BREEDERS AND COMMERCIAL SEED PROGRESS REPORT NIB RESEARCH & COLLABORATORS FINDINGS WORKSHOP KSMS BY KIPNGETICH K. VINCENT 14 th JUNE 2013

Seed quality Poor crop husbandry practices Improper use of farm inputs Poor straw management Poor water management Inadequate water supply for irrigation Pests (Weeds, diseases and insects) Extension services Lack of/ credit facilities to support production CONSTRAINTS FACING THE RICE INDUSTRY

National seed industry policy Aims at giving direction for sustainable development of rice seed in order to avail high quality seed and planting materials to farmers. Also geared towards harmonizing all seed related activities and legislations  MIAD tasked in producing certified seed for Irrigated rice cultivars:- Bs 217 &370, BW 196, IR , ITA 310  While KARI = NERICA’s:- N1, N4, N10& N11

ROADMAP Purification of standard seed for all the five irrigated varieties commenced with stakeholders from rice sector meeting in MIAD center to select phenotypically ‘Super’ panicles from the foundation seed crop

Healthy looking panicles were selected Given green light

Panicle selection

Plots size for panicle to row 4 m 1 m 10m BASMATI 370 8m BW 196

November 2010 Panicle selection= 750 panicles January 2011 Panicle to row =40lines of each cultivar S/R => 10m 2 plots for the lines which qualified thorough inspection by stakeholders (KEPHIS) Av of 5Kgs from each line harvested from lines passed for next stage S/R2012 => second bulking 1acre plot each variety Qualified plots harvested, mixed & bulked Breeders seed (white label) Cont’ Timeliness of the activity

Ten square meter plots

Supply the available breeders material to seed unit to bulk= Target Av of 10 metric tones by end of the year for all the varieties BW 196 variety which initially had unfamiliar characteristics of awning was counter checked in conjunction with KEPHIS and stakeholders and the descriptor revised accordingly for certification Repeat of the whole process for maintenance and availability of high quality seed for commercialization by farmers WAY FORWARD