Evaluation of Seed Quality of Jute Mallow (Corchorus Olitorius)

Abstract

Production of high quality seeds helps to increase crop yields. Currently, there are no high quality seeds of Jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius) from breeders to farmers, resulting in farmers using re-cycled planting seed whose quality is not assured. This has resulted in low yields due to many reasons, one of them being poor quality seeds. Yields of crop has remained low 2-4 tons/ha/annum compared to expected yield of 5-8 tons/ha/annum. Farmers use up to 7kg/ha seed instead of 5kg/ha, indicating 40% extra seeds used. Though Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) are focusing her efforts on generation of appropriate strains of the vegetable, little is being done to examine seed used by farmers for its quality. Objective was to examine seed quality of Jute mallow used by farmers at planting. A field survey was conducted using structured questionnaires in five Counties of Keiyo, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, and West Pokot and Simlaw Seed Company. A sample size of 500 farmers were visited and interviewed by use of stratified random sampling method and seed simultaneously collected. Seed quality tests and data analysis on analytical purity, germination and seed vigor was done using ISTA (2004) procedures. Results showed high seed analytical purity of 99% from both Simlaw seeds and Uasin Gishu, indicating superior quality seed (above 98%). Lowest purity was from West Pokot (95%). Germination results showed Simlaw Seed (89%) was highest, while Nandi (37%) was lowest. Germination from three counties of Keiyo (57%), West Pokot (49%) and Nandi (37%) does not meet seed quality standard (above 60%). Electrical conductivity (E.C) results showed highest seed vigor was from Simlaw (2.3 μScm-1g-1) and lowest from Nandi (8.2 μScm-1g-1). It was concluded that planting seed used by farmers were of poor physiological quality and recommended they be trained on quality seed production.