Rwanda’s agricultural transformation has prioritized improving seed systems to enhance food security and farmer livelihoods. The reliance on seed importation is gradually decreasing, with more efforts focusing on local seed production. The Rwanda hybrid maize seed industry is still young, facing challenges, like limited skills, land scarcity, climate change, outbreaks of pests and diseases, and low farmers’ awareness about the benefits of hybrid maize seed varieties, as many continue to grow open-pollinated, comparatively less productive varieties. These issues adversely affect seed quality, yield, and competitiveness in the market.
To help address these bottlenecks, IITA–CGIAR conducted a training on hybrid maize seed production for eight field technicians and two senior officers from the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), through a learning visit to IITA breeding and research facilities for knowledge sharing and better collaborative research endeavors.
The training took place in Nigeria at IITA headquarters in Ibadan, Oyo State and Ikenne station, Ogun State, where participants were exposed to the latest technologies in developing and maintaining parent lines of hybrid maize seed. The participants were shown the importance of maintaining the genetic purity of parent lines, which forms the basis for hybrid maize seed quality. They also learnt key practices such as proper isolation distance, strict roguing, timely detasseling, proper harvesting, seed processing, and storage that contribute to the overall seed quality.
They toured the IITA seed storage facility, which is designed with short-, medium-, and long-term storage capacity at low temperatures and a strict and adequate storage and pest management system. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were emphasized for any operation to be carried out during seed production to reduce contamination and enhance compliance with regulatory standards.
The field visit to the Ikenne research station allowed the participants to understand how national trials are conducted by exposing the entries to different biotic (e.g., fall army worm infestation) and abiotic (e.g., drought tolerance) stresses. The most performing candidates are then selected for regional trials. “Enhancing the capacity of active players, especially research and certification agency staff, is a panacea for ensuring the success of an active seed value chain. Thus, the training will go a long way in improving quality seed delivery in Rwanda,” Dr Sam Ajala, IITA Plant Breeder, said.
The RAB team also visited the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) in Abuja and two leading seed companies in Nigeria, namely, Premier Seed and Value Seeds in Zaria, where they shared experience in seed production, certification, and quality control. While at NASC, they interacted with Honorable Fatuhu Muhammed, NASC’s Director General, who stressed the need for knowledge sharing among Africans to address challenges facing the continent, including food security. The participants also had the opportunity to exchange with different heads of departments on seed certification and quality assurance, and the national agricultural seed policy as a tool for the regulatory framework for NASC operations. They were introduced to the seed codex, an electronic seed authentication tool developed by NASC to restore confidence in the seed system through tracking, traceability, and provision of quality seeds to the farmers.
The visit to the seed companies in Zaria, Kaduna State, gave insights into the benefits of collaboration among key players in the seed sector. These seed companies work closely with the national research agency, international research organizations, including IITA, and the regulatory body to develop and deliver quality seed. Owing to this partnership, both Premier Seed and Value Seed have successfully released their own varieties that are currently being grown by farmers in different parts of Nigeria.
“The training in Ibadan, Nigeria, was a significant moment of knowing and seeing in practice advances that will help improve the maize hybrid seed value chain in Rwanda. The advanced molecular laboratory at IITA can be used to build skills in our maize molecular breeding. Also, the molecular tool can be used to check the seed purity and maintain maize hybrid varieties, as seen at the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC). The strong partnership between private seed companies and public research organizations, as Premier Seed Limited explained, can be key in improving the seed value chain in Rwanda. The seed tracker and codex can solve several problems in Rwanda’s seed sector. More importantly, the IITA-specific germplasm, such as fall armyworm-tolerant and provitamin A maize germplasm, can be introgressed locally for well-adapted maize varieties,” Dr Claver Ngaboyisonga, Cereal Program Coordinator at RAB, said.
The training was organized as part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen the technical capacity of RAB in hybrid maize seed production, quality control, and certification. This training was preceded by another training held earlier this year for six local seed companies on commercial seed production, emphasizing the quality of hybrid maize seed. The government of Rwanda invites entrepreneurs to invest in seed production and distribution to enable farmers to adopt new agricultural innovations and good practices that can contribute to increasing the productivity and incomes among smallholder farmers.
Contributed by Ritha Bumwe
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