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The Gene-Seed
bank model is an attempt to foster a sustainable, longer-term
basis for self-reliance in food and to conserve the
diminishing agro-biodiversity of the principle food crops of
the region. This approach will have to go hand in hand with
other critical issues like water management as also training
and capacity building of
 local
people to manage water, bioresources, and other
resources….necessary to build in long term sustainability of
the efforts.
These are
scientifically organized farmer level gene banks, set up with
the help of local farmers who have been trained by scientists
from NBPGR and Birsa Agricultural University to correctly
clean, dry and store their seed and scientifically control
pests, using both indigenous and new technologies. The bank
contains seed samples of traditional varieties of rice,
millets, legumes and vegetables collected from farmers’ fields
and characterized by identifying their properties.
In-situ conservation &
seed multiplication:
As a result of Gene Campaign’s efforts, a number of farmers
have begun
 cultivating traditional rice at least on part of their land
and this trend is growing. The reasons are the high risk and
often adverse cost- benefit ratio for hybrid rice, awareness
and motivation by Gene Campaign and most of all, because the
seed of traditional varieties became available again through
Gene Campaign’s Seed Banks. Gene Campaign enables small and
marginal farmers to access seed because instead of charging
cash, the arrangement is that farmers will return three times
the amount of seed they have taken, when their harvest comes
in. This plan does not impose a burden on small farmers when
they are most vulnerable and helps them to plant their crop
even if they are short of ready money, which is usually the
case.
These farmers also host seed multiplication renewal plots for
Gene
 Campaign
to refresh and renew the seed in the Banks. This kind of field
level conservation is greatly desired but is difficult to
achieve. Gene Campaign has begun to achieve a breakthrough
with sustained field work, training and involving local youth
and including community elders in planning and execution of
activities.
Seed samples were multiplied to provide viable and healthy
seeds to a large number of farmers. The multiplication work
was carried out by farmers as well as by Gene Campaign. GC
multiplied 415 varieties in the demonstration plot of
Birsa
Agricultural
University
with four goals:
-
to increase the
seed quantity and refresh the seed samples
- to
conduct morpho-agronomic characterization of the varieties to
register them as Farmer Varieties under the India Farmers
Rights Act
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to organize
field training programs for master trainers
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to conduct
demonstrations and awareness programs about genetic diversity
for students and civil society.
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