Ally, H.

Babu, A.

Chang’a, E.

Delaquis, Erik

Gwandu, F.

Mlay, D.

Ngomuo, R.

Nkwabi, J.

Ogero, K.

CGSpace

Sweetpotato seed tracing in GeitaRegion, TanzaniaRTB Seed System Toolbox Course: 25, 27, 28 Oct 2021Kwame Ogero, Deusdedit Mlay, James Nkwabi, Hadija Ally, Francisca Gwandu, Erick Chang’a, Robert Ngomuo, Adventina Babu and E. DelaquisResearch problem• Seed systems & genetic gains at farm level:• Access to quality seed of improved varieties• Higher variety turnover • Increased productivity• Roots, tubers and bananas (RTBs) seed systems largely informal:• Easily propagated through vegetative parts• Vegetative seed is bulky, perishable, and prone to carrying pests and pathogensA farmer carrying sweetpotato vines in a ‘leso’in Bunda district. Tanzania. Credit: K. Ogero.Research problem• Vegetative nature of RTB seed makes recycling easy leading to:• Accumulation of pathogens within the plant.• Challenge to establishing sustainable seed systems• It is easy for farmers to share RTB seed• Improving RTB seed systems requires characterization of current patterns, behaviors and values associated with exchange of seed.Healthy (top) and virus-infected (bottom) sweetpotato vine. Tanzania. Credit: K. Ogero.Background• We assessed patterns around acquisition and sharing of seed in two districts in Geita Region, Lake Zone, Tanzania• The Lake Zone leads in sweetpotato production• Yellow- and white-fleshed varieties dominate• Increasing appreciation of orange-fleshed varieties• Mostly grown by smallholders on less than 1 ha for subsistence purposes• Majority of growers are women: household food security• Men dominate in more commercial areas• Constraints included low adoption of clean seed and improved varieties. WHY?Background• > 95% of seed flows are farmer-based: own fields & neighbors• Unimodal rainfall areas: low availability of seed at start of rains, but higher willingness to pay (WTP)• Bimodal rainfall areas: all year availability of seed; but accumulation of diseases & pests. Lower WTP.Clean vine cuttings. Tanzania. Credit: K. Ogero.Traditional vine multipliers in Bunda district. Tanzania. Credit: K. Ogero.Objectives1. Understand how sweetpotato seed of released varieties and landraces is shared among different types of farmers in the Lake Zone, Tanzania.1. Assess the linkages between “formal” and “informal” seed actors and how they could be strengthened to accelerate dissemination of new varieties and quality seed.• i.e. who shares with whom and under what conditions/what type of transactions, and why this is importantResearch questionsi. How does seed of improved varieties and landraces diffuse through farmer-to-farmer transactions?ii. Are there differences in access and sharing of sweetpotato seed among male and female farmers?a. Relationship between provider & recipientb. Information shared (variety, quality, quantity …) and mode (face-to-face, cell phone, other)iii. What modes of transaction dominate farmer-farmer dissemination of sweetpotato seed?a. Transaction types (cash, gift, barter, farmer-to-farmer exchange …)b. Volumesc. FrequencyCan a largely informal seed system provide smallholder farmers with improved varieties generated by formal breeding programs?Method• We used the Seed Tracing tool which uses a survey to describe the links between actors of a seed system(Kilwinger, F.B.M. and Buddenhagen, C.E. 2021. Description sheet to seed tracing. Lima (Peru). CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB). Available online at: www.rtb.cgiar.org) to map seed flows in the study area.• Snowball sampling was used. The first respondents were purposively selected with the help of extension officers and interviewed. This was followed by interviewing either all or an unbiased sample of their connections.• Adapted a questionnaire from Delaquis et al. 2016. Method• 158 farmers in two districts were interviewed as follows:• Aged between 19 to 75 years old• Interviews were held either at home, community meeting area or the field.• 10 villages were covered in the two districtsDistrict Female Male TotalBukombe 40 44 84Geita DC 54 20 74Total 94 64 158Method• SPSS was used to analyze the frequencies of answers to identify differences and trends in :• Seed acquisition & provision• Seed recycling• Mode of transaction• Information sharing• A social network analysis was conducted using R to map the seed flows i.e. where seed came from and where it went, and therefore identify the key nodes in the system.Results (1): Sourcing of seedThe sources from where female (n=94) and male farmers (n=64) acquired seed for planting• Seed was mostly sourced from close social networks• Those who had accessed seed from TARI were seed producers• 79% of male farmers and 64% female said they would use the same seed in the next season49462526425327010203040506070Friend, neighborand relativeSeed producer GovernmentresearchorganizationOwn/reservedseed stock% of  farmers using sourceFemale Male*More than one source possible per farmerResults (2): Mode of transaction and sourcingThe link between mode of transaction and source disaggregated into male (211) and female (n=359)• Gifting dominated acquisition of seed from close relations• Almost equal number of cash transactions and gifting of seed obtained from seed producers by female farmers• Male farmers had more cash-based acquisition of vines from seed producers• 79% of male farmers and 64% female said they would use the same seed in the next seasonSex and sourceFemale MaleMode of transactionFriend, neighbor & relativeSeed producerGovt. researchFriend, neighbor & relativeSeed producerGovt. researchBarter 5(2%) 2(2%) 0 0 0 0Gift 152(70%) 63(48%) 12(100%) 120(83%) 14(28%) 16(100%)Buy 60(28%) 65(50%) 0 25(17%) 36(72%) 0Total 217(100%) 130(100%) 12(100%) 145(100%) 50(100%) 16(100%)• Seed was mostly shared with friends, neighbors and family• Indicates that most sweetpotato is shared within communities95509361020406080100Friend, neighborand RelativeUnknown  farmer Governmentextension agency%Female MaleResults (3): Sharing of seedCategories of female (n=93) and male (n=86) seed recipientsResults (4): Mode of transaction and sharing of seedThe link between mode of transaction and seed sharing disaggregated into transactions of female (n=337) and of male (n=439) respondents Gender and type of seed recipientFemale MaleMode of transactionFriend, neighbor & relativeUnknown farmerGovt ext.Friend, neighbor & relativeUnknown farmerGovt ext.Barter 29(9%) 0 0 - 0 0Gift 203(63%) 10(67%) 0 114(28%) 0 0Sell 90(28%) 5(33%) 0 294(72%) 27(100%) 4(100%)Total 322 (100%) 15(100%) 0 408(100%) 27(100%) 4(100%)• Most of seed shared by female respondents was as gifts, even to unknown farmers• Selling of seed was mostly by male respondents, even to close networks• There were more returning male seed recipients compared to female seed recipients• Shows limited seed conservation among male farmersResults (5): Repeat seed recipientsPercentage of repeat female (n=93) and male (n=86) seed recipients881280206634584201020304050607080901001st timerecipientsRepeatrecipients1st timerecipientsRepeatrecipientsBukombe Geita% of rseed recipientsFemale Male• Selling seed was more common in Bukombe than in GeitaMode of transaction by districtBukombe GeitaBarter Gift Sell Total Barter Gift Sell Total11 (2%) 117 (24%) 359 (74%)487 (100%)18 (6%)210 (72%)61 (21%)289 (100%)Results (6): Mode of transaction by districtMode of transaction disaggregated into Bukombe (n=487) and Geita(n=289) districtsVariety Bukombe(11 varieties)Geita(19 varieties)TotalUkimwi 60(42%) 2(1%) 62(19%)Kabode 7(5%) 37(21%) 44(14%)Pisi tatu 52(36%) 0 52(16%)Busanagulwa 1(1%) 28(16%) 29(9%)Polista 2(1%) 13(7%) 15(5%)Mwanakulwa 0 18(10%) 18(5%)Other varieties 22(15%) 81(45%) 103(32%)Total 144(100%) 179(100%) 323(100%)Results (7): Dominant varieties by districtNumber & percentage of transactions for major varieties in Bukombe and Geita districts• Higher diversity of varieties in Geita district than in Bukombe• Most exchanged varieties in Bukombe were Ukimwi and Pisi Tatu whereas in Geita it was Kabode and BusanagulwaResults (8): Information sourcesNumber of times female (n=94) and male (n=64) respondents received information from various sources0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400Friend/neighbor/relative within villageFriend/relative outside the villageAgro input dealersTrader in the marketGovernment extension agencyMunicipal, district office(governmentGovernment research orgMedia( print, TV, radio, internet)Community groupInternational NGO/ dev orgFrequencySource of information MALE Source of information FEMALE• The main source of information  was friend/neighbor/relatives within the village followed by government extension agency• Men received more information than womenResults (9): Types of informationNumber of times female (n=94) and male (n=64) respondents received different types of information0 50 100 150 200 250 300Disease & pestGAPMarket informationVariety informationRoots processingirrigationFREQUENCYMALE FEMALE• The main type of information was on varieties and seed sources followed by GAPResults (10): Seed flowsSocial network analysis highlighting seed flows• Node 2 is TARI: Institute linked to 6 seed producers (3 in Bukombe & 3 in Geita) who are connected to tens of other farmers. Demonstrates importance of decentralization of seed systems- identifying key farmers in various districts can help reach more farmers with improved varietiesDiscussion• Dominance of neighbors and own farm as main sources of seed shows that a decentralized approach to sweetpotato seed production is still important.• Most farmers do not travel long distances to seek seed.• Focusing on a few seed producers strategically located in major sweetpotato producing villages can increase efficiency in dissemination of improved varieties.• One approach of linking formal and informal seed systems.• Consideration of gender differences in seed system interventions important:• Need to understand behaviors in seed sharing between female and male farmers. Why did male sell even to their close relations?• Farmer field days within the village can lead to more diffusion of information; neighbor-neighbor information sharing dominatesDiscussion• Adoption of ICT platforms such as Seed Tracker need to factor the gender differences on access to information• Do women have requisite resources to access these platforms?• Can women use this tool to acquire information?• Implications for adoption of Seed Tracker for seed regulatory:• Easy to pilot/adopt within key nodes – train those not trained as seed producers• Close networks (neighbors, friends, family) main source of information- how to link with extension  to facilitate access to information about seed through the app?Discussion• Women are less likely to recycle seed because of limited access to lowlands for seed conservation, inability to afford costs of seed production- how to motivate female farmers willing to produce quality seed?• More commercially-orientated areas tend to focus on few varieties. This is likely determined by preferences in the major markets.• Also, more seed transactions in the more commercial areasConclusions • Given the closed and small networks in which farmers currently share seed decentralized approaches of vine multiplication and dissemination seem possible• Sweetpotato seed production seems more profitable in areas such as Bukombe where the crop is grown commercially compared to areas that are more subsistence• Implementation of seed tracker requires:• Focus on key-vine producers/suppliers• Awareness of how male and female farmers may (not) be able to access informationConclusions • The insights of this study shows the value of a good diagnostic before developing interventions: it allows us to ask relevant questions:• How can future interventions take advantage of increasing number of cash transactions to build sustainable seed systems?• How can we develop more effective linkages between farmers and extension agencies to increase access to accurate information?• How can we adopt ICT platforms in improving sweetpotato seed systems that also offer advantages for female farmers? Lessons learnt from the course • Great teamwork from design to manuscript development• Wide array of Toolbox experts available to assist• Great inputs from Erik although he was on vacation• Survey tools can evolve following the initial data collectionAcknowledgements • CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) provided the funding for this study• Dr. Heneriko Kulembeka for encouraging this study and for allowing TARI researchers to participate• Extension officers who assisted in sampling and other field logistics, led by Mr. Mtatiro Nyandisi in Bukombedistrict and Mr. Daudi Lutema in Geita districtAny questions?Contact personKwame Ogerok.ogero@cgiar.org

Sweetpotato seed tracing in Geita Region, Tanzania. RTB Seed System Toolbox Course: 25, 27, 28 Oct 2021

https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/10568/116588/1/RTB%20Course_Tanzania%20final%20PPT_F_Recording.pdf

Sweetpotato seed tracing in Geita Region, Tanzania. RTB Seed System Toolbox Course: 25, 27, 28 Oct 2021

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