ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

will be implemented through research task networks in Tanzania and Malawi based on competitive advantage for
the researchable constraints while building capacity to tackle these constraints at national level. In particular
Tanzania’s Naliendele Research Station will focus on Rust resistance screening while Chitedze in Malawi will focus
on Rosette and ELS.
ES Monyo
Output Target A7: Adoption rates of improved farmer and market-acceptable groundnut varieties and
production technologies enhanced
Activity A7.1: Enhance institutional innovations to improve access of the poor to good quality seeds of
improved high yielding adapted groundnut varieties and conduct training of trainers program on seed
production techniques
Milestone A7.1.2: At least 1 ton breeder seed of 3 released farmer/market preferred varieties in ESA produced
annually as source for foundation seed for collaborating NARS and other Partners 2007-2011
Institutional Innovations to improve access of the poor to good quality seed: Efforts to promote adoption rates
of farmer and market acceptable varieties were linked to institutional building through the Challenge Program on
Water for Food. Seed for implementation of activities to initiate crop water productivity on-farm trials for the 2005-
06 season was produced and supplied to partners as follows:
• Seed enough to implement 96 mother trials and over 600 baby trials in Zimbabwe; 9 mother trials and 19
baby trials in Mozambique – (groundnuts, sorghum and pearl millet).
• Varieties of the various crops important in the basin for use with the crop water productivity studies have
been documented as follows: Sorghum (Macia, SV1, SV2, SV3, SV4, Sima and Chokwe), Pearl Millet
(Okashana 1, PMV2, PMV3, Kuphanjala-1, Kuphanjala-2 and Changara), Maize (ZM 421, ZM 403, and
ZM 521) and groundnuts (Jesa, Nyanda, Ilanda, Mwenje, JL 24, Sellie, Nematil). Concerted efforts for
seed production were concentrated in a few preferred varieties from the list – particularly Macia for
sorghum, PMV3 for pearl millet, Nyanda and Nematil for groundnuts, ZM 421 and ZM 521 for maize.
• During 2006–07 the following seed production activities were implemented by ICRISAT and NARS in
Zimbabwe under off season for the 2006-07 trials: Sorghum variety Sima 0.32 ha, Macia 2.2 ha, Pearl
Millet variety PMV 3, 0.32 ha and groundnut variety Mwenje 0.8 ha at Chiredzi Research Station.
• The following varieties and quantities of groundnut seed were produced for CPWF-CP1 on-farm trials and
demonstrations: Nyanda; 650kg, ICGV-SM 01513 200kg, ICGV-S, 99541 97kg, ICG 12991, 900kgs. A
total of 440 kgs was sent to Mozambique for trials.
Milestone A7.1.1: At least 5 kg nuclear seed of each of 15 varieties in Regional Trials produced annually as source
for breeder seed and entries for collaborative trials with NARS in ESA 2007 – 2011
Other non CPWF-CP1 seed production efforts resulted in the following achievements;
o 2–5 kg nuclear seed for 129 varieties of groundnuts in Advanced and Elite Trials produced
o 2203 kg breeder seed of the Aphid resistant variety ICG 12991
o 3759 kg breeder seed of the groundnut rosette virus resistant variety ICGV-SM 90704
ES Monyo
Milestone: A7.1.3: One new institutional arrangement for supply of legume seed tested in Kenya in 2006
New institutional arrangement: Analysis of groundnut value-chains has identified market opportunities for
farmers producing surplus groundnuts, but the variable quality and limited supply of marketable surpluses constrains
their ability to attract premium prices. Traditional formal seed production schemes result in high seed costs resulting
in limited seed demand through such channels rendering them unsustainable. In 2006 a new institutional
arrangements was designed and tested whereby a private seed company marketed improved groundnut foundation
seed to organized groups of seed farmers identified by the communities in which they live. These seed farmers were
then lined to a farmer owned company to market seed to other farmers in these and other communities where these
crops were being promoted. Preliminary results suggest that this institutional arrangement builds upon the strengths
of informal seed supply systems that most smallholder farmers rely on, but enhances the choice of varieties available
112