Seeds are central to all agricultural activity, and food security is possible only when seeds are secure. Seed conservation, which helps ensure local crop diversity, must be of central concern to all farmers.
Organic seed production involves specific practices, such as the use of organic seeds, selection of land in areas away from chemical farming and free from stagnant water, and the use of organically produced inputs.
Seed-production farmers have specific criteria for choosing vegetable seed varieties from among locally suitable crops. These criteria include:
1. Yield without chemical fertilizer
2. Maturity
3. Good cooking quality
4. Resistant to pests and diseases
5. Medium height
6. Drought resistant
7. Non-lodging
8. Branching
9. Erect leaves
10. Commercial value
Few farmers have taken vegetable seed production depending on the climatic condition. To generate income, these farmers produce vegetable seed varieties in their backyards as well as in the field with the main crop. Summer is the ideal time to begin vegetable seed production or to expand it to a larger area because the higher temperatures and lower humidity make attacks by pests and diseases less likely. This environment makes it feasible for the farmers to harvest good quality seeds with less management.
Details of seed production
Vegetable seed production has been promoted primarily through community gardens to maintain vegetable diversity in community seed banks. Landless women farmers also are encouraged to begin indigenous vegetable seed production, which will help them earn additional income. In this way, increasing the variety of seeds helps ensure these farmers' livelihoods.
We provide farmers with technical guidance for inputs like compost, bio-pest repellants, nutrient management and permaculture gardening. The landless women farmers lease land and set up community gardens. The group borrows seeds from the seed bank, multiplies the seeds using the community land and then returns the seeds to the seed bank. The members are responsible for maintaining the community garden.
The following farmers have harvested the seeds grown in the community gardens in Dasaiahanadoddi and Bettahalli.
Sl.No
Farmer name
Village
Gender
Crop
1
Gangamma
Mallapajidoddi
F
Sparkle red beans
2
Sujathamma
Mallapajidoddi
F
Sparkle red beans
3
Lakshamma
Kulumedoddi
F
Palava beans, Black beauty beans, Okra, (Yellow long), Sparkle red beans
4
Chikkamma
Kulumedoddi
F
Palava beans, Black beauty beans, Okra, (Yellow long), Sparkle red beans
