REPORT ON

TWO DAYS RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT LEVEL TRAINING ON PVT AND

MILLETS SEED PRODUCTION, RAYAGADA
Background: Substantial increase in yield and quality of crops depends upon a number of factors
viz., inputs like organic matters, fertilizers, irrigation & plant protection measures and suitable
agronomic practices. However, the use of high quality seed thus plays a pivotal role in the crop
production. The use of poor quality seeds nullifies the utility of all agronomic practices and every
other input applied to the crop no matter how lavishly they are applied. Economically, the cost of
seed is a very small component of the total cost of production. Mostly the farmers were dependent
on traditional varieties; therefore seed requirements were met through farm saved seeds. The use
of traditional varieties coupled with farm saved seeds whose quality is not guaranteed, resulted in
drastic reduction in production. Availability of quality seeds of improved cultivars is considered
crucial for realizing productivity and adoption of cultivars in different agro-climatic conditions.

Scope of the Training: A Two Days District Level Residential Training on PVT and Millet Seed
Production was organised by Program Secretariat – WASSAN, Rayagada on 20th and 21st of June
2019 at RRTC Training hall, OPDSC, Japakhal. About 55 farmers who will tend to engage in seed
production participated in this training programme and benefitted from the expert lectures
organised on this occasion.

Mr. Pulak Naik, Research Officer from Program Secretariat was the chief resource person and
exhorted the farmers to adopt new technologies to produce quality seeds in millets, especially in
ragi. He emphasised on the importance of quality seed, as the challenge of meeting the food and
nutritional security for ever growing population could be met by using quality seed. He said purity,
quality and germination of seed are the main parameters responsible for good yield for a particular
crop.

The two-day event saw the participation of

officers from the Department of Agriculture
– DDA, Scheme Officer (Odisha Millets
Mission) and Lab Technician of seed
production. Deliberations were held in three
sessions spread through two days, on topics
ranging from (i) PVT - method and processes,
filed layout and design, Rouging, quality seed
production, crop cutting, harvesting and
post-harvest technologies (data collection).
(ii) Issues related to millets seeds at ground
& farmers sharing. (iii) Quality Seed
Production (what is seed, Seed dormancy,
Seed germination, criteria for seed farmer
and land etc), PoP in QSP, Pass port data fill up, characteristics documentation and data
collection.(iv) Demonstration of seed germination and seed treatment. (v) Govt. Seed Production
and Certification System. (vi) Community Managed Seed System (importance, management, storage
specification, Book keeping, indent from sub center etc)
Planning with FA for establishment of CMSS. (vii) Organic manure and Bio-pesticide preparation and
application in millets. (viii) Intercropping and Crop cutting procedures in millets. And (ix) Seed
Collection and Planning on PVT & QSP.
Objectives of the Training:
1. To teach and aware the farmers on millets seed production technology.
2. To strengthen the farmers skill in millets seed production.
3. To create masters in millets seed production and disseminate the knowledge through the
participants at ground.
4. To make possible research in millets seed production after the training through developing
PVT and patches of seed production by involving the millet growers.

Methodology of the Training:

1. Presentation,
2. Lecturer,
3. Group exercise and presentation,
4. Poster and manual showing,
5. Distribution of materials,
6. Exercise on data record formats and filling-up,
7. Sharing by Participants.

Seed is the critical determinant of agricultural production on which depends the performance and
efficacy of other inputs. Quality seeds appropriate to different agro-climatic conditions and in
sufficient quantity at affordable prices are required to raise productivity. Availability and use of
quality seeds is not a onetime affair. Sustained increase in agriculture production and productivity
necessarily requires continuous development in seed production and supply of seeds to farmers.
Particularly in Millets, there is no such scope and focus emphasizing on seed production.

Objectives of Promoting Seed Farmers under Odisha Millets Mission are:

 To make seed available at the door steps of the farmers at appropriate time.
 To ensure availability of quality seed at an affordable cost (lesser than the market price) due
to decreased overheads.
 To bring benefit to both producer and consumer.
 To facilitate quicker spread of promising cultivars those are not promoted by the seed
agencies.
 To induce seed production as an enterprise with select farmers.
 Self-dependency.

The following areas have been touched during the session for quality seed production, which mostly
require as-

 Seed plot should be selected carefully for better performance, as per edaphic and
environmental requirement.
 Needs isolation from other varieties.
 Needs basic technical skills of the grower for maintenance of quality.
 Maintenance of genetic purity is vital.
 Rouging is mandatorily practiced.
 Harvesting undertaken at physiological/ harvestable maturity.
 Resultant seed should be vigorous and viable.
  Importance is laid on seed quality rather than the yield.

Mr. Pulak have deliberated his lecturers on PVT & seed production and addressed the followings
during the session for conducting a trial. First upon he was cognisant the farmers about the
objectives of the PVT, than he was deliberated his lecture in details on process of execution at field
as – patch & farmer selection, selection of varieties, trial plot design, methodology, weed & nutrient
management, selection of ear head and harvesting, post-harvest management, variety selection
process, data collection and documentation and storing for seed multiplication.

The good quality seed should have the following characters as suggested by the resource person:

• Genetic purity, and uniformity and should conform to the standards of the particular cultivar.
• Disease free, viable seeds.
• Free from admixtures of other crop seeds, weeds and inert matter.
Quality Control Parameters are:
The maximum moisture level should be 10 to 12%.The germination percentage is counted after
several days (usually 3 to 7 days). The germination percentage is registered by expressing number
germinated over 100 seeds. Minimum germination percentage should be 80%.The physical purity
should not be less than 98%. Presence of maximum quantity of inert matter should be 2%.The
minimum % varietal purity of the seeds should be 99%.Out of several types of seed vigour tests, the
first count method of Seed Growth Test if recommended under field conditions. The test is done
along with the regular germination test. The number of normal seedlings, germinated on the first
count day, as specified in the germination test for each species, is counted. The number of normal
seedlings gives an idea of the level of seed vigour in the sample. Higher the number of normal
seedlings greater is the seed vigour. Mr. Santosh Chatria (S.T.O. S.T.L) has presented a brief on Govt.
seed production and certification system. The importance of seed trial and production with linking
to the Community Managed Seed System (CMSS) was briefly deliberated by Mr. Malay.

Farmers were shared their

experiences related to traditional
seed production methods used at
community in millets crop. Even
issues related to seeds have been
identified during the sessions. Major
issues were found as – almost all the
farmers are unaware regarding the
process of quality seed production.
Traditionally they have been storing
the seeds in earthen pot or tie with
saal tree leafs. There are no such
practices adopted by the farmers to
cultivate specific millets for seed
purpose only, even the cultivators
also conserving only few amounts of
seed for self only. There is no seed system existhing at community related to serve during the
scarcity of millets seed. A group exercise has been carried out during the session of 2nd day. Few
topics (inter cropping practices, importance of organic matters and process of preparation, CCE
process and advantages, importance of PVT and seed farmers) have given to them for group
exercise and presentation. Most of the FA partners and farmers were brought the ragi seeds from
collecting their respective blocks and deposited at Program Secretariat for the purpose of
interchange the seed and demonstration of PVT. The passport data was recorded by Mr. Pulak
through the support of District team and FA partners.

Conclusion: The loss of biodiversity in

India and specifically small crops is a
serious concern of food security and
sustainability of the agricultural sector.
Millets seeds are much more resilient and
reduce the plants’ vulnerability to pests
and local climatic stresses. Cultivation of
traditional millet crop varieties is
decreasing day by day. The only way to
encourage farmers to grow these is to
create a market for them and make
consumers aware about the speciality and
nutritional aspects of these crops. One of
the most negative results of the
commercialization of agriculture is the total dependence by the farmer on external sources for all
his farming inputs, including seeds. Whereas earlier farmers used to save and share their seeds,
today they depend wholly upon seed companies for their requirements. To strengthen the great
tradition of our seed keeping in this country we must act now to make this possible through farmers
meetings, training, awareness campaign and demonstrations on seed production of selected
varieties to scale-up the cultivation and supply against of demand at community level with quality
assurance.