Seed storage practices in the present context of Nepalese farmers

INTODUCTION

A seed, strictly speaking, is an “embryo”, a living organism embedded in the supporting or the food storage tissue. Seed storage is the preservation of seeds under controlled environmental conditions which will prolong the viability of the seeds for long periods of time. The purpose of seed storage is to maintain the seed in good physical and physiological condition from the time they are harvested until the time they are planted. The temperature, relative humidities, seed moisture contents, containers and distribution arrangements are the key points for proper seed storage practices.

BODY

Seed storage is preservation of seed and maintenance of its quality until it is needed for planting. Seed storage practices are done to maintain the quality of seed from the time they are harvested until planted, for security of scarce source seed and to assist timely distribution of seed. Various methods are used for seed storage from which the traditional seed storage practices include: heap and kunio storage of maize, mat bin or Bhakari, mud bins (Deri or Kothi), earthen clay pots (Ghyampo), metal pots (Gagro), urmi or suli method (Maize), plastic bags/containers, and jute bags. The local materials used in seed storage are: neem, bojo, timur, marich, titepati leaves/powders for controlling stored grain pests, sun drying of seeds and cleaning through winnowing, rinsing containers with oils/kerosene, covering mouth of seed containers with ash and chaitaune. This helps to maintain the quality and purity of seed and also reduce the losses which might incur due diseases, pest and rodents.

The improved seed storage structures/practices include: improved metal bins, split bamboo bins (Chitrako Bhakari), pusa bin (an improvement in mud bins), sealed storage containers, super grain bags, cocoon, non-conditioned ventilated godowns, potato seed storage under diffused light, cellar stores for storing fruits, zero energy storage of vegetables/potato. Sun drying is practiced by farmers for drying seeds before storing. Farmers dry seeds for about 4-6 times depending on the moisture content. Modern farmers use zeolites for to reduce moisture and maintain an equilibrium of low relative humidity in hermetic storage containers. Some farmers use storage containers cleaned with oil or kerosene, while others treat the seeds with indigenous plant materials like ash, neem, titepati, marich, bojo powders, etc along with aluminium phosphide(celphos, alphos, quickphos) to protect seeds from storage pests.

The community-based organizations (CBOs), cooperatives and farmers’ groups often follow traditional methods of seed storage. These organized groups, however, face multiple difficulties. They possess non-conditioned store house to store large quantities of seeds on commercial basis; seed producing farmers’ groups or cooperatives are limited, both in number and capacity and can serve farmers in accessible districts only to a limited extent. Agro-vets and some private dealers are the only agencies providing seeds in remote districts. However, due to roads and transportation related problems, they are not able to provide timely and required amounts of seeds of improved varieties to farmers in those districts. At the moment, agro-vets are concentrating on vegetable seeds (mostly imported hybrids) while National Seeds Corporation (NSC) meets only 10% of the seed demand of farmers. However, National Seed Company Limited (NSCL) and Salt Trading Company Limited (STCL) conducts seed storage programmes at regional and local level for timely marketing and distribution of seeds to the end users.

The demand of seed is in increasing rate. Cultivation in large scale has started. But there is lack of improved variety seed for growers as there is no provision of seed storage house and storing technologies. The indigenous method now no longer can fulfill the seed requirement. It also arises the question that how the storage of harvested grain in large scale is done. How the stored grain is further processed? How the producer will be in profit? The unavailability of proper storage technologies causes nearly 20% of the seed loss which creates the atmosphere of unavailability of timely distribution of seed leading to seed unavailability during peak cultivation period. It, thus increases the import of cheap and low-quality seed which decrease the production.

CONCLUSION

It is therefore known that indigenous practice is best for small holdings. Only small holdings cannot handle supply-demand ratio. For the development at large scale, new innovations for seed storage and also updated version of indigenous method is the primary need of the country in agricultural sector. Various modern technology and implements for seed storage should be introduced to Nepalese farmers and emphasis should be given to reduce the post-harvest loss of productive quality seeds.

Writer: Suraj Gupta