seed industry dr kumudini gunasekera

National Seed Industry supplemented with

Biotechnology

Promoting the movement of quality seeds

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Kumudini Gunasekare, PhD Coordinating Secretariat for Science, Technology & Innovation

National Consultative Workshop on Strengthening and Roadmapping Of Emerging Technology Innovation Systems– 17-19 November 2015,

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Significance of seed industry

• New plant varieties and quality seeds are important facets

• Investment in seeds - lifeline to any agri-business

• No room for comprise with seed quality and identity

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Total seed import – 44 types – 1.39 m kg (DoA Annual Report 2012-2014, SCPPC)

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

kg

Total Seed Import

Major constraints – Seed industry Snapshot

• Uncontrolled seed market – integrity • Partnerships between state and private sector • Inefficient quality control measures • Phytosanitary control on seeds/Planting material • Formal and informal seed systems (wide range of crops via informal

system) • Investments undermined by ineffective (rather absence) of IPP/PVP • Unlawful appropriations of germplasm for seed production • Seed Piracy & Counterfeit • Unfair competition by the partners on the seed market • Inefficient processing and storage facilities • Proper gap analysis/ status – seed sectors?????

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• National Seed Policy - 1996 • Seed Act enacted in 2003 • PVP act - not yet in place!!!!

• Lack of enabling policy environment

Key issues – Technology/ Innovation

• Technologies no longer appropriate

• Mostly the conventional/classical methods – less precise

• Need to develop/adopt high throughput technologies, robust quality management practices, capability and capacity, state-of the art-facilities

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The Roadmap Potential areas for interventions

• Mutually reinforcing technology areas and technology drivers

• Not only Biotechnology –

Converging technologies – Bio./Nano./IT

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Varietal Identity

Genetic purity

Rouging

Conformity -EDVs

Virus eliminationRecalcitrant /VP

Manipulate ovule: seed ratio

Hybridity, IPP/PVP

Regulating GMOs

Multiplication ProcessingPackaging &

Labelling

Distribution - retail/

enduserStorage

Potential areas for interventions / investment

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Labelling


enduserStorage

Cleaning & Grading

Priming

Seed tretaments

Coating

High-tech sensor based solution cleaning /grading

Detection kits Biological agents

Molecular pathways dormancy, vigor, germinationAdvanced polymers slow-release priming

Proprietary polymer systems reducing “dust-off”


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Labelling


enduserStorage

Shelf life(Longivity and Viability)

Orthodox vs recalcitrant seed packaging

Product Integrity

Nano-composite material

Anti-counterfeit solutions(Nano barcode / Nanocomposite

tags)

e-tracking system /recall


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Labelling


enduserStorage

Not always with complete agreement amongst experts

Need R&D

T0, RH, LightSeed moister level

CatalogueStandards for germination

(IT based solutions for precision)

Storage conditionsLongevity/Viability

Germination

Orthodox vs recalcitrant

Standards for germination

Priming vs storage


A value chain model based on quality assurance mechanism From raw product to end-use

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TRACEBILITY

BEYO

ND

Capacity building: • Effective communication of added value to the end-users - paying a premium for quality seed

• Gap analysis of academic curricula and upcoming seed industrial requirements - HR • Establishment and maintenance of appropriate infrastructure and technical know-how