Health of farmer-saved maize seed in north-east Nigeria

Biemond, P.C.; Oguntade, O.; Stomph, T.J.; Kumar, Pradeep; Termorshuizen, Aad J.; Struik, P.C.

doi:10.1007/s10658-013-0269-5

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Biemond et al [22] for example found that farmer-produced cowpeas seed samples had lower infection frequencies of seed-and soil-borne pathogens than seed-certified and foundation seed samples. In a follow-up study on maize, Biemond et al [41] found that farmer-produced seed samples were heavily infected with a range of seed-and soil-borne pathogens, although control samples produced by a public institution were also heavily infected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do smallholder farmer-led seed systems have the capacity to supply good-quality, fungal-free sorghum seed?

Kusena

Mujaju

2017

Agric & Food Secur

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Local seed systems that are developed, managed and maintained by farmers are a fundamental practice in smallholder crop production, supporting more than 80% of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and feeding more than 70% of its population. The resilience of such systems is under threat from poverty, climate change, drought, increased pests and diseases, over-promotion of modern crop varieties, change of lifestyles and restrictive seed policies. The system continues to be maligned as having inferior quality, yet few studies support this assertion. This study aims to fill this research gap by evaluating 60 sorghum seed samples collected from smallholder farmers in Uzumba-MarambaPfungwe and Chimanimani districts of Zimbabwe. We investigated the effect of farmer-led seed management practices (e.g. seed acquisition and seed storage practices) on farm-derived sorghum seed quality (moisture, germination and fungal incidences). We found farmers using diverse seed sources and seed storage practices. Seeds were typically of good quality in that their storage moisture content was low, their germination was high, and fungal incidences were low. Seed sourced from local markets, non-governmental organizations and other farmers had germination and moisture standards that met the sorghum certification standards in Zimbabwe. However, few samples obtained from the relatives and government failed to meet the germination and/or moisture certification standards. We detected low incidences of fungi (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium sp. and Penicillium sp.) in sorghum seed samples tested and in particular Fusarium sp., which is the most economic important fungus in sorghum production. We conclude that farmer-led seed systems have the capacity to supply seeds of good quality and recommend that such systems should be recognized and promoted to meet the ever-evolving needs of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do smallholder farmer-led seed systems have the capacity to supply good-quality, fungal-free sorghum seed?

Kusena

Mujaju

2017

Agric & Food Secur

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“… Bishaw et al (2012) found that the physical purity and germination rates of recycled wheat and barley seed in Ethiopia and Syria were not significantly different from that of certified seed. Similarly, Biemond et al (2013) found that Nigerian farmers' recycled seed was of poor quality but not more so than the seed being produced by public institutes such that neither passed the National Agriculture Seed Council's standards for certified seed. Deu et al (2014) have found that with proper training in seed production, farmers are generally able to maintain the phenotype of their varieties and minimize off-type plants.…”

Section: Seed Industry Indicators and Applications To Selected Asian mentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards better metrics and policymaking for seed system development: Insights from Asia's seed industry

Spielman

Kennedy

2016

Agricultural Systems

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Since the 1980s, many developing countries have introduced policies to promote seed industry growth and improve the delivery of modern science to farmers, often with a long-term goal of increasing agricultural productivity in smallholder farming systems. Public, private, and civil society actors involved in shaping policy designs have, in turn, developed competing narratives around how best to build an innovative and sustainable seed system, each with varying goals, values, and levels of influence. Efforts to strike a balance between these narratives have often played out in passionate discourses surrounding seed rules and regulations. As a result, however, policymakers in many countries have expressed impatience with the slow progress on enhancing the contribution of a modern seed industry to the overarching goal of increasing agricultural productivity growth. One reason for this slow progress may be that policymakers are insufficiently cognizant of the trade-offs associated with rules and regulations required to effectively govern a modern seed industry. This suggests the need for new data and analysis to improve the understanding of how seed systems function. This paper explores these issues in the context of Asia's rapidly growing seed industry, with illustrations from seed markets for maize and several other crops, to highlight current gaps in the metrics used to analyze performance, competition, and innovation. The paper provides a finite set of indicators to inform policymaking on seed system design and monitoring, and explores how these indicators can be used to inform current policy debates in the region.

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“…In another study, Nelson et al (1970) compared pathogenicity among H. maydis isolates from Africa, South America, Europe, and the USA, including three isolates native to Nigeria. In both studies, the B. maydis isolates native to Nigeria were described to have the characteristics of Race T. A more recent study revealed that 45% of tested farmers' seeds in Nigeria harbored the pathogen (Biemond et al (2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A detached leaf assay to rapidly screen for resistance of maize to Bipolaris maydis, the causal agent of southern corn leaf blight

et al. 2019

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Southern corn leaf blight (SCLB), caused by the fungus Bipolaris maydis, is a disease that significantly affects maize productivity across the globe. A detached leaf assay (DLA) was developed to rapidly assess maize resistance to SCLB. Several experiments were conducted to: (i) identify a highly virulent B. maydis isolate; and to determine the most appropriate (ii) phytohormone to maintain viability of maize leaf tissue, (iii) leaf age for the assay, and (iv) inoculum concentration. Once optimized, the DLA was compared with screenhouse and field experiments. Use of DLA required a maximum of 28 days for resistance assessment, in contrast to screenhouse and field tests at a minimum of 33 and 72 days, respectively. DLA positively correlated with screenhouse (r = 0.48, P = 0.08) and field experiments (r = 0.68, P = 0.008). Assessments of diverse B. maydis strains and host genotypes indicated that the DLA could be used to detect both highly virulent SCLB strains and highly resistant maize genotypes. Here we report that DLA is a rapid, reliable technique to screen maize resistance to SCLB. Use of this tool in maize breeding programs can speed up the process of identification of sources of resistance to multiple variants of SCLB.

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Health of farmer-saved maize seed in north-east Nigeria

Cited by 13 publications

References 17 publications

Do smallholder farmer-led seed systems have the capacity to supply good-quality, fungal-free sorghum seed?

Do smallholder farmer-led seed systems have the capacity to supply good-quality, fungal-free sorghum seed?

Towards better metrics and policymaking for seed system development: Insights from Asia's seed industry

A detached leaf assay to rapidly screen for resistance of maize to Bipolaris maydis, the causal agent of southern corn leaf blight

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