HOW TO DEVELOP
AND MANAGE YOUR OWN
COMMUNITY SEED BANK
Farmers’ handbook (updated version)
BOOKLET
TECHNICAL ISSUES
Ronnie Vernooy, Guy Bessette, Bhuwon Sthapit
with Arnab Gupta
2
of 3
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HOW TO DEVELOP AND MANAGE
YOUR OWN COMMUNITY SEED BANK
FARMERS’ HANDBOOK (UPDATED VERSION)
BOOKLET 2 OF 3
TECHNICAL ISSUES
Ronnie Vernooy, Guy Bessette, Bhuwon Sthapit
with Arnab Gupta
Bioversity International 2020
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that
address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
The Alliance focuses on the nexus of agriculture, environment, and nutrition. We work with local, national, and multinational partners across Africa, Asia,
and Latin America and the Caribbean, and with the public and private sectors and civil society. With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and
mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis.
The Alliance is part of CGIAR, the world’s largest agricultural research and innovation partnership for a food-secure future dedicated to reducing poverty,
enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.
www.bioversityinternational.org
www.ciat.cgiar.org
www.cgiar.org
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) is a national sphere of the South African government, responsible for implementing
the laws and policies decided by the South African parliament. It specifically derives its core mandate from section 27 (1) (b) and (2) of the South African
Constitution which is to: “….take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of
the….right (of everyone) to have access to sufficient food.” Within the DAFF, and more specifically the Agricultural Production, Health and Food Safety
Branch of the DAFF, the Directorate Genetic Resources is mandated to regulate and provide an integrated national management system in support of the
conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture. This involves the development and implementation of policies, legislation,
strategies and norms and standards on the management of genetic resources for food and agriculture, the regulation and promotion of propagating
material of genetic resources for food and agriculture and to provide for a risk mitigating system in support of agricultural biodiversity.
This work contributes to the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), which is carried out with support
from the CGIAR Trust Fund and through bilateral funding agreements. For details, please visit https://ccafs.cgiar.org/donors. The views expressed in this
document cannot be taken to reflect the official opinions of these organizations.
© Bioversity International 2020
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00054 Maccarese (Fiumicino)
Italy
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Design and Layout: Luca Pierotti
ISBN (booklet 2): 978-92-9255-087-5
PHOTO CREDITS BOOKLET 2
Front cover: The Bajrangi Community Seed Bank at Balapur village district Chitrakoot (UP, India).
Bioversity International/S.Dsouza
Page 4: Seed regeneration plots in Balapur village for radish, mustard fennel and other winter crops.
Deendayal Research Institute/Ashok Tiwari
Page 6-7: Members of the Bajrangi community seed bank. Bioversity International/S.Dsouza
Page 8: Fennel seed production plots. Deendayal Research Institute/Ashok Tiwari
Page 10: Wheat seed production in Balapur village. Deendayal Research Institute/Ashok Tiwari
Page 12: Members cleaning seeds at Gaivinath Community Seed Bank at Pagar Khurd Village of Satna
district (MP, India). Deendayal Research Institute/Ashok Tiwari
Page 14: Seed cleaning and packaging at Bajrangi Community Seed Bank at Balapur village district
Chitrakoot (UP, India). Deendayal Research Institute/Ashok Tiwari
Page 16: Seed flow registration books. Bioversity International/R.Vernooy
Page 18: Use of orange peel as insect repellent for seeds stored in a bottle. Bioversity International/R.Vernooy
Chickpea seed drying in PVC drums using zeolite beads in cloth bags. Bioversity International/A.Gupta
Page 20: The use of zeolite beads and bulk storage drums. Bioversity International/R.Vernooy
Page 22: A woman in the village sun drying chickpea pods for keeping in the community seed bank.
Deendayal Research Institute /S.Chauriha
Page 24: Cucumber seed production by Gaivinath Community Seed Bank in Pagar Khurd village (Satna,
MP, India). Bioversity International/A.Gupta
Page 26: Farmers taking seeds for planting from the Bajrangi Community Seed Bank at Balapur, district
Chitrakoot (UP, India). Deendayal Research Institute/Ashok Tiwari
Page 28: Modern seed storage bags and drums (for medium term). Bioversity International/R.Vernooy
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HOW TO DEVELOP AND MANAGE YOUR OWN
COMMUNITY SEED BANK
CONTENTS
BOOKLET A note on preparing this publication for use in communities
Establishing a community seed bank
1
of 3
BOOKLET Technical issues
2
of 3
BOOKLET Management, networking, policies
and a final checklist
3
of 3
5
6
BOOKLET 2
TECHNICAL ISSUES
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8
AN EXPERIENCE FROM ASIA
Who we are
We are members of the Bajrangi Community Seed Bank in the town of Balapur
in the Bundelkhand area of central India. Our community seed bank was
established in August 2016. Although Balapur has its own small, local market,
the nearest market for large amounts of agricultural produce is at Karwi, about
12 km away.
Currently, we conserve seeds of chickpeas, green grams, lentils, linseed,
mustard, peas, pigeon peas, sesame, sorghum, rice, and wheat. We grow rice,
wheat, and chickpeas for the market. The other crops are for our own use,
although they are sometimes also traded in the local market, but only in small
quantities.
We receive regular technical support from the Deendayal Research Institute
and Bioversity International.
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What we want to share with you
We would like to introduce you to a number of technical issues concerning the
operation of a community seed bank, including key principles and practices
that will help you along the way. Every community seed bank requires
members who have mastered key technical aspects. This will take time
and effort.
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1. Crop selection and seed collection
Which crops and varieties do you want to conserve in your community
seed bank? The priority is usually crops and varieties that are important in terms
of the food security of members of the community: women and men, young and
old, better off and less well off, nearby farmers and farmers farther away.
Many community seed banks also pay special attention to crops and varieties
that have been lost or are becoming rare and to those with traits preferred by
the community: for example, the colour of the grain, the height of the plant,
the taste. Women and men often have different preferences, and this should
be taken into account when deciding what to conserve in the community seed
bank.
Increasingly, farmers are becoming more interested in crops and varieties that
respond well to the changing climatic conditions they are facing.
It is important to determine whether you have sufficient human and technical
capacity to conserve a large number of crops and varieties. You may wish to
select only a small number of crops or varieties of one crop to start, then, as
you gain more experience, add others.
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2. Seed health and cleaning
A critical factor in seed collection is obtaining disease-free seeds. The best
techniques include:
• Doing a field inspection
• Sampling from different parts of a field
• Collecting seeds from a number of healthy plants
• Avoiding plants near the edge of the field, as they might be the result of
crosses with other varieties
• Paying careful attention to choosing disease-free plants, panicles, or fruit
After collection, reject any seeds that show signs of insect pests or
diseases and repeat this process during cleaning, as insects and disease can
multiply when seed is stored.
You may ask the local extension agent to supervise the cleaning process and,
where they exist, farmers’ field schools can share and support the use of the
most appropriate techniques.
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3. Registration of seeds
At a minimum, maintain a simple log book in which seed deposits and
withdrawals can be registered, noting date; the name of the farmer, village, or
community where the seed was collected; and the name of the crop and variety.
If a scale is available, then the quantity of seed should also be included. That
will allow calculation of how much seed the community seed bank processes
in a season or a year.
Some well-organized community seed banks maintain two registers: one for
incoming and one for outgoing seeds. Others keep more than one register for
different purposes, such as a register of the farmers who contribute to seed
bank activities; a biodiversity register with all possible details of the seeds
donated; and a register listing lost varieties.
A biodiversity register can include the local name of the genetic resource,
its specific use and value, current status, general characteristics, method of
cultivation, related agroecology, the extent and distribution of its cultivation, its
capacity to tolerate stresses in the field, the perceived nutritional value, and
cultural and religious uses (if any).
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4. Seed processing and storage
The most important factor in seed preservation is to make sure that
seeds are as dry as possible and free of weeds, dust, and stones.
To keep seed clean, healthy, and viable, proper storage equipment and
methods are critical.
Many community seed banks use traditional methods for storing seeds and
planting material: mud, bamboo, straw, dried bottle gourds, etc. They use the
sun to dry seeds and then cool them before storage in mud-sealed containers.
These methods are very effective.
Recently, some community seed banks have begun to combine traditional
storage structures and practices with modern equipment and practices, such
as airtight, transparent plastic or glass jars, metal bins and even SuperGrain
bags (multi-layered plastic bags that provide a gas and moisture barrier).
Zeolite beads (aluminosilicate-based absorbents) have also been introduced to
control moisture levels inside containers; these beads are very effective.
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4. Seed processing and storage
Except in a few cases, most community seed banks do not have a reliable
mechanism to control temperature and humidity, which is key to maintaining
genetic material over a long period. Therefore, regular moisture tests are an
important practice in monitoring the quality of stored seeds.
Important factors to remember:
√ The temperature inside the facility must not be too warm (below 35
degrees Celsius) to prevent easy germination of seed
√ The containers (whether they are made of glass, plastic, or clay) must be
clean to prevent infestation by pests or disease
√ The moisture content before storage must be low to prevent rapid
germination
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5. Seed monitoring
To keep the seeds stored in a community seed bank healthy, we recommend
verifying seed quality regularly, i.e., once a month.
This can be done visually by checking the containers and/or removing part
or all of the seeds from a container and verifying moisture level and pest and
disease incidence.
When problems are observed, immediate action should be taken to prevent
the spread of mould, disease, or pests. Remove any infested seed, clean the
container thoroughly, and dry the remaining seed again before replacing it in
the container.
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6. Seed regeneration
Many community seed banks regenerate the seeds they conserve annually,
so that they remain well adapted to local conditions. Where they exist,
farmers’ field schools or agriculture colleges can carry out this regeneration
task.
In the case of longer-term storage, grain seeds may be regenerated every 5–7
years and oil seeds every 3–4 years.
Regeneration can be done on a piece of land that belongs to the community
seed bank or on land offered by members. Each member then takes
responsibility for one or more crop varieties.
Some community seed banks require all members to regenerate at least one
crop variety from the collection each year.
Some community seed banks do more than regeneration for local use; they
produce local varieties of seed on a large scale for sale. To be able to do that
requires sound production and marketing knowledge and skills.
Germination tests must be conducted at regular intervals to monitor
regeneration potential.
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7. Obtaining seed from the community
seed bank
Rules or regulations concerning access to seed from the community
seed bank should be agreed to by the community seed bank members.
In practice this means:
√ Deciding whether to give access to members only or to include non-
members
√ Adopting the principle of first-come first-served or establishing equitable
or targeted distribution
√ Establishing a plan for repayment of seeds and the return rate
√ Agreeing on how to deal with cases of delayed repayment or failure to
return seeds
√ Recording distribution in a well-organized manner
We recommend keeping records of the flow of all seeds so that we know
who benefits and who does not, which crops and varieties are in demand and
which are not, and how much seed is required in a season or a year.
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Summary
This booklet addresses the following technical issues:
1. Crop selection and seed collection is about the kind of crops and varieties you want to
collect and conserve in your community seed bank.
2. Seed health and cleaning is about obtaining samples and selecting disease-free seeds.
3. Registration of seeds can be carried out by using and maintaining various types of log
books.
4. Seed processing and storage introduces traditional and modern methods for keeping seeds
as dry as possible and free of weeds, dust, and stones.
5. Seed monitoring recommends verifying seed quality regularly.
6. Seed regeneration describes various ways to fulfill this task.
7. Obtaining seed from the community seed bank is about establishing rules or regulations
concerning the flow and use of seeds by the community.
This is the end of our second booklet on developing and managing a community seed bank,
Technical issues.
We will now turn to booklet 3, Management, networking, and policies and a final checklist.
On to the next booklet!
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About the authors
Ronnie Vernooy, Bioversity International, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Ronnie joined Bioversity International in October 2011. He has worked on questions related to the
conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity for more than 25 years in countries
such as Bhutan, China, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Mongolia, Nepal, Nicaragua, South Africa,
and Vietnam. His work focuses on the policy and legal aspects of safeguarding plant genetic
resources and their sustainable use, both ex situ and in situ.
Guy Bessette, independent consultant, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.
Guy has worked in development communication, social learning, and natural resource
management in Africa and Southeast Asia. He currently supports various Bioversity International
initiatives related to seed systems.
Bhuwon Sthapit (in memoriam)
Bhuwon, a plant breeder, joined Bioversity International in 1997 as an in situ conservation
specialist, first based in Malaysia, then India, and, until his death in August 2017, Nepal. His major
research interests included participatory methods to assess and use agricultural biodiversity,
participatory crop improvement, in situ and on-farm conservation, home gardens, community-
based biodiversity management, and community seed banks.
Arnab Gupta, PhD (Seed Science and Technology) is an agroecology and seed systems scientist
based at the Wageningen Center for Development Innovation, the Netherlands. Before moving to
the Netherlands, he worked in India to support community seed banks with a special interest in
dry-storing seed storage theory and practice. One of his responsibilities was to train farmers and
genebank officials in the use of Zeolite beads technology for enhancing seed shelf life in genebanks
and community seed banks.
PERSONAL NOTES
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the
International Center for Tropical Agriculture
(CIAT) is part of CGIAR, a global research
partnership for a food-secure future.
www.bioversityinternational.org
www.ciat.cgiar.org
www.cgiar.org
ISBN: 978-92-9255-087-5
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