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Overview of YIIFSWA Seed Component

B. Aighewi (Presenting for team)

• Introduction• Constraints to seed yam production • Accomplishments by the seed component team in

improving seed quality and supply• Conclusion

Outline of Presentation

• Slow rate of multiplication• Poor availability of improved seed• High cost of planting materials• Absence of regulation of quality of seed tubers• Quality standards not well defined • Predominance of seed recycling resulting in build up

diseases and pests• Competes with food

Constraints to seed yam production

The Seed System Component of YIIFSWA

1. Functional and reliable pre-basic, basic and certified seed yam production systems established in Ghana and Nigeria

2. Farmers using clean planting materials increase their yields by at least 40%

3. Tuber pest damage in storage barns reduced by at least 25%

4. Novel high ratio propagation techniques for production of high quality seed yams established

5. Diagnostic tool kits available for production of clean seed yam and certification

Major Expected Outputs

Major Achievements by the seed component team

www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium

Locations of Activities of the Seed Component

Training of trainers (NGOs)

Improving quality of farmer-saved seed: Informal system

Activities with yam farmers in Nigeria and Ghana

Sensitization of farmers Farmers practice to cut minisetts Planting demonstration plots

Monitoring of demonstration plots Farmers are impressed with the yieldsHarvesting and sorting

Training on improving quality of farmer-saved seed yam in 2015

NGO No. of demos Females trained

Males trained

Total

AFD 40 577 1,682 1,259

JDPM 27 266 878 1,144

MSHR 230 7,399 9,380 16,779

SHOP 20 685 839 1,524

Total Nigeria 317 8,927 12,779 20,706

CRS 30 1,491 2,296 3,787

ECASARD 25 341 790 1,131

SAVE 21 - - 1,345

Total Ghana 76 6263

Grand Total 393 26,969There was contact with more farmers during field days

Number of farmers trained from 2012 to 2015

Country 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total

Nigeria 3,603 11,195 12,000 20,706 47,504

Ghana - 5,047 3,250 6,263 14,560

Total 3,603 16,242 15,250 26,969 62,064

Quantity of QDS produced in 2015Institution Quantity

Produced Weight (kg)

NRCRI 33,688 6,630JDPM 8,452 2,369.2AFD 18,753 3,725.1SHOP 10,997 3,725.8MSHR 42,267 6044.8GLDB 8,516 2,664.4CRS 15,213 3787.0ECASARD 8,868 1,764SAVE 7,828 1,567.8Total 146,754 30,710.3

High ratio propagation

1. Up to 10, 000 and 12,000, pre-basic and basic seed respectively, of 20 varieties of yam available; 2. Opportunity for year-round production : Irrigation farming;3. Built capacities of 2 private partners, 3 public research institutions in Nigeria and Ghana.

Unclean plant Cleaning

Pathway to the delivery of high quality seed yam (Formal system)

Ware yam producers

Training of NARS and commercial seed producers to establishment of sustainable availability of high quality seed yam

• In 2013, 33 technical staff of NARS were trained on production of pre-basic and basic seed yam

• In 2014, 33 commercial seed yam producers were trained on quality seed yam production using minisetts

• In 2014 and 2015, training on quality management protocol and certification was done for staff of NASC and PPRSD

• 18 technicians from public and private organizations trained on producing pre-basic and basic seed

Production of pre-basic, basic and certified seed yam Country Institute Type of seed No. of seeds Weight (kg)

Ghana CRI Pre-basic 21,700 -Nigeria NRCRI Pre-basic 34,542 5,187Total Pre-basic Seed

56,242

Ghana GLDB Basic 10,455 476.8Nigeria NASC Basic 1,618 (Dr)

9,396 (Da) 366.62,948.4

Total Basic Seed

21,469 3,791.8

Ghana Private Certified - -Nigeria NASC Certified 902 273.6 Total Certified Seed

Production of clean seed yam

Virus-free seed stock was distributed to NRCRI (810) and CRI (30)

Training Workshops on quality management and practice

Two training courses organized 13 – 14 July 2014, CRI, Kumasi, Ghana45 Participants

Two training courses organized 11 – 12 August 2015, IITA, Abuja, Nigeria 45 Participants

•Theory and practical sessions in the field•Participants have put the teachings into use in 2015 season

YIIFSWA protocols and knowledge extended to benefit CAY seed project

Farmer exchange visit to Nigeria• 26 farmers and extension agents

from Ghana and Nigeria visited Illushi, Idah and Kwali.

• To learn first hand from dedicated seed yam farmers.

• Very interactive sessions stimulated more interest in seed production.

• Requested for more of such visits

Monitoring visits to locations of YIIFSWA intervention

Studies on yam storage• Technology of curing developed and

validated• Gibberellic acid has been identified for

control of sprouting • Two varieties with good keeping

qualities identified in Ghana • Trials to test affordable improved

barns completed at four sites in Ghana • High levels of heavy metals found in

processed yam flour in Nigeria

Preliminary results from experiment on cut sett versus whole seed• Whole seed tubers are better than cut setts of

similar size• Significant interaction found between type of

sett and size• Whole 30 g seed was better than cut 90 g setts

(Value of seed yam from different sources)

Training materials/publications produced • Seed yam production from minisetts: A

training manual• Posters on yam minisett technology and

vine cuttings for seed yam production• Flyers on minisett technique• Seed yam business, market development

plan and record• Publications in scientific journals• Working papers

SEED YAM BUSINESS, MARKET DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND RECORD

HIGH QUALITY SEED YAM FROM MINISETTSAighewi B.A. and Maroya G. N.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

Use minisetts to rapidly increase the quantity and the quality of your seed yam..

Select healthy mother seed tubers

Cut tubers into minisetts of 25 – 80g depending on size of seed tuberdesired.

2

3

Treat freshly cut minisetts in mixtureof fungicide (eg. Mancozeb 100 g) andinsecticide (e.g. Chlorpyriforce, 70 ml)in 10 l of water.

Spread out treated minisetts under shade to dry.

Plant minisetts at a spacingof 100 cm X 25-30 cm .

Maintain crop to keep plants free of weeds, pests and diseases

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Harvest quality seed tubers for sale or use in ware yam production.

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7

4

Challenges encountered

• Erratic and late start of rains• Some partners do not collect all the

information they are requested to get from farmers

Conclusion

• More farmers have been trained than targeted due to involvement of more NGOs

• Farmers are now convinced the technique works

• The formal seed system is on course and will develop faster with the development of high ratio propagation methods.

Institution Country RoleIITA Nigeria Produce clean seed stock and backstoppingCRI Ghana Pre-basic seed productionNRCRI Nigeria Pre-basic seed productionGLDB Ghana Basic seed production and supervision of

certified seed producersNASC Nigeria Supervision of production of basic and

certified seed; quality control and certification

PPRSD Ghana Quality control and certificationNACGRABNRI

NigeriaUK

Production of clean seed stockStorage studies

Key Implementing Partners: Research & Regulatory Institutes

Role: Farmer training through demonstrations to improve seed quality

• Nigeria–Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary (MSHR)–Justice Development and Peace Movement (JDPM)–Arimathea Foundation for Development (AFD)–SHOP

• Ghana–Catholic Relief Services (CRS)–Ecumenical Association for Sustainable Agriculture (ESCASARD)–Sustenance Agro Ventures (SAVE)

Key Implementing Partners: NGOs

Acknowledgements• The Donor: The Gates Foundation • All YIIFSWA implementing partners – NRCRI, CRI,

SARI, NASC, GLDB, PPRSD, MSHR/DDS, CRS - for various contributions

• IITA-based YIIFSWA team Agricultural Extension Agents

• The trained farmers who have become trainers

Thank You