SEED PRODUCTION AND MULTIPLICATION Stages of Growth of the Seed Industry – Seed Industry Life Cycle The Seed Industry goes through three stages of growth- Pre-industrial -All planting materials are OPVs or farmer selected varieties eg DRC Emergence – Govt. invests in breeding, variety testing, seed production and distribution. Seed distributed for free or subsidised. Farmers use significant amounts of retained seed. Companies have little incentive to invest in such markets e.g. Mozambique Expansion (Growth) – Private companies gain confidence in the market and invest in breeding, variety trials, multiplication and distribution. Legislation to ensure quality are enacted e.g. Zambia. Maturity- Govt. variety development programmes are narrowed or terminated due o dwindling financial resources. Private firms now dominate the market. The enactment of intellectual property rights (breeder’s rights) encourages firms to invest. E.g. Zimbabwe and South Africa. THE SEED CHAIN Agricultural research Breeding Variety release Distinct Uniform Stable (DUS) Distinct – cultivar must be distinct in a number of characters Uniform – should be uniform phenotypically Stable – must not loose its characteristics for yield, disease resistance, pest resistance etc. In variety release the variety should have some use for it to be released – know as Value for Cultivar Use (VCU). Variety release Registration a) DUS test b) VCU test Release Panel – Government officials from the Seed certifying authority (Ministry; Directorate of DR & SS; Seed Services Unit). People from industry, farmers (reps from unions). Wheat people from the backing and confectionery industry and GMB. A breeder makes representations on DUS and VCU tests. All required information is presented and the variety is released. where it is not known, the breeder goes back and must bring more information. Variety maintenance Cultivars change due to mutations, admixtures, contamination by foreign pollen i.e. the breeder’s material. The breeder must keep clean material. SEED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS There are three major systems: Formal organised sector – controlled multiplication, legislation and cash transactions Informal – local seed selection, production and diffusion Integrated – combination of formal and informal Characteristics of formal sector
SEED PRODUCTION AND MULTIPLICATION Stages of Growth of the Seed Industry – Seed Industry Life Cycle The Seed Industry goes through three stages of growth- Pre-industrial -All planting materials are OPVs or farmer selected varieties eg DRC Emergence – Govt. invests in breeding, variety testing, seed production and distribution. Seed distributed for free or subsidised. Farmers use significant amounts of retained seed. Companies have little incentive to invest in such markets e.g. Mozambique Expansion (Growth) – Private companies gain confidence in the market and invest in breeding, variety trials, multiplication and distribution. Legislation to ensure quality are enacted e.g. Zambia. Maturity- Govt. variety development programmes are narrowed or terminated due o dwindling financial resources. Private firms now dominate the market. The enactment of intellectual property rights (breeder’s rights) encourages firms to invest. E.g. Zimbabwe and South Africa. THE SEED CHAIN Agricultural research Breeding Variety release Distinct Uniform Stable (DUS) Distinct – cultivar must be distinct in a number of characters Uniform – should be uniform phenotypically Stable – must not loose its characteristics for yield, disease resistance, pest resistance etc. In variety release the variety should have some use for it to be released – know as Value for Cultivar Use (VCU). Variety release Registration a) DUS test b) VCU test Release Panel – Government officials from the Seed certifying authority (Ministry; Directorate of DR & SS; Seed Services Unit). People from industry, farmers (reps from unions). Wheat people from the backing and confectionery industry and GMB. A breeder makes representations on DUS and VCU tests. All required information is presented and the variety is released. where it is not known, the breeder goes back and must bring more information. Variety maintenance Cultivars change due to mutations, admixtures, contamination by foreign pollen i.e. the breeder’s material. The breeder must keep clean material. SEED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS There are three major systems: Formal organised sector – controlled multiplication, legislation and cash transactions Informal – local seed selection, production and diffusion Integrated – combination of formal and informal Characteristics of formal sector