English - McKnight Foundation Collaborative Crop Research Program

McKnight Foundation Collaborative Crops Research Project No: 06-741
Sub-Activity2.3.1.1: Train farmers to produce seed (QDS) for commercial use:
Training of farmers on Seed Production (QDS) of Cowpea is very important because the crop saves
many lives of people in drought prone areas of the semiarid areas where the crop is grown. The seed
availability is a big issue because commercial companies are not interested in producing seed of low
volume crops like sorghum, pearl millet bambaranuts and cowpea. For this reason it was embedded in
the project to train farmers to produce their own seed which they can use themselves and sell to the
neighbours and neighbouring villages. It is intended also that once these farmers have known the
techniques of producing high quality seeds, they will later be contracted by the Agricultural Seed
Agency (ASA) to produce certied seed to reach many farmers, and not within their district, but to more
districts that grow the crop.
Farmers were given training on the following main seed production areas:
1. Organization of seed production in Tanzania (L 1): This lecture was given in order to expose farmers
on the various institutions/stakeholders involved in the seed industry, where they are and what they are
doing. It also intended to make them understand the seed classes produced in the country.
Lecture components included the following: The roles of Agriculture Research Institutions (ARI’s),
Agricultural Seed Agency (ASA), Seed companies, Farmer groups, Seed Certification Institute and
Agriculture Extension Services Department, Seed production flow from ARI’s to Seed companies and
to farmer groups and Seed classes recognized in Tanzania seed industry
2. Attributes of seed quality (L 2): To make farmers understand the concept of seed quality and its
implications in seed production, processing, storage and distribution. The lecture components included:
Importance of seed as a basic input in agriculture production, Merits of improved varieties as a basic
requirement for any variety before releasing to farmers and Seed quality aspects which are verifiable by
already set standards by Seed Certification Institute such as genetic and physical purity, germination and
seed health.
3. Cowpea Seed Production (L 3): Being the core subject, farmers were trained on the techniques used
in the production of cowpea seeds. More emphasis was put in the husbandry practices, which will
enable them harvest high quality seed.
Training components included: Land selection for cowpea seed production, Land preparation, Choice of
varieties to be planted according to days to maturity, Plant spacing depending on whether a variety is
determinate or indeterminate, Crop husbandry practices in general such as pest management, rouging of
off types in seed production, timely harvesting, seed conditioning, safe seed storage and seed sampling
and testing for quality attributes of the project should be initiated by 2010.
Table 17: Summary topics covered by each Farmer Research Groups, 2009
Region District Village F R G NO. of
participants
SINGIDA Singida
district
DODOMA Dodoma
urban
IRINGA Iringa
district
Topics Covered
Topic Topic Topic
1 2 3
Msungua Mshikamano 10 X X X
Ikhanoda Mfwenji 20 X X X
Nduu Matumaini 21 X X X
Kikombo Ushirika 11 X X
Mpunguzi Twende na
wakati
10 X X
Mkungugu Ari mpya 10 X X
Mangalali Fahari 14 X X
21
2009