2. Seed access points to farmers
Informal
• Own-saved seed
• Neighboring farmers/relatives (cash, loan,
exchange and barter)
• Local traders/local markets (local produce as seed)
• Private seed companies
Formal
• DoA
• Public seed sector (NSC, SSCs, SFCI)
• SAUs
• KVKs
• Oilseeds growers federations
3. Steps required to improve
legumes seed situation in India
Informal seed sector
• Training in ICM
• Training in seed production, processing and
storage
• Quality control
• Fair trade practices
4. Steps required to improve
legumes seed situation in India
Formal seed sector
NS→BS →FS →CS
BS →FS and FS →CS certification by SSCA
• BS →FS link often weak (by PSSA, DoA, SAUs; lack
of accountability)
• FS →CS link very weak (by farmers; poor crop
husbandry, cumbersome certification process, open
to malpractices)
5. New seed system models
Informal seed system
• The PDKV model (Fig 1)
• Seed village model (Fig 2)
Formal seed system
• Seed business incubation model (Fig 3)
• Seed farmers’ cooperative society model (Fig 4)
Semi-formal seed system
• Variants of seed village model
6. Fig 1. The PDKV model of seed production (Informal seed system)
Sources of seed of a new cultivar in India
• SAUs
• National institutions
• ICRISAT
Obtain minimum 2 kg good quality • SSCs
pods from any source to raise Stage-I • Private seed companies
seed multiplication plot • Progressive farmers
2 kg pods obtained from the selected true to type plants every year
from Stage-III commercial plot
I II III For marketing
1 ha
I = Stage-I seed multiplication plot: 0.01 ha 1% of 1 ha expected area under new cultivar.
II = Stage-II seed multiplication plot: 0.10 ha 10% of 1 ha expected area under new cultivar (seed
comes from Stage-I).
III = Stage-III commercial plot for marketing: 0.89 ha (approximately 0.89 to 1 ha) area shall be
covered with quality seed every 3rd year / 3rd cropping season.
7.
8. Fig 2. Seed village model (Informal seed system)
FPVS / Capacity Farmers’ Associations /
SAUs
building NGOs / SHGs
Search for varieties
Basic seed
of FPV Problem identification
Seed
Capacity
village Seed Exchange
building
Procurement of seed
Traders / Seed
Distribution of seeds Adjacent villages
processors
9. Fig 3. Seed business incubation model (Formal seed system)
ABI-ICRISAT
(Mentor)
Implementing partners SAUs / ICRISAT
(Hand holding support) (Quality control,
DoA, NSCs, SSCs etc. monitoring and capacity
(Infrastructure support, building)
seed procurement and
marketing) Seed business venture
(Seed production,
processing and
marketing)
SSCAs
(Seed certification)
Seed farmers
(Seed production)
10. Fig 4. Seed farmers’ cooperative society model (Formal seed system)
DoA Registrar of the
cooperative
society
Allocation of
Breeder seed as
per GoI guidelines,
distribution of Registration
Certified seed
SAUs Seed farmers’
cooperative
societies
Supply of Breeder
seed, monitoring, One time grant for
capacity building establishment
and consultative
services
Quality control Marketing board
SSCAs
11. Lessons learnt
• Rainfed agriculture (delayed onset of
monsoon, drought) – distress sale of seed
as commercial grain – Govt. to intervene
• Community seed banks at village / block
level (seed mortgage)
• Quality control in informal seed sector
• Seed production under assured growing
conditions
• Simplification of certification and
processing requirements in legumes
• SRR and VRR
• Knowledge empowerment of farmers
12. Up-gradation of seed production infrastructure
• Linked with resources from ICRISAT
other projects operating at
partner locations
• Types of infrastructure /
facilities created: Threshing
yard / Drying floor, Up-
Tamil Nadu
gradation of irrigation source,
Seed stores, Implement shed,
Green plant threshers,
Trucks / Jeeps, Tractor and
farm implements, Seed
processing machinery
13. Seed production (2008/09 cropping season)
Quantity produced (t)
Crop State No. of NS BS FS CS TL
varieties
GN Tamil 3 2.6 8.9 33.8 146.9 2.3
Nadu
Karnataka 4 2.7 172.9 160.0 680.0 200.0
/ Dharwad
Karnataka 5 1.5 - - 30.0 -
/ Raichur
ICRISAT 5 - 28.6 - - 3.3
Total 10.7 210.4 193.8 856.9 210.6
14. Farmer-friendly literature
Tamil
1. Groundnut seed production manual
2. Improved package of practices for groundnut
3. Tips to produce quality seed in groundnut
4. Techniques to overcome loss of seed viability in rabi / summer groundnut
5. Groundnut variety ICGV 87846
Kannada
1. Groundnut seed production manual
2. Improved production technology for groundnut
3. Leaflets on new varieties
English (ICRISAT)
1. Obtaining sustainable higher groundnut yields: Principles and practices of
cultivation
2. Groundnut seed production manual
3. Tips for groundnut seed production
4. Groundnut variety ICGV 91114
5. Management of Bruchid in groundnut
15. Training in seed production technology
State / No. of No. of participants
District Trainings Men Women Total
Tamil Nadu
Namakkal 7 176 71 247
Erode 8 159 56 215
T’malai 4 101 15 116
Total 19 436 142 578
Karnataka
Bagalkot 2 43 7 50
Raichur 5 200 - 200
Chitradurga 4 311 131 442
Total 11 554 138 692
16. Public awareness activities
State Medium Content Date / Period
Tamil Nadu Print Improved cultural practices in May 2008
groundnut
Makkal TV Improved cultivation practices 10 Jun 2008
in groundnut
AIR, Coimbatore High yielding groundnut 2 Jul 2008
varieties
Pothigai TV Groundnut variety ICGV 87846 5 Jan 2009
Makkal TV Groundnut variety ICGV 87846 25 May 2009
AIR, Coimbatore High yielding groundnut 15 Jun 2009
varieties
Doordarshan TV High yielding groundnut 12 Mar 2009
varieties
Karnataka Print Seed treatment in groundnut Jun/Jul 2008
DD TV Question and answer session 15 Jan 2009
Print New groundnut varieties 11 Jun 2009
