Seed Production Technology

Natural disasters, upheaval, and drought are a constant concern. So, in September 1995, ICARDA initiated a project nicknamed the “Seed Safety Net” designed to reduce the chance of famine and to speed recovery if seed stocks are lost.
     The project was led by Ethiopia and included Eritrea, Pakistan, Sudan, and Yemen. It coordinated national seed programs, collected information on varieties used, and kept track of seed stocks. Information from this project has proved useful in seed security interventions within the region and beyond. Apart from helping to quickly locate appropriate seed stocks, it has also helped remove constraints to the movement of seed across borders in emergency situations; for example, by compiling information on trade and quarantine regulations. The project worked through the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Seed Network, a collaboration between national seed programs in the region, with its secretariat at ICARDA headquarters.
     Barley and tef are the principal food crops in the highlands of Ethiopia. Despite the availability of improved and well adapted barley varieties released through ICARDA-Ethiopia collaborative research, the adoption of the technology is lagging due to weak seed supply systems. The ICARDA Seed Unit, in collaboration with its national partners, particularly the Ethiopian Seed Enterprise (ESE), has conducted seed system studies for these two important crops with a focus on the informal seed sector. The barley study provided insights into seed supply constraints in the major barley growing areas of the country, and documented farmers’ sources of seed, seed quality, and management practices. The study also revealed factors influencing adoption and recommended alternative options for increasing barley seed supply to smallholder farmers.
     Tef production is dominated by smallholder farmers, and large-scale mechanized seed production is difficult, if not impossible. As a result, producing enough quality tef seed is a challenge for the national seed program. Upon the request of ESE, the tef study looked into the economic efficiency of tef seed production by smallholder farmers to improve the quality and increase the availability of improved seed. Tef seed production strategies and guidelines were developed as a working document for the ESE.