Maize seed selection by East African smallholder farmers and resistance to Maize streak virus

• From: Department for International Development
• Published: 1 January 2005

• Country: Uganda, Tanzania
• Document Type: Journal Article
• Theme: Agriculture
• Authors: Gibson, R.W., Stathers, T.E., Page, W.W., Acola, G., Lamboll, R.I., Lyimo, N.G., Nsemwa, L.T.H., Temu, A.E.M.

Abstract

Interviews identified that most small-scale maize farmers in central Uganda and in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania plant home-saved seed of landraces or seed derived from various open-pollinated and hybrid varieties. Some farmers also bought a portion of their seed, either certified seed, locally traded seed or even maize sold for consumption. Selection for home-saved seed was generally among harvested cobs. Big cobs with many, regularly arranged, large, white, flint kernels were preferred. A maize cob may bear several hundred seeds, so a farmer needs to save

Citation

Gibson, R.W.; Lyimo, N.G.; Temu, A.E.M.; Stathers, T.E.; Page, W.W.; Nsemwa, L.T.H.; Acola, G.; Lamboll, R.I. Maize seed selection by East African smallholder farmers and resistance to Maize streak virus. Annals of Applied Biology (2005) 147 (2) 153-159. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7348.2005.00021.x]

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Maize seed selection by East African smallholder farmers and resistance to Maize streak virus

Published 1 January 2005