How seed works.

Bentley, Jeffery W.; Mele, Paul Van; Reece, J. D.; Guéi, R. G.

doi:10.1079/9781845938437.0008

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…We found a correlation between income and purchasing seed: farmers with higher incomes were more likely to purchase seed than farmers with lower incomes (Figure 2D). This could be explained by the fact that farmers need to make a decision based on whether they will get a profit in return out of this investment (Bentley et al, 2011). Similar results were identified by Okello et al (2016) where asset endowment and level of food security were critical variables influencing the purchase of certified seed.…”

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confidence: 53%

Seed degeneration of potato in the tropical highlands of Ecuador

Navarrete¹

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. Seed degeneration of potato in the tropical highlands of Ecuador. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, The Netherlands, 234 pp.Potato seed degeneration is considered an important seed and yield limiting problem for farmers in Ecuador and other low-income countries. This problem is defined as the process of accumulation of pathogens and pests in/on the seed that occurs when farmers propagate their seed tubers (hereafter seeds) on-farm for successive cycles. The main causes of seed degeneration in Ecuador are Rhizoctonia (Rhizoctonia solani), the Andean weevil (Premnotrypes vorax), Potato virus X, Potato virus S, and purple top disease. The process of seed degeneration could be interacting with different conditions and factors under the farmers' context such as farmers' socioeconomic conditions, agroecological conditions, onfarm management practices, and potato varieties. This thesis aims to shed light on these interactions using information collected in the tropical highlands of Ecuador.This thesis began by focusing on purple top, a disease that is spreading in the potato production areas of Ecuador since 2012-2013. A literature review and an innovation history analysis were performed to identify lessons to manage purple top disease. The results showed that stakeholders implemented different initiatives to identify or confirm the causal agent(s), raise funding for research and communication, raise awareness and design management strategies. However, a better coordination and political lobby are necessary to manage this problem. Results showed that it is necessary to strengthen the coordination and communication between stakeholders, the design and implementation of interventions, the acquisition of funding, policies and regulations, and research and surveillance.Subsequently, this thesis focused on how seed degeneration occurs in experiments and farmers' fields under different agroecological conditions. For this objective, I analysed the information collected during a multi-annual experiment and farmers' seed surveys. The results showed that agroecological conditions influenced the presence of pathogens and pests causing seed degeneration. Results showed that agroecological conditions and the cycles of on-farm propagation influence the process of seed degeneration under experimental conditions, but not under farmers' conditions. Results suggest that potato seed degeneration is not the main yield limiting factor under farmers' conditions in the tropical highlands of Ecuador.Based on the previous findings, this thesis investigated the role of varieties, seed replacement and other local on-farm seed management practices in seed degeneration. The data of three independent farmers' surveys and a farmers' seed study are analysed. Results showed that there were 65 potato varieties and 36 on-farm management practices used or implemented by farmers. Results indicated that the type of variety (improved or native varieties) and the farmers' practices are influencing the process of potato seed degeneration. The seedHealth mo...

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confidence: 53%

Seed degeneration of potato in the tropical highlands of Ecuador

Navarrete¹

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“…2 d). This could be explained by the fact that farmers need to make a decision based on whether they will get a profit in return out of this investment (Bentley et al 2011 ). Similar results were identified by Okello et al ( 2016 ) where asset endowment and level of food security were critical variables influencing the purchase of certified seed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farmers Experiencing Potato Seed Degeneration Respond but Do Not Adjust Their Seed Replacement Strategies in Ecuador

et al. 2022

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In Ecuador, farmers poorly adopt practices to manage potato seed degeneration. This could be related to the deficient understanding of the farmers’ capacity to experience seed degeneration and respond to it. We contribute to this understanding by answering: How do farmers experience seed degeneration?; What practices do farmers implement when their seed is degenerated?; and Is experiencing degeneration the pivotal factor determining how farmers replace their seed regardless their income? We analysed data collected in Ecuador through farmers’ focus group discussions, farmers’ surveys and interviews, and the Ecuadorian employment status survey. We found that approximately half of the farmers experienced degeneration. Farmers experienced it through low yields, change in seed appearance, crop weakening, and seed physiological problems. When farmers experienced degeneration, they replaced their seed, sought for technical advice, applied more agricultural inputs, or grew other crops. Income was an important trigger for farmers to change their seed replacement practices.

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“…By this arrangement, farmers avoided the labor and logistic complications of harvesting and storing large amounts of perishable planting materials. Trust-based relationships between farmers and seed traders are critical in both formal and informal seed networks (Lyon, 2000;Bentley et al, 2011), and merit further study in Southeast Asian cassava systems.…”

Section: High-intensity Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Raising the Stakes: Cassava Seed Networks at Multiple Scales in Cambodia and Vietnam

Delaquis

Andersen

Minato

et al. 2018

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Cassava is one of the most important annual crops in Southeast Asia, and faces increasing seed borne pest and disease pressures. Despite this, cassava seed systems have received scant research attention. In a first analysis of Vietnamese and Cambodian cassava seed systems, we characterized existing cassava seed systems in 2016-2017 through a farmer survey based approach at both national and community scales, with particular focus on identifying seed system actors, planting material management, exchange mechanisms, geographies, and variety use, and performed a network analysis of detected seed movement at the provincial level. Despite their status as self-organized "informal" networks, the cassava seed systems used by farmers in Vietnam and Cambodia are complex, connected over multiple scales, and include links between geographically distant sites. Cassava planting material was exchanged through farmer seed systems, in which re-use of farm-saved supply and community-level exchanges dominated. At the national level, use of self-saved seed occurred in 47 and 64% of seed use cases in Cambodia and Vietnam, respectively. Movement within communes was prevalent, with 82 and 78% of seed provided to others being exchanged between family and acquaintances within the commune in Cambodia and Vietnam, respectively. Yet, meaningful proportions of seed flows, mediated mostly by traders, also formed inter-provincial and international exchange networks, with 20% of Cambodia's seed acquisitions imported from abroad, especially neighboring Vietnam and Thailand. Dedicated seed traders and local cassava collection points played important roles in the planting material distribution network at particular sites. Sales of planting material were important means of both acquiring and providing seed in both countries, and commercial sale was more prevalent in high-intensity than in low-intensity production sites. Considerable variability existed in local seed networks, depending on the intensity of production and integration with trader networks. Adapted innovations are needed to Delaquis et al. Cassava Seed-Vietnam and Cambodia upgrade cassava seed systems in the face of emerging pests and diseases, taking into account and building on the strengths of the existing systems; including their social nature and ability to quickly and efficiently distribute planting materials at the regional level.

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How seed works.

Cited by 8 publications

References 45 publications

Seed degeneration of potato in the tropical highlands of Ecuador

Seed degeneration of potato in the tropical highlands of Ecuador

Farmers Experiencing Potato Seed Degeneration Respond but Do Not Adjust Their Seed Replacement Strategies in Ecuador

Raising the Stakes: Cassava Seed Networks at Multiple Scales in Cambodia and Vietnam

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