By Umar Nsubuga
Gideon Zakke, an agronomist says farmers can harvest a lot of money by growing good quality seeds.
He says most farmers do not take the trouble to prepare seed before the planting season. Most of them remember to look for seeds after it starts raining.
Starting this season, you can produce good quality seeds at your farm for planting in the rainy seasons.
“For this particular season, we shall begin with the production of bean seeds and follow it through with the process until harvesting,” he explains.
According to Zakke, not all beans that are produced are good for seed. Damaged broken seeds may be good for eating, but will not germinate well when planted.
“For this planting season, you would have used the seed that you had stored from the last season,” he says.
He adds that the quality of bean seeds is important because it directly affects the farmers’ yields. Sort out the seed before planting.
According to Zakke, farmers can also go a step further and produce improved seeds in sufficient quantities for sale to other farmers. After fellow farmers establish that you can produce good quality bean seed, they will keep coming back to buy from your farm.
“Do not choose seed anyhow. Multiply varieties that have a market in your area. These varieties may be from certified or local seed,” he advises.
Make sure that the actual beans are good. However, because beans can carry diseases that are not visible to the naked eye, seeds should not be planted from the same source for more than two seasons, he explains.
These diseases that are passed within the bean include bacterial blight, halo blight and mosaic virus among others.
He adds that If these diseases are observed in the standing field, it is time to change the seed. Select highly productive land to get high yields.
Avoid steeply sloping or swampy land. Also, avoid sandy soils, areas with shallow surface soil and land with weeds that suppress bean growth.
“Do not plant beans for more than two consecutive seasons on the same plot. This is to avoid diseases that may remain in the soil. Establish new planting areas each season. Crop rotation will allow you to make the best use of your land,” he explains.
Good quality bean seeds
-Have a high germination rate
-Are well dried
-All seeds are of the same variety and uniform size
-Clean and not mixed with foreign matter like stones or dust
-Not damaged, broken or shrivelled. Not mouldy or eaten by insects
-Is not rotten and should retain the original colour
