Project Title: Seed Production AO1

Goal

To improve the quality of crop production in the region by strengthening CARDI's capability to improve and manage germplasm and generate related scientific information.

Objectives

1.	To produce and distribute good quality seed of selected forage species and hot peppers (WI Red and WI yellow) to satisfy demand in the CARICOM region.
2.	To produce good quality corn, yam and pumpkin seeds for the local demand and to conserve germplasm.

Background

There has been an increasing demand for hot pepper seed in the Region (CARDI Annual report 1997) to supply the farmers who produce fresh peppers to the UK, USA and Canadian markets as well as to meet the needs of a growing processing industry. CARDI Antigua and Barbuda has traditionally been the main supplier of planting material in this regard. This project is designed to ensure field production of acceptable standards, to extract and condition the seeds, maintain quality control processes and market the seeds.
Local Guinea grass and vegetable seedlings are also produced under this project.

RESULTS

Planting Material.

A total of 24.5 lb (11kg) of hot pepper seed were produced. Of this quantity, 2 kg were produced from berries grown on- station.

Two thousand kilograms of Corn seed (ICTA FM) were produced.

An area of 0.25 ac of pumpkin was planted while the plots of local squash and cucumbers for conservation were destroyed by hurricane.

A plot (0.75 ac) WI yellow was destroyed by animals.

The following seedlings were produced:

Type	Quantity
Cabbage	3000
Pepper (WI Red)	17500
Papaw	1000

Seed Growers

Four farmers participated in this activity and a total of 9 kg of hot pepper seed was produced. Observations revealed that more training in field production techniques was required.

Quality Control

Rigorous field inspections were conducted on the field plots and weekly monitoring visits were made.

The laboratory and seed stores are still lacking some basic pieces of equipment which were damaged in 1995 during the passage of hurricane Luis. Estimates have been submitted.

Seeds marketed in 1999 were as follows:

Recipient	Corn	W.I R/Pep	Glycine	D/mantus	Leucaena	G.Grass
CMC(ANU)	979.00
St. Lucia		15.00
St. Vincent		3.00
Jamaica		7.00
Belize		5.00
St. Kitts		1.00
Barbuda	50.00
Anguilla			5.00	5.00	15.00	25.00
St .Croix						20.00
Guatemala		1.00
Grenada		3.00
L .Farmer	111.00	2.00	2.00			8.00
ADC		1.25
GARDC		0.25
FAO (BGI)			24.00			36.00
Totals (lb)	1040.00	38.50	31.00	5.00	15.00	89.00

Seed in storage at Dec 1999

TYPES	Amount lb.	TYPES	Amount lb.	TYPES	Amount lb.
W.I.R Pepper	37.00	African Red	30.00	Cunn.	154.00
Yellow pepper	0.50	Peanut/Georgia	7.00	Desmanthus	53.00
Sorrel	5.50	Neem seed	156.25	Local corn	3.50
Mung bean	3.00	Guinea grass/Aus.	444.00	Millet seed	7.70
Pigeon Peas	1.50	Local Guinea Grass	135.00	Chrysopogon	11.00
Papaw	0.75	Glycine	54.00	Corn/not graded	2553.00
Onion	0.75	Teramnus	2.00	Corn grade 1A	230.00
Black eye	3.00	Siratro	0.75	Corn grade 1	480.00
Bodie bean	4.00	L /K8	192.00	Corn grade 2	173.00

Recommendations

More training will be required to improve the efforts of the seed growers. The seed laboratory and stores need to be repaired an re equipped as a matter of urgency if quality is to be assured.