Quality seed helps in food self sufficiency and food security in Nepal

Seed quality can be defined as the capacity of seed to germinate, emerge and establish under sub optimal field conditions. This is the performance potential of the seed which make it fit to perform well upon sowing. Quality seed is the most crucial input for crop production. Good quality seed inappropriate soil conditions yield abundantly than seed with poor quality. Therefore, a quality seed has been treated as a Vitol factor in the improvement of agriculture conditions.

The good quality seed of the high yielding varieties play the most important role to increase crop production in Nepal. As the population of Nepal is increasing every year at a rate of 1.35% in 10 years. Similarly the import of cereals and agricultural products has been increasing every year. Therefore, we need to grow more food to feed the increasing populations. A quality seed helps to meet food security and food self sufficiency in Nepal by developing the following attributes.

By improving crop production

A good quality seed sustain agriculture through higher productivity growth rate. It is established that the use of better quality seed increases the crop yield up to 25-30%. If there is ease access to the required quantity of quality seed at an affordable price, the farmer can produce food enough to ensure the food self sufficiency even in the less favourable production areas. These quality seed play a vital role in decreasing food deficit by increasing production.

Developing a good genetic potential

A good quality seed has high return per unit area as the genetic potential of the crop can be adopt themselves for extreme climatic condition and cropping system of the location. The uses of agricultural input like fertilizers, irrigation, plant protection etc are more responsive to good quality seed and increase the productivity of crop.

By cutting down the seed requirement

Seed requirement is the required number of seed to plant in per hectors land to ensure the normal density of sprouts and a maximum yield. Since, quality seed possesses a high germination capacity and more seed vigour seed rate can be reduced by 10% as compared to local uncertified seed. Hence, fast and uniform emergence of seedling directly improves crop production.

By insuring high quality products

Quality seed have no varietal mix off type plants weeds seed. So we can get quality product and more market prices can be obtained from such products. Such high value market product improves the marketability in Nepal and help to sustain well in the global agricultural market.

By decreasing the chances of disease, pest’s infestations and weed appearances.

Quality seed are vigorous and free from disease. Hence give more yields and reduce the cost of production in buying pesticides insecticides.

As a carrier of new technology

The technological advancement in seed industry and introduction of various modern plants breeding method plays role in the development of high yielding and hybrid varieties.

Conclusion

Thus, in this way quality seed helps in establishing food security and food self sufficiency Nepal. By identifying gaps and opportunities in seed sectors the strategies should be adopted to achieve quality seed. Quality seed improve the well being of farming families and establishing food security in Nepal.

Writer: Urmila Rana Magar (Student, Bsc Ag 4th Semester)