INFORMAL AGROFORESTRY TREE SEED QUALITY AND SUPPLY SYSTEMS: A

109 Pages·2005·1.23 MB·English

INFORMAL AGROFORESTRY TREE SEED QUALITY AND
SUPPLY SYSTEMS: A CASE OF PERI-URBAN NAIROBI, MERU
AND WESTERN KENYA

KIURA JONATHAN MURIUKI

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES (AGROFORESTRY AND RURAL
DEVELOPMENT) OF KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

JANUARY 2005
i
DECLARATION

Candidate′s Declaration
The thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any
other university or any other award

_________________________ ____________________
Jonathan Muriuki Kiura (N50/9017/2000) Date

Declaration by supervisors
This work has been submitted with our approval as supervisors
_______________________________ ___________________
Dr James B. Kung′u Date
School of Environmental and Human Sciences

Kenyatta University

_______________________________ ____________________
Dr Daniel N. Mugendi Date
School of Environmental and Human Sciences
Kenyatta University

_______________________________ ___________________
Dr Anthony J. Simons Date
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
ii
DEDICATION

To Esther, Grace and Victor
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
Declaration......................................................................................................................i
Dedication......................................................................................................................ii
Table of contents..…………........................................................................................iii
List of Tables….......................................................................................................v
List of Figures…....................................................................................................vii
List of abbreviations and acronyms.....................................................................viii
Definition of key concepts (Glossary)....................................................................ix
Acknowledgements........................................................................................................x
Abstract ……. ............................................................................................................xi
Chapter 1: Introduction..............................................................................................1
1.1 Background of the study....................................................................................1
1.2 Statement of the research problem.....................................................................2
1.3 Research questions.............................................................................................3
1.4 Objectives..........................................................................................................4
1.5 Research hypotheses..........................................................................................4
1.6 Research rationale..............................................................................................4
1.7 Theoretical framework.......................................................................................5
Chapter 2: Literature review......................................................................................7
2.1 Introduction........................................................................................................7
2.2 Agroforestry comes of age.................................................................................7
2.3 Need for quality germplasm...............................................................................9
2.4 Emerging decentralised germplasm supply systems........................................12
2.5 Gaps in literature..............................................................................................14
Chapter 3: Research methodology...........................................................................16
3.1 Study area description......................................................................................16
3.2 The sampling design........................................................................................19
3.3 Primary data collection....................................................................................20
3.4 Seed quality tests..............................................................................................21
3.5 Determination of seedling vigour....................................................................23
iv
3.6. Secondary data collection...............................................................................24
3.7 Data analysis....................................................................................................24
Chapter 4: Results and discussion............................................................................25
4.1 Background of respondents..............................................................................25
4.1.1 Gender proportions of the respondents..................................................25
4.1.2 Respondents’ age-groups........................................................................26
4.1.3 Education levels of the respondents.......................................................27
4.1.4 Seed dealers introduction into the seed vending business.....................28

4.2 Sources of seed used by nursery operators in peri-urban Nairobi, Meru and
Western Kenya.................................................................................................32
4.3 Seed sources comparisons by nursery operators..............................................37
4.4 Seed quality and handling by decentralised seed dealers................................42
4.5 Seed storage by seed dealers and nursery operators in Meru, peri-urban
Nairobi and Western Kenya.............................................................................49
4.6. Laboratory tests for the quality of seeds procured from informal seed dealers
in Meru, peri-urban Nairobi and Western Kenya............................................53
4.7 Perception of seed demand by the seed dealers and client relationship..........57
4.8 Informal seed dealers’ constraints, associations and linkages.........................63
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations........................................................68
5.1 Conclusion.......................................................................................................68
5.2 Recommendations............................................................................................69
References...................................................................................................................74
Appendix….................................................................................................................81
v
List of Tables Page
Table 1: Gender proportions for nursery operators and informal seed dealers in
selected parts of Kenya..............................................................................25
Table 2: Age categories for nursery operators and informal seed dealers in
selected parts of Kenya..............................................................................27
Table 3: Education levels for nursery operators and informal seed dealers in
selected parts of Kenya..............................................................................28
Table 4: Duration of training attained and experience in handling of seeds by
seed dealers in Meru, peri-urban Nairobi and western Kenya...................30
Table 5: Content of seed related training that seed dealers in Meru, Nairobi
and Western Kenya had participated in.....................................................31
Table 6: Frequency of tree seed suppliers as mentioned by nursery operators in
Meru, Nairobi and Western Kenya for the season between June and
October 2002..............................................................................................32
Table 7: Efforts undertaken by nursery operators in Meru, Nairobi and Western
Kenya to ascertain the quality of seeds procured.......................................34
Table 8: Problems observed with informal seed dealers by nursery operators in
Meru, Nairobi and Western Kenya............................................................35
Table 9: Factors considered by nursery operators in Meru, Nairobi and
Western Kenya when deciding which seed dealers to purchase tree
seeds from..................................................................................................37
Table 10: Ranking of different seed suppliers by nursery operators in Meru,
Nairobi and Western Kenya.......................................................................38
Table 11: Germination rates of seeds of different species procured by nursery
operators in Meru, Nairobi and Western Kenya from different sources
expressed as percentage of expected germination rates as given in
literature.....................................................................................................41
Table 12: Seed access shortfalls by nursery operators in selected parts of Kenya....42
Table 13: Factors considered by seed dealers in peri-Nairobi, Meru and Western
Kenya as describing good quality tree seeds.............................................43
Table 14: The influence of training in agroforestry and experience in seed
handling by seed dealers on the average number of mother trees
harvested and their average separation distance in Meru, Nairobi and
Western Kenya...........................................................................................44
Table 15: Correlations of average number of mother trees harvested by seed
dealers and their separation distances with the seed dealers’ level of
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training, education and experience in Meru, Nairobi and Western
Kenya.........................................................................................................46
Table 16: Criteria used by seed dealers in Meru, peri-urban Nairobi and Western
Kenya to select mother trees for seed harvesting.......................................48
Table 17: Reasons given by seed dealers in Meru, peri-urban Nairobi and
Western Kenya for the number of mother trees harvested from in
seed collection............................................................................................49
Table 18: Containers used by nursery operators and seed dealers for seed
storage in Meru, peri-urban Nairobi and Western Kenya..........................50
Table 19: Average seed storage period by seed dealers in Meru, peri-urban
Nairobi and Western Kenya comparing training category and
experience of the seed dealers....................................................................51
Table 20: Means of verification on the viability of stored seeds by nursery
operators and seed dealers in Meru, peri-urban Nairobi and western
Kenya.........................................................................................................52
Table 21: Seed test results for Eucalyptus saligna supplied by seed dealers of
different training categories and levels of experience in seed handling
from Meru, peri-urban Nairobi and Western Kenya..................................54
Table 22: Comparisons of purity levels and germination rates of seeds collected
from different seed dealers in Meru, western Kenya and peri-urban
Nairobi.......................................................................................................55
Table 23: Seedling heights of Eucalyptus saligna procured from Meru and
Western Kenya seed dealers and Cupressus lusitanica procured from
peri-urban Nairobi seed dealers after 60 days in the nursery.....................56
Table 24: Average clients turn-over and prices charged for seeds for four top
dealt with tree species by seed dealers in Meru, peri-urban Nairobi
and Western Kenya....................................................................................60
Table 25: Information supplied with seed consignments to clients by the informal
seed dealers in Meru, Western Kenya and peri-urban Nairobi..................63
Table 26: Interactions of informal seed dealers in Meru, Western Kenya and
peri-urban Nairobi with the Seed Centre of the KEFRI............................67
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List of Figures Page
Figure 1: Conceptual model for quality seed supply factors and outcomes..................6
Figure 2: Map of Kenya showing the target study areas............................................19
Figure 3: Reasons given by seed dealers in Meru, Nairobi and Western Kenya
as to why they got into tree seed business....................................................29
Figure 4: Agencies that had offered training to seed dealers in Meru, peri-urban
Nairobi and western Kenya...........................................................................30
Figure 5: Seed collection methods used by seed dealers in Meru, peri-urban
Nairobi and Western Kenya..........................................................................47
Figure 6: Species encountered by seed dealers as having highest seed demand.........58
Figure 7: Constraints identified by seed dealers in their business...............................64
Figure 8: Suggested points of interaction between informal seed dealers in Meru,
Western Kenya and peri-urban Nairobi........................................................65
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List of abbreviations and acronyms

AFRENA-ECA -Agroforestry Research Networks for Africa; East and Central Africa
ICRAF - International Centre for Research in Agroforestry
KENGO - Kenya Energy Non-Governmental Organisation
JICA - Japan International Co-operation Agency
NGO - Non-Governmental Organisation
CBO - Community Based Organisation
GTZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit
HIV-AIDS - Human Immuno-deficient Virus that causes Acquired Human Immune
Deficiency Syndrome
ISTA - International Seed Testing Association
KWAP - Kenya Woodfuel and Agroforestry Programme
KEFRI - Kenya Forestry Research Institute
KFSC - Kenya Forest Seed Centre of KEFRI
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Definition of key concepts (Glossary)

Agroforestry is a collective name for land use systems and practices where woody
perennials are grown on the same land management unit as agricultural crops
and animals either in a spatial mixture or temporal sequence. There must be
significant ecological and economic interactions between the woody and non-
woody components.
Seed viability is the percentage of seeds in a seedlot, which germinate under the test
conditions, or the number of seeds that germinate per unit weight of the
seedlot.
Germination energy is a measure of the rapidity of germination, and can be
expressed as the percentage of the viable seeds in the sample, which
germinate within a given time, or as the number of days required for a given
percentage (for example 50 %) of the viable seeds to germinate.
Propagules are seedlings, cuttings or grafts or any parts of plants with the potential
for producing new individuals (Huxley and Houten, 1997).
Informal systems are systems that operate outside the spheres of central government
or organized (formal) private sector running and supply products and/or
services to the users alongside formal service systems.
Genepool is the total genetic information possessed by the reproductive members of a
population of sexually reproducing organisms.
Seedlot is a quantity of seeds having uniform quality produced at a specific location
and collected from a single crop.
Seed supply systems are systems that ensure that users are able to get the desired tree
seeds in order to establish successful agroforestry systems
Peri-urban Nairobi as used in this study refers to the city of Nairobi (in Kenya) and
the bordering administrative divisions namely Limuru, Ruiru, Athi River,
Kiambaa, Kikuyu and Ngong.
Meru as used in this study refers to Meru Central district in the Eastern Province of
Kenya and the neighbouring Muthaara division in Meru North district.
Western Kenya as used in this study refers to Vihiga district in the Western Province
of Kenya and part of the neighbouring Yala, Impala and Winam divisions in
Nyanza province.