Seed Hub and Store

The Genetic Resource farm of Annadana at Ishana is managed in 5 acres with Seed production gardens along with infrastructure such as office, drying work stations and a Seed bank. A diversity of heritage seeds are displayed with posters detailing our best practices in seed conservation. Annadana Seed Bank is probably one of the best managed, recognized seed banks in India. The Seed Bank has an infrastructure of 50 sq.m. It is unique, insulated to maintain temperatures with natural aeration and is termite proof. It is conceived for the extraction, drying, conservation and packing of vegetable seeds together with a work station for administration of the seed distribution network, packaging, maintaining data and feedback to respond to orders & queries.

Equipped with low cost teak wood racks (3 no’s) with 20 – 25 trays to conserve a diversity of 40 vegetable varieties at any given time. Facilities to wash the selected healthy fruits harvested for their seeds are further cleaned and graded. The extracted seeds are shade dried using precision methods.The duration for drying can vary from 7-15 days. Thereafter, viable seeds are sieved, packed in air tight containers and then stored in freezers at temperatures of 4 degrees.

A hot air oven is used only during monsoons to the control the moisture relative humidity in seeds.

Seed Bank Functions

The seed bank activities are managed by a team of efficient experts to process the harvests from our farm. Each year in total 80 different varieties of vegetables ranging from Tomatoes, Capsicum, Brinjal, Salads, Cucurbit, Corn, Ladies finger, Chillies, Water melon, Amaranth, Beans and more are saved. Our seed catalogue is released mid every year for farmers and people from all walks to subscribe from. They undergo stringent quality checks – from selection of harvest, isolated, extracted, dried, tested, packed and distributed to hundreds of farmers, farmers association, NGO’s, individuals, private and State Institution (Horticulture Research Stations; State Farms; State Training Centers). The seed bank maintains data on yield of varieties, resistance and tolerance to diseases, heat and water stress, conducts germination tests, compiles comprehensive documentation for local farmers and home gardeners about seed saving. Applied research and experimentation on various organic techniques of cultivation is conducted in our farm. Our aim is to develop systems of cultivation which are organic, high yielding, sustainable, based on, on farm -input which is not only economical but replicable by small scale and marginal farmers.

The various techniques investigated are varied: from raised bed system, composting farm residues and local available resources, system of soil fertilization through green manure, hedges and on farm cultivation of bio mass and bio pesticide plants, vermi- composting, efficient micro-organisms, organic growth promoter and immunity boosters, development of bio pesticides using fermentation, decoction and extraction of local & medicinal plants and renewable energy. For more details – seedsavers@annadana-india.org