Quality seeds

Quality seeds are an important agricultural input. Farmers in Bangladesh rely on their own seed storage. Climatic conditions, pests and diseases pose challenges to storage facilities. As part of the farmer-led action research, storage options were tested to determine the optimal solution for local conditions.

As my neighbours observed the quality of my seeds, the demand increased.”

Sanowar faced climatic challenges and inadequate storage to keep his seeds at optimum quality. It was therefore decided to conduct training on seed production and conservation in his village. The community shared their problems and agreed to conduct an on-farm adaptive research trial to identify the most appropriate seed storage options that would ensure successful germination and protect the seed from diseases and pests. The storage options tested were selected under the expert guidance of the project staff: earthen pots, gunny bags with polyethylene linings and airtight plastic drums. The preserved crops were wheat, lentils, chickpeas, grass peas, mustard and linseed. The germination rates of seeds stored in gunny bags and plastic drums increased by 22 % compared that of those stored in earthen pots. The moisture content of the seeds in these containers decreased by 8 % compared to seeds in earthen pots. With the newly gained knowledge, Sanowar was able to increase his seed bank from 95 to 520 kg and from 2 to 5 different crops.