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Collation and curation of information regarding germplasm conserved by farmers in India

Community

Kalsubai Parisar Biyanee Samvardhan Samajik Sanstha, Akole, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra

    Which crops ?
  • Focus crops: Rice, Hyacinth bean, Finger millet, Little millet and local vegetables
  • Size of the community seed banks in terms of number of crops and varieties conserved ?
    1. Crops: 40 crops
    2. Varieties: 95 accessions
    3. Germplasm accessions of cereals, pulses, vegetables, oilseeds, spices etc. are collected along with their base line information and conservation is carried out by establishing in situ conservation centers and kitchen gardens etc.
    4. Seed bank has 95 accessions of 40 crops(Majorly Rice-13, Horse gram-4, Cowpea-5, Hyacinth bean-18 and other pulses, oil seeds and local vegetables)
    5. Conservation of all these crop cultivars in 10 in-situ conservation centers in 20 villages and through Kitchen Gardens.
Community seed gene bank
Main activities
  1. Germplasm collection and conservation of collected germplasm by establishing in situ conservation centers.
  2. Participatory varietal selection and community level seed production of worthy crop cultivars.
  3. Marketing of seeds of Rice, Hyacinth bean and local vegetables.
  4. Capacity building for seed production, storage and organic input production
When seed production has started ?

Seed production has started in June 2016 with worthy crop cultivars of Rice, Hyacinth bean, Little millet, Horse gram, Green gram etc.

Number of active members involved in the CSB (women/men) ?
  • Men : 250
  • Women : 2000
  • Total : 2250
Number of active members involved in seed production (women / men)?
  • Men : 45
  • Women: 460
  • Total : 615
Farmers in their respective field
Farmers in their respective field
Farmers in their respective field
Farmers in their respective field
Parisar Biyane Samvardhan Samajik Sanstha , Akole A/p; Khirvire, Akole taluk, Ahmednagar district Registration no. 331/2017
What was the motivation to start seed production ?
  • Initially through BAIF programme, in-situ conservation centers for collected germplasm of Rice, Hyacinth bean cultivars were established at 5 locations and purification of those germplasm accessions was started with active involvement of farmers.
  • Through field visits of knowledgeable farmers including women, old age persons unique crop cultivars were identified for promotion through participatory varietal selection.
  • All these generated greater interest in farmers for selection of crop cultivars in the field itself at maturity stage. As women are custodians of Agro-biodiversity, Akole block whole programme was led by women seed savers.
Variety wise Specific Traits
SN. Crop Name of landrace Specific Traits
1 Hyacinth Bean (Wal)
Kaduwal Growth period 7-8 months, short height, bushy, season-rabi, grows on residual soil moisture, resistant to pests and diseases, water stress tolerant, round shaped seed, good market value
God Wal Growth period 5-6 months, bushy, short height, grows well in shallow soil, pest and disease resistant, good for dal preparation
Gavati Ghevda Climber type, perennial landraces(3-4 years), pod yield- 30-40 kg/plant in season, good market value, water stress tolerant
Butka Ghevda Perennial, 25-30 kg/plant/year, bush type, pods are small and bold, grain dried and used in food scarcity period in tribal areas, good storage value, good market value
Lal Ghevda Perennial, grain color- blackish purple, used for dal purpose, good keeping quality, pods for short bold, grows on residual moisture
Sharavan Ghevda Early maturity, season-kharif, short height, bushy, grows well in shallow soil, immature pods used as vegetable purpose, good yielding, long pod
Patadya Ghevda Patadya means more width of pod, young pods used as fresh vegetable, dried seed grains used for curry and also eaten after boiling, perennial (at least 3 years), cultivated in upland, pest and disease resistant, yield about 60-70 kg per plant
VatanaGhevda Pod size is small, seeds are as like green pea, good taste, used as fresh vegetable, dried grains for curry preparation, perennial (at least 3 years),cultivated in dry and upland area, yield-20-25 kg per plant
Val Ghevda Perennial, outer kernel is thick, used as fresh vegetable, curry, dal preparation, dry upland land type
2 Black Gram(Udid)
Udadi Dark black colored seeds, small grain size, dry upland, low water requirement, tasty and nutritious, yield- 2-3 quintal/acre
Udid Bigger grain size compared to udadi, used for dal, papad, plant height-1 to 1.5 ft, dry upland, grain yield-3-3.5 quintal/acre, crop period-4 months
3 Cow pea(Chavali)
GarviChavali Late maturing, reddish colored grains, crop period-8 months
Halki Chavali White colored grains, large pod size, good storage life, maturity period-4 months
4 Niger(Khurasani) GavatiKhusani Dry upland, oil used for facture recovery, pest and disease resistant oil used for daily cooking, cultivated on farm bunds, cake used as feed to animals, grain yield-2-3 quintal/acre
5 Ground Nut
Khandwa Growth period - 3-4 months,nut size is bigger, grain color is deep pink, cultivated in dry upland, grows well in shallow soil, grows in upward direction, more oil percent
Ghungrya-Early Early maturity (3 months and 15 days), mature nuts sounds well, small nut size, seeds are small, seed color-white, highest market value, good for taste
Ghungrya-Late Late maturing (4 months), reddish colored grains, good for oil purpose, nut size-big, seed size-bold
GavatiPundya Late maturity (4 months), spreading habit, less oily, good for direct consumption
6 Paddy
Kolpi(Early) Growth period 90-100 days, tall, short fine rice, good for fodder yield and fodder quality, grows well in shallow soil, lodging landrace, non scented
Kolpi(Late) Growth period 110-120 days, tall,medium fine rice,non-scented,grows well in shallow soil,good fodder quality,good market value
AmbeMohor Growth period 110-120 days, scented, short fine rice, responds well on organic inputs, medium yielding, high market value
Manur Growth period 90-100 days, short panicle, scented, tall growing, good fodder quality, small fine rice
Raibhog Growth period 110-120 days, tall, long fine rice, scented, grows well in shallow soil, good fodder quality, good market value, seed color -brownish
Kalbhat Growth period 100-110 days, scented, stickiness, long and medium bold, seed color- blackish violet, good market value, long panicle
Dhavul Growth period 90-100 days, seed color-red, grain color-short panicle, scented, tall growing, good fodder quality, small fine rice
7 Finger Millet
Nachani (Early) Red Growth period - 3.5 months, panicle is close shape, grain color-red, medium height, grows well in shallow and sloppy land, dwarf landrace
Nachnai (Early) white Growth period - 3.5 months, panicle is close shape, grain color-white, medium height, grows well in shallow and sloppy land, dwarf landrace
Nachani (Late) Red Growth period - 4-4.5 months, panicle is open, medium tall, grain color-red
8 Green Pea
Kala Vatana Growth period - 3.5-4 months, rabi, grain size-small, round shape, grain color-blackish, dwarf, grows well on residual moisture, small pods
Gavati Safed Vatana Growth period - 3.5 months, rabbi. grain size-small, round shape, small pods, grain color-white, grows on shallow and poor soil
9 Horse Gram
Lal Hulga Growth period - 4 months, kharif season, grain color-light red, good taste, end use- vada, spicy jelabi, sprouts as vegetable, shallow soil, Rainfed crop
Safed Hulga (Early) Growth period - 3.5 months, kharif season, grain color white, medium light soil, Rainfed crop
Gabra Hulga Growth period - 3.5 months, grain-bold, kharif season, grain color-light black, medium light soil, Rainfed crop
Seed storage
Seed storage
Seed storage
Seed storage
Seed storage
Seed storage
Seed storage
Seed storage
Seed storage
Innovative method of Seeds
SN. Innovative method Details
1 Seed treatment & seed dressing methods Salt-water treatment, bio-fertilizer use, cow urine, bijamrut treatment
2 Nursery raising Raised bed method for paddy seedling, vegetable nursery
3 Soil fertility management Practices Green leaf manure, jeevamrut, biomass recycling
4 Pest and disease management techniques Garlic-chilli-ginger extract, yellow sticky trap, rope method, neem leaf extract, dasparni extract
5 Organic input production Techniques Vermi-composting, bio dynamic composting, vermiwash technique, neem based pest repellents
6 Vermi briquette use Prepared from fine quality vermicompost and use in paddy, vegetables as source of nutrition
7 SRI method of paddy cultivation Yield improvement in paddy by using 14 days seedling, maintaining spacing, use of green manure
8 SRT method of paddy cultivation Direct seed sowing method, use of raised bed
9 Seed storage techniques Balad, hanging, earthen pots, kangi
10 Hyacinth bean cultivation Vertical support method for cultivation, maintaining spacing
11 Ridge & Furrow Method for Finger Millet & Little Millet Maintaining spacing between seedlings and cultivation across slope by ridge & furrow
12 Conservation of vegetable diversity Established kitchen gardens at village level for conservation and use

Source seed

Source seeds were supplied to seed producer farmers through Kalsubai Biyane Savardhan Samajik Sanstha and then quality seed production was started at community level for rice, hyacinth bean, gram, pea and other crops.

Technical support

BAIF development research foundation is supporting quality seed production through field trainings and field visits of experts to conservation centers. Seed plots helpful for maintaining purity of crop cultivars under seed production.

Was training received? By whom, when and how? What was the result?
  1. Field trainings on seed production, pest and disease management, soil health management, participatory varietal selection etc.
  2. BAIF technical experts conduct these trainings at Field locations as per need.

Cost of production has reduced due to use of organic inputs, quality seeds stored at village level, soil health Improvement.

How is quality control done?

Quality control is being done in seed production through field visits during crop maturity stage, harvesting stage and cleaning stage. Seed germination testing and physical purity done at seed bank level, seed saver committee visits to seed plots at differ crop stages and ensures quality. Seeds produced were not labeled and branded but information brochure about each crop cultivar was supplied along with seeds. These are non-certified by any government authorities, but seed saver committee certifies itself as self-certified.

How is the marketing process organized?

Kalsubai Sanstha is involved in seed production with selected farmers under close monitoring of seed saver committee members. At harvest, seed samples are taken from seed producer farmers, after checking seed germination and physical seed is procured, cleaned and stored in decentralized manner at village level in grain pro bags. Before the onset of sowing season, seed melas are organized for sale of seeds at village level; also seed material is kept for sale at seed banks and BAIF centers.

How is the price determined?

Seed procurement and sale is determined by Kalsubai Sanstha based on Cost of production, marketing and promotion, transportation expenses etc.

Is the seed production activity/group linked to other seed production groups, private companies and national or international agricultural organizations?

Kalsubai Biyaane Savardhan Samajik Sanstha (Akole) is linked with seed savers groups in Jawhar (Palghar), Junner (Pune), Dhadgaon (Nandurbar) and Etapalli (Gadchiroli) for sharing of germplasm within groups.

Kalsubai sanstha supplies vegetable seeds, hyacinth bean, and residual moisture pulses crop cultivars to these groups. Kalsubai sanstha receives maize, sorghum, tuber cultivars from these groups for promotion.

  1. Through community seed banks, up scaling of selected crop landraces which are good yielding and pest and disease resistant but others which are not useful now but need of future from climate change and nutritional aspects, need to be kept under on-farm conservation; and it is a challenging task. So, for maintaining collected germplasm, in-situ centers are established every year at different locations by seed saver committee so that all the germplasm will be maintained in live form. Also, one set of all accessions is deposited to ex-situ gene bank at BAIF Central research station so that as per need it can be taken in case of any adverse condition.
  2. Another major concern is the fact that farmers of the region would like to change the varieties they are growing every 2-3 growing season or so. This results in uncertain availability of seeds and disappearing landraces. Seed banks may provide a respite in that tendency as often farmers have not lost interest in these crops and would like to go back to them. Those factors raise several major concerns: first one is regarding seed storage without disturbing seed viability, especially for crops such as paddy, hyacinth bean and pulses for which seed germination percentage drops dramatically after 2 years. However, in the backdrop of changing climate, shifting and uncertain monsoon-patterns, increased occurrences of both biotic and abiotic stresses (such as drought) and other adverse environmental factors, such forms of on-farm conservation without implementing proper risk- management mechanisms are potentially vulnerable. At BAIF center experimentation is initiated for medium term storage of seed materials as a backup at community level by use of portable seed storage unit (Temperature 150c and 40% Humidity) in collaboration with IIT Mumbai.
  1. Kalsubai Parisar Biyane Savardhan Samijik sSanstha is working in 20 tribal villages in Akole block of Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra for conservation and promotion of indigenous crop cultivars.
  2. Three seed banks have 95 acceesions of 40 crops (majorly Rice 13, Horse gram-04, Cow pea-5, Hyacinth bean -18 and other pulses, oil seeds and local vegetables.
  3. Data base of all collected germplasm covering location details, specific information and ITK is maintained in accession register.
  4. Documentation of traditional agriculture practices, agriculture implements, pest and disease management practices and traditional food recipes, festivals of agro-biodiversity and traditional seed and grain storage methods
  5. Prepared inventory of wild food resources (65), about its habitat, edible parts, method of preparation, preservation methods, present status, and medicinal importance
  6. Morphological characterization of 13 Rice, 18 Hyacinth bean crop cultivars.
  7. Promotion of different crop cultivation practices like SRI method in Rice, Ridge and furrow method in millet crops, line sowing practice in pulses and organic input production techniques.
  8. Promotion of indigenous crop cultivars of vegetable crops through nutrition gardens in which 10000 families are benefited.

Both men and women farmers are benefited through these programme. Profit generated is used in establishment of in-situ conservation center for conserving underutilized crop cultivars, organizing awareness programmes, exposure visits of farmers to seed conservation and production centers and in developing seed storage facilities.

  1. Women seed savers are now involved in production of Kitchen garden kits containing 20 different vegetables.
  2. Both men and women are benefited and have received recognitions for their contribution for conservation and management of crop cultivar diversity
Who has benefited (women/men, youth)? What has been done with the profit
SN. Name of Recognition/Reward Year Name of theawardee
1 Narishakti award (2018) by Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India from President of India. April-19 Srimati RahibaiPopere
2 Felicitation by Honorable Governor of Himachal Pradesh during National Seed Conference 2019 Kalusbai Parisar biyane Group, Akole
3 VasundharaKirloskar Award 2018 Srimati Raibai Popere
4 Felicitation by Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Maharashtra at Jalna, Maharashtra 2018 Kalsubai Parisar Biyane Savardhan Samajik Sanstha
5 BAIF's Innovative Farmer Award Aug 2016 Srimati Mamtabai Bhangre
6 BAIF's Innovative Farmer Award Aug 2017 Srimati Rahibai Popere
7 SRISTI SANMAN Award 2017 by SRISTI, Honey bee Network and NIF, Ahmedabad 2017 Srimati Rahibai Popere

Kalsubai Biyane Savardhan Sanstha, Akole has participated in different events/workshops/trainings and shared crop cultivars of rice, hyacinth bean, millets, and vegetables. Exposure visits of farmers, students, NGOs to seed bank and in-situ conservation and demonstration centers reached up to more than 3500 farmers, students, NGO representatives etc.

What are the prospects for the future?
  1. Demand for vegetable seeds for kitchen gardens and terrace gardens is increasing, so strengthening women led enterprise for production and marketing vegetable seeds should be promoted.
  2. Developing value added products from rice, fingermillet, and hyacinth bean.
  3. Establishing semi processing facilities for rice, millets and hyacinth bean.
  4. Quality seed production and large-scale promotion of rice, finger millet and hyacinth bean crop cultivars.
  5. Organizing field training on organic input production, community level seed production.
  6. Organizing Seed exhibitions in the region for promotion of worthy crop landraces.
  7. Organizing food festivals in cities like Mumbai, Pune,Nashik for market promotion of indigenous produce.
  8. Participation in exhibitions and festivals for sale of produce.
  9. Product development from indigenous crop produces as per its unique traits.

Source By :BAIF