Goal
To disseminate knowledge and technologies and to
catalyse the process of outreach and adoption of
agricultural technologies as well as to establish
sustainable funding initiatives.
Purpose
The purpose is to develop a self sustaining KARI
seed unit system starting with a-few pilot Centers
which will provide breeder, pre-basic and basic
seed and planting materials to customers on cost
recovery basis.
Objectives
· To develop self sustaining seed unit system
in KARI
· To maintain pre-released and released parental
lines and stocks
· To multiply seed of breeder, pre-basic
and basic classes
· To link KSUs with the farmers by developing
local units referred to as Seed Industry Development
Units (SIDU). (The SIDUs are strategically placed
in areas where individual seed farmers with some
irrigation facilities produce seed for the local
farmers.)
· To assist farmer groups or individual farmers
to produce more seed for their own use and often
sell the surplus to the neighbors
Role of KEPHIS
This is the agency that regulates seed activities
and enforce Plant and Seed Varieties Act in Kenya.
KEPHIS roles include quality control thus they inspect
and certify seed and plant variety protection among
others.
Classes of seed and multiplication in Kenya
system
· These include breeder, pre-basic, basic
and certified classes
To multiply these classes, the following activities
were undertaken and are still on going:-
· Eradication of pathogens through thermotherapy
in root and tubercrops
· Maintenance and purification of pre-released/released
parental lines and/or stock. (173 varieties and
lines). Two acres of each cost about ksh 215,000.00
to maintain.
· Multiplication of breeder seed/stocks of
pre-released/released parental lines or stocks
· Multiplication of pre-basic seed/stock
class
· Basic seed multiplication
Delivery systems of KARI hybrid parents to
private sector
· After the hybrid parents are pre-released
or released, the respective centre maintains and
multiplies them upto basic seed class.
· This may be done in partnership with the
registered Seed Companies, which has entered into
agreement with KARI, either on exclusive or non-exclusive
basis.
· KARI's policy is to advertise the new parents
to all stakeholders and select those to multiply
the hybrids on competitive basis.
· This will increase competition among companies
and thus the farmers will be provided with high
quality certified seed by the best company.
October 1997 to December 2002: Beneficiaries
and Achievements
Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries are the 335,000 small-scale farmers
that grow OPVs that were not in their possession
before the beginning of the program. The distribution
is done by over 40 non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), community based organizations (CBOs); KARI
outreach and government seed projects that are operating
to reduce poverty; private nursery propagators;
several seed growing groups have closely collaborated
with KSUs through some NGOs such as ADSP Winrock
International, German Agro-Action, DANIDA, GTZ and
World Vision. Some are selling seed among themselves
in their SIDUs and also through stockists. The SIDUs
that are marketing KEPHIS certified OPV seed with
the support of Winrock under KSU License are 12
with 250 seed growers.
October 1997 to December 2002 Seed production
Achievements
· The total amount of certified seed (maize,
sorghum, pearl millet, beans, cowpea, green gram
and pigeon peas) produced by KSU include 457 tons
of breeder, pre-basic and basic seed (crops adapted
to semi-arid lowlands).
· KSU is assisting KARI breeders to maintain
inbred lines, populations and varieties in various
breeding.
· 2730 (50 kg) bags of pre-basic and basic
seed potato, 188,000 seedlings, 71- (50kg) of arabicum
and tuberose flower seed, 41,000 corms and 209,000
cormels, 143,000 flower stems from KSU Thika and
Tigoni, 150,440 cuttings of cassava, 44,202 vine
cuttings of sweet potato, Revenue is issued for
re-investment in the Units that generated the funds.
Procedures of variety maintenance and breeder
seed production in Kenya
1. After NPT, the breeder releases a new variety
or hybrid through the Minister for Agriculture
2. The breeder provides descriptors to KEPHIS on
the parents that have to be maintained if these
had not gone through DUS.
3. For maize or pure breeding variety parent, the
breeder starts a maintenance plot: This is done
together with KSU staff in ear to rows or pod to
row plots: this is called stage 1 by KEPHIS. KEPHIS
is involved during record taking. The cobs or plants
or pods are approved as true to type by all the
4. Stage 2: single plots of approximately 10m2.
The approved cobs are harvested and threshed. KEPHIS
is involved.
5. Stage 3: bulk plots of 1 to 20 acres. KEPHIS
inspects the seed fields and certifies seed and
seals this as breeder seed. They provide white labels
to the breeder.
6. Breeder seed can now be multiplied to pre-basic
and basic seed classes. This can also be used to
produce certified seed.
7. For cross-pollinated crops, single plots are
sown. This allows the high gene frequency to be
maintained in the population.
8. The bulk plots are sown to produce breeder seed
that is provided with white labels.
Please visit the Fresho Dealer Network for a list of prices and stockists.