Frontier farmers and power of seeds to rescue agriculture

A shortfall in rice production due to problems of procuring and timely distribution of inorganic fertilisers has been talked about during the past two cultivation seasons. A similar scenario is expected this Maha season too with an anticipated 30 per cent yield decline. Although the FAO and other international agencies are expected to fund the Yala 2023 season’s rice fertiliser requirements, the country will continue to feel food insecurity in the long run. Hardly anyone has expressed much about the impact of fertiliser shortage on other crops in the Sri Lankan food basket. The question is, when will food security be restored wholistically in this country by making available all the fertilisers for all the fertiliser-responsive crops? Are there any alternative technologies available to alleviate or minimise dependence?

The mind impression one gets when discussing imported inorganic fertilisers is the granular form of chemicals applied to the soil to boost crop yields. Seldom it is realised that the majority of nutrients a crop needs is supplied naturally to plants by the growing environment itself. The “living soil” with trillions of micro-organisms, dung and droppings of animals, earthworms, decaying plant matter itself and thunder from the clouds contribute more to plant growth than externally applied fertilisers.

Cropping with “living soil” is the technology some people prefer to call “old world technology” which conforms to sustainable farming practices. The output is free of toxins and could be fed straight to even babies. However, the yield levels will not suffice to feed the expanding populations worldwide or to provide sufficient incomes to farmers themselves. The “new world technology” uses sorts of chemical inputs in crop yield enhancement and preservation, some harming both the consumer and the environment.

A middle path therefore, needs innovations to increase yields sustainably, caring for public health and the environment to meet local needs and the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goal committments by 2030.

The following is a simple, middle path technology with minimal impact on the environment but is capable of economically sustaining the farmer and caring for the consumer as well. Per season, it has trillion rupee pay back potential to the country and entrepreneurs.

The Power of Seeds

The secret is in the “Power” of young and vigorous seeds. They are fresh,

plump, healthy and have plenty of food reserves. When sown, they germinate rapidly and the roots scour the growing environment going deep down and laterally for water and nutrients faster than poor quality seeds. They establish superiority by rapid growth, robustness, faster blooming and enhanced grain/crop production. Compared to ordinary seeds, such quality-certified seeds display 20-25 percent yield increments regardless of whether externally applied fertilisers are available or not with sheer power of the seeds. Environmental stress factors are also better withstood by strong seeds. Sum total of these capabilities is termed, seed vigour.

A local success story using seed vigour and its capabilities in rice is given below.

The Department of Agriculture (DoA) launched a special rice seed production project called the Basic Seed Project between the years 2000 and 2005 using Treasury funds. Nine thousand enthusiastic farmers in irrigated areas in the country were selected and trained on rice seed production and quality improvement protocols. High quality basic rice seeds were given to them to produce second generation certified rice seeds using some amount of available fertiliser only. Fully subsidised fertiliser scheme came into operation only after the project was terminated. The project output; vigourous, certified-quality rice seed availablity for general farming increased from 5 percent to 17.5 percent of extent sown between 2000 and 2005 creating eye-pleasing table-top rice field landscapes throughout the country, and culminated with the historical record-breaking yield level of 4.1Mt/ha in 2005. Paddy production increased by approximately one million metric tons that year which led to the government declaration that the country had achieved rice self-sufficiency for the first time since the time of the Great Kings. Rice imports were restricted and allowed only for Basmati types.

Special emphasis is needed here on the fact that self-sufficiency was achieved prior to the full fertiliser subsidy programme by the state. Thus, the take-home is: fully subsidised fertiliser is unnecessary for rice when high coverage of extent sown with certified seed is achieved. In the corollary, the power of seeds circumvents the need for full doses of inorganic fertilisers. The technology saves dollars and minimises environment pollution.

Afore said technology package was a composite of improved rice genes coupled to seed extension programming.

Lessons learned and way forward: Frontier Farmers as Quality Seed Entrepreneurs

Eighteen years later, given the shortfall of dollars for importing the full complement of fertilisers, it is suggested that a special programme focused on improving the quality and quantity of certified seeds available to farmers in all crops be launched immediately. It should be aimed at the fresh young minds of farming families or second/third generation of landowner farmers in irrigable areas to realise own aspirations for the country and themselves. These younger farmers would be the Frontier Farmers coaxed by field officers of the central and provincial Departments of Agriculture and should be given the opportunity to become skilled entrepreneurs in the seed sector.

Frontier Farmers should be given short training on quality seed production, crop care, product processing, storage, seed business orientation and management. Basic seeds should be provided by the central DoA and companies involved in crop improvement to the trainees to commence seed production operations as soon as possible. Frontier Farmers should be eligible to receive the full complement of fertiliser for production of highly vigourous seeds to be distributed to farmers.

Technical expertise in seed quality assurance and infrastructure for international level laboratory verification and seed labelling are available in the Seed Certification Service (SCS) of the DoA. Its services are available island-wide for the industry to

utilise. Machine processing of seeds is mandatory to ensure highest quality, and the DoA has a network of sophisticated machines open for utilisation by private seed producers in locations where private machines are scarce. Machine processed seeds are heavy and free of weed seeds which help the farmer to minimise weed management costs.

The government, if committed to implementation of the proposed programme has only to provide technical personnel and operational means possibly from a donor to assist the key organisations, public and private, to kick-start and lead it as a project of the Ministry of Agriculture. However, special consideration is necessary to promote quality seed usage in all crops in a situation where the farmer is confronted with severe price escalations of operational and input costs. Certified seed market should be self-sustaining and stable after an initial promotional thrust to overcome the prevailing uneasiness in the agricultural sector.

Our fertiliser-concerned mindset could somewhat relax that locally proven technologies are available for low inorganic fertiliser regimes of farmers in general. The technology should be a challenge, especially for uptake by the enterprising young people of this country.

To re-emphasise seed quality, let me quote:

“According to the seed sown will be the harvest”.

Sarath L. Weerasena Ph D (Cornell)

Former Director General of Agriculture