Delivering New Technologies to the Tanzanian Sweetpotato Crop Through Its Informal Seed System

Abstract

Delivering new technologies to the Tanzanian sweetpotato crop through its informal seed systemThe concept of integrated seed sector development (ISSD) to-type. Tanzania has the second biggest production (3.0 x 10 6 MT) in Africa after Nigeria (3.4 x 10 6 MT). Sweetpotato is the third largest crop by weight (FAOSTAT 2014) and the Great Lakes region is a major area of production where, as throughout Africa, the crop is especially important to smallholders (Kapinga et al. 1995). There is a very long dry season there, crops being harvested as they reach maturity and to avoid loss through desiccation and weevil damage, so most farmers have no vines to plant when the rains come. Consequently, insufficient quality planting material at the start of the rainy season is a prime constraint on production there (Kapinga et al. 1995;Namanda et al. 2011) as in many African countries Gibson et al. 2009). In the informal seed system of sweetpotato, farmers with access to wetlands or land that can be irrigated and the 'skills, talent and gumption' Promoting such changes through interventions aimed at multipliers would require fewer resources, be self-maintaining and more sustainable than interventions aimed at sweetpotato farmers in general. It would also be consistent with the ISSD approach. The purpose of this paper is to describe the range and capacity of the informal sweetpotato seed system to supply vines sustainably to large numbers of farmers in Shinyanga and Meatu districts of the Lake Zone of Tanzania and then to document how the formal sector can supply improvements to it, using small demonstration trials to introduce improved technologies such as: fertilizer to boost vine production;  modern cultivars including OFSP;  RMT including more efficient irrigation.Furthermore, the paper assesses transporting vines from an area where they are easy to grow to sell them in Shinyanga and nearby markets. This longer-distance marketing is a strategy learnt from Uganda (Rachkara et al. 2015), can supplement vines from local multipliers' farms and provide a more comprehensive service. In documenting outcomes, this paper serves as one of the first evidence-based demonstrations that the ISSD approach can deliver improvements efficiently to the informal sector. In this case, delivery of the technologies was by members of a Tanzanian government agricultural research institute, the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI)-Ukiriguru, part of the Lake Zone Agricultural Research and Development Institute (LZARDI). The work is an outcome of many years of experiences by the authors and their institutes to develop a successful strategy for interacting with the sweetpotato vine supply system in order to achieve lasting improvements.

Innovative and beneficial informal sweetpotato seed private enterprise in northern Uganda

“…There has been considerable interest over the last few decades in using informal seed systems to disseminate formallybred varieties (Almekinders et al 1994;Almekinders and Louwaar 2008;Thiele 1999) including sweetpotato (Gibson 2013). It has been used successfully by components of our project in Tanzania (Lukonge et al 2015) and north-western Uganda (Obong et al 2017). It is a cost effective way by which modern varieties (including OFSP) can be spread in developing country conditions, especially now it is known that informal systems regularly distributed seed over ≥100 km radius.…”

Decentralised sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) vine multiplication in Lake Zone, Tanzania: Five years later

“…But, only a limited number of DVMs obtained replacement materials, and those that obtained new improved varieties received them through other projects. This points to the importance of DVMs being able to restock their clientele with planting material of preferred varieties and qualitywhich does require sustained linkages to sources of clean seed and new varieties (Jones et al 2001;Lukonge et al 2015). It is also important to have a better understanding of the role of the cash and moral economy in the life of householdsand how these are currently changing under influence of climate variations and market developments.…”

Seasonal Water Crises and Social Dilemmas in Semi-Arid Areas of the Lake Zone of Tanzania

“…Thus, use of water during the dry season is a pre-condition for seed availability at the onset of the rainy season. Multipliers are relying on underground water sources which are recharged seasonally by rain and floods (Lukonge et al, 2015).…”