pulses, which is mainly grown in the dryland tropics. The procedures, through which a cultivar is bred, produced, certified, stored, marketed and used which includes all the channels through which farmers acquire genetic materials and in interaction with the commercial seed industry is known as seed system. The current seed flow in pulses reveals that marketing and usage from a system of free access and/or exchange is limited to seed growers or seed producers, traders (middlemen) and agricultural government agencies. The flow of planting materials is more on the farming community as farmer seed exchanges and barter is preferred than acquiring seeds by cash. Most often the cultivars promoted are the registered seeds or good seeds, limiting the diversity in farmers’ fields.

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Divisions: RP-Grain Legumes
CRP: CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes
Uncontrolled Keywords: Seed System; Pulse Agriculture; Smallholder Farmers; Dryland Tropics; Seeds
Subjects: Others > Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics
Depositing User: Mr Ramesh K
Date Deposited: 19 Jun 2015 08:51
Last Modified: 28 Jul 2017 10:47
URI: http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/8792
Acknowledgement: UNSPECIFIED
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