CC BY
15
Section 4. Management
https://doi.org/10.29013/EJEMS-20-4-26-29
Bleza Teneqexhi, PhD Candidate, Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania E-mail: [email protected] Ms C. Arjola Mersini, Financial Specialist
THE IMPACT OF CERTIFICATED SEEDS IN STRENGTHENING THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY
Abstract
High results in agricultural production cannot be achieved without quality seed and planting material. No matter how high the agro-technology applied to an agricultural crop, if the seed or sapling does not possess complex positive qualities, then high yields and customer-friendly quality cannot be guaranteed. This paper tends to explain the problem of evaluating seed and planting material through certification, as a legal and decisive process, in defining complex qualities that are totally related to stabilized produce.
Regarding the legislation perspective on seeds and seedlings, the opinion ofthe specialists of district agriculture: IKorga, Devoll, Pogradec, on the certification of seeds and seedlings. The classification of this process (certification) is treated in 3 (three) categories and specifically:
a) Fully uncertified planting material.
b) Partially certified planting material.
c) Fully certified planting material.
Interestingly, for vegetable and fruit crops, the opinion of specialists is unique in favor of fully certified materials. For cross-pollinated vegetable crops such as cabbage, onions, peppers, etc., experts believe that seed materials must be certified in order to guarantee high quality, stabilized products. While, for cereal crops, such as wheat, barley, etc., experts have stated through the interview that they are in favor of certified materials, but with a lower probability than for vegetable crops.
On the other hand, for the maize plant, the opinion of specialists on certified and partially certified seeds is more positive than on wheat. It is easily understood that maize seeds tend to rapidly degenerate against cereal plants such as wheat, barley, etc.
Keywords: Certification of planting material, productivity, vegetable crops, fruit trees, cereals etc...
Introduction
When analyzing the productive "architecture" of an agricultural crop in time and space, we will mention two basic pillars underlying it and specifically: the quality of seed and sapling with all their parameters, and the level of agrotechnology applied.
The role of seed and sapling in increasing agricultural production is crucial. Historically speaking, seed use marks the transition from the human food collection, as well as the first wanderer civilizations, to the first sedentary civilizations. Early civilizations were based on the cultivation of various plants, gradually improving towards new traits or features. Nowadays, the development of agriculture in any country is closely related to the availability and the usage of the most suitable seed and planting material.
For the last three decades, agricultural production has been characterized by a fundamental varietal revolution, without which the ever-growing needs of the inhabitants of this planet cannot be understood.
It is clear that the activities related to planting material (seeds) are extensive. With this type of activity, the mutual interests of those who produce and trade are related to those who use them.
In this mutual activity, there is a need to operate a regulatory system called seed legislation. The purpose of this legislation is to protect the mutual interests of those who produce and trade with those who use them. The purpose of this legislation also tends to protect the interest of growers, with the aim of increasing the country's agricultural productivity.
Methodology
In order to address this issue as scientifically as possible, we have compiled a comprehensive questionnaire, based on the most positive domestic and foreign experiences. In this questionnaire, we have paid attention to the problem of certification as a process that relies both on laws and on scientific achievements. There were interviewed a total of 53 highly educated and experienced specialists, 20 of whom belonged to the IKor£a region, 18 to the Maliqi
field area, as an intensive crop cultivation region, and 15 to Devolli area specialists, with specificities differentiated into cultivation of vegetable plants such as: potatoes, onions and fruit trees, for example, apples, pears and plums. Agricultural crops are divided into cereals, including wheat and maize crops; in vegetables where the plants are divided into: tomatoes, peppers, onions, cabbage, leeks and in fruit trees with species: apples, plums, nuts and grapes. The classification of certification is based on the three evaluation categories, such as:
A) Completely non-certified materials;
B) Partially certified materials;
C) Fully Certified Materials.
Certification is an evaluation process, which is
carried out by specialized, experienced and supported employees based on legislation approved by bylaws and unified acts.
Results and discussion
In order to make the study more valuable and to be convinced of perfection, we are analyzing an applied research conducted in the region of Korga, regarding the role and effects on productivity of certified versus non-certified seeds, which is essentially nothing but mixed genetic material, and bio-genetically degenerate. The study was carried out on beet - sugar, potato, maize and cabbage - grains, in certified and completely non - certified seed varieties.
The following table introduces us to the results in production among the variants under study.
As it can be seen at (table no. 1), there are significant differences in yields between certified and fully certified seed variants.
Thus, in the maize plant, the difference in production is: 24.76 kv/ha, in the potato 249 kv/ha in the cabbage - grain 236 kv/ha, while in the beet - the difference in sugar reaches up to 183 kv/ha. If these differentiated productive values are converted into monetary ones, then the additional sales revenue of these products results would be:
Maize 99.040 lek, Potato 622.500 lek, Cabbage -grain 354.000 lek, and Beet - sugar 91.500 lek. If we
statistically analyze the productive levels among the that there will be strong correlations with correlation variants under study for maize culture, we will find coefficient value u = + 0.78
Table 1. - Summary table for kv/ha yields according to the study variants and ecological environment, in Korea
No. Naming Material Planting Naming The Ecological Region Type Of Agricultural Crop
Corn Quintals/Ha Potato Quintals/Ha Cabbage -kv/Ha Beet sugar kv/Ha
1. Completely certified seed and sapling Region of Korea 52.5 560 510 625
Region of Pogradec 67.5 530 480 480
Region of Kolonja 77 460 560 620
2. Seed and seedling completely uncertified Region of Korea 27.3 278 320 378
Region of Pogradec 41.2 285 150 320
Region of Kolonja 54.2 240 310 480
Note: The study was conducted by the Faculty of Agriculture, "Fan S. Noli" University of Korga
No. Certified seeds Productivity kv/Ha Uncertified seeds Productivity kv/Ha
1. Corn 65.66 Corn 40.56
2. Potato 516.60 Potato 267.60
3. Cabbage - Grain 516.50 Cabbage - Grain 260.00
4. Sugar-beet 575.00 Sugar-beet 392.60
X = 52.5
X = 67.5
X = 77 x = 65.66
VX = 10.09
4X -jy = 111.69
x • y = 2659.23
= 2801.01
VX-jy _ 111.69 _
y1= 27.3
y3 = 54.4 J = 40.50
■Jy = 11.07
R _±~-
_ 0.78
x • y - x • y 141.78
Regarding the interviews conducted through the questionnaire, a unique opinion emerges about the values of certified seed materials.
Table 2. - Clearly presents this opinion of the agricultural specialists
No. Type of agriculture crop No. of agricultural specialists (opinion)
Totally Uncertified Partially Certified Completely Certified
1 2 3 4 5
1. Wheat seed 2 17 34
2. Corn seed — 11 42
3. Tomato seed 2 10 41
4. Pepper seed 3 12 38
5. Onion seed 1 10 42
6. Cabbage seed 4 7 42
7. Leek seed — 12 41
1 2 3 4 5
Seedlings
8. Apples — 5 48
9. Grapes — 7 46
10. Plums — 6 47
11. Nut — 5 48
12. Cherry — 7 46
As can be seen from (Table 2), which expresses the opinions of the specialists interviewed, we find out that for fruit-growers, where the investment is long-term and the productivity of the cultivated species lasts over 10-15 years, the planting materials must be fully certified.
It will be considered a huge monetary loss for farmers if their orchards have non-certified seedlings, where their production will be unstable, scarce and of poor quality. The same situation is observed for vegetable crops where their genetic and biological structure of flora does not allow for the sowing of degenerate seed materials resulting from lack of certification. On the other hand, it seems to be more tolerant the situation regarding planting of seeds of cereal plants such as wheat, where the tendency for degeneration is less towards vegetable plants.
Conclusions
1. Certified seed material has high productive value in all plants analyzed, compared to non-certified material, in all ecological settings of Korça Region.
2. From the calculated correlation analysis, it turns out that we have strong correlation coefficients ofcor-relation coefficient value u = + 0.78 to the maize plant between variants, certified seed and non-certified.
3. For vegetable plants, the opinion of the interviewed agricultural specialists remains unique as to the superiority of certified seed material over non-certified seed.
4. For fruit and vegetable crops analyzed in the questionnaire such as apples, pears, plums, grapes and nuts, the opinion of specialists is totally for the cultivation of fully certified seedlings versus non-certified seedlings.
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