By Obiabin Onukwugha
Bountiful harvest can bring great joy to a farmer. It does not only provide food on the table, but also raised the economic visibility of the family.
Many farmers have trained their children, build good houses and become employers of labour. But some times farmers can record loses.
Many factors such as soil, crop species, climate, etc, can determine yield and harvest.
Selecting the right seed for these conditions are therefore important in recording great harvest. So you need to understand your local soil characteristics, evaluate your seed hybrids and varieties, consider local climate and growing conditions and as well, your budget and cost.
During planting season, seed sellers grade them to different prices n accordance with not just the specie, but the high-yield and survival potential.
During the corn planting season this year, I went to buy seeds as I travelled to the village. The woman at Creek road market in Rivers State, South/South Nigeria, handed over three different corn cobs to me with different prices, N200, N300 and N500, respectively. I enquired to know why the same corn will cost different prices.
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First she felt embarrassed but letting her know my ignorance, she explained that they are of different species. Again, some have been tampered by pests in the course of storage for the next planting season and may not yield much. The higher the health of the seed, the higher the price.
This was also experienced in the yam seedling session, where the seller gave me different prices; N350, N500 and M700.
The popular yam species sold in Rivers State markets are Ada Onitsha, Gboko and Paper yams. It was observed that within each species there were price differences. So when I enquired, the answer was the same as that of the corn.
Seed cost represents 12% of total corn production costs and 10% of total soybean production costs, according to Purdue University’s “Crop Cost and Return Guide.” This number illustrates the significant risk a farmer’s seed decision makes to the overall harvest.
The right hybrid, the right situation, the right farm is of utmost importance,” says Craig Moore, corn lead with Beck’s Hybrids.
The selection of seeds is used to improve the quality of yields. There are several diseases that are transmitted via the seeds.
If the selected seeds are from the infected fields then the seed-borne diseases will cause severe problems in the agricultural process. Thus, always obtain seeds from healthy plants.
