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Certified onion seed and bulbs revive hopes of growersin Pakistan

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Publish time: 5th June, 2015      Source: CCM
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Certified onion seed and bulbs revive hopes of growersin PakistanCertified onion seed and bulbs revive hopes of growersin Pakistan" title="Share this link on Facebook">June 2015Source: AVRDC newsletter June 5, 2015The Malakand Division in theremote corner of Pakistantraditionally has been an onion seedproducing area. Yet over the pastthree years, mounting impedimentsto seed production dimmed theprospect of successful seed harvestsfor members of the Shuga SeedGrowers Association in Bunirdistrict.Seed output decreased in thedistrict as it became increasinglydifficult for farmers to obtain onionmother bulbs from certified andauthentic sources. The prevalence ofdiseases—purple blotch inparticular—severely damaged cropsin the region last year. In 2014,farmers managed to produce only400-500 kg of onion seed,compared to the usual quantity of2500-3000 kg. Many farmersconsidered discontinuing seedproduction altogether.AVRDC - The World VegetableCenter, under the AgriculturalInnovation Program (AIP) forPakistan, eased the situation bysupplying certified seed and onionmother bulbs to farmers throughthe Agriculture Research Institute(North), Mingora, Swat. Certifiedseed is grown and processed understringent production requirements;the quality management ensuresvarietal purity, so that farmers willget the varieties they want.Training helped to ensure that goodpractices will be followed by seedfarmers. Four farmers were trainedon onion seed production and cropmanagement. Twenty-two growersattended sessions on pestmanagement and disease control,with an emphasis on controllingthrips and purple blotch. Farmerswere advised to diversify their onionmonocrops with other crops such asokra and peas.Most of the people living in inmountain-locked Malakand dependon agriculture for their livelihoods.Numerous vegetable crops,including onion, are grown forsubsistence and commercialpurposes. Linking seed-producingfarmers with seed dealers in themain markets of KhyberPakhtunkhwa could help thefarmers increase their incomes.The onion crop in Malakandcontributed 92% (145,068 tons) ofthe total provincial production and89% (7,872 hectares) to the totalarea planted in 2011-12.The activities were undertaken aspart of AIP for Pakistan funded bythe United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID)and supported by the InternationalMaize and Wheat ImprovementCenter (CIMMYT) and the PakistanAgricultural Research Council(PARC).More news from: AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center Website: http://www.cnchemicals.com/: June 5, 2015The news item on this page is copyright by the organization where it originatedFair use notice