Technologies

Seed Cleaning and Treatment [Tunisia]

Creation: 03/02/2023 9:58 a.m.
Update: 04/23/2024 5:04 p.m.
Compiler: Wafa Saidi
Editors: Siagbé Golli, Faouzi Harrouchi, faouzi BATTI, Fatma Maaloul, Tabitha Nekesa, Ahmadou Gaye
Reviewers: William Critchley, Rima Mekdaschi Studer

technologies_6668 - Tunisia

View sections

Expand all

Completeness: 92%

1. General information

1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Key resource person(s)

SLM specialist:

Mediouni Slim

Office de l'Elevage et des Pâturage (Livestock and Pasture Office)

Tunisia

SLM specialist:

Zaiem Anis

Office de l'Elevage et des Pâturage (Livestock and Pasture Office)

Tunisia

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Soil protection and rehabilitation for food security (ProSo(i)l)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Office de l'élevage et des paturages (OEP) - Tunisia

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Direction Générale de l’Amenagement et de Conservation des Terres Agricoles (DG/ACTA) - Tunisia

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

GIZ Tunisia (GIZ Tunisia) - Tunisia

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

1.5 Reference to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Approaches (documented using WOCAT)

Integrated Territorial Planning and Development Project (PADIT) [Tunisia]

The PADIT approach comprises a cross-cutting participatory methodology to rural development, rallying various stakeholders around a project, within a location, to identify the main economic areas of the rural community concerned, and draw up a prioritized list of actions to strengthen and support development efforts in their location.

Compiler: Wafa Saidi
12/07/2022 11:17 a.m.

2. Description of the SLM Technology

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

In Tunisia, ensuring a consistent supply of quality forage and pasture seeds to farmers is a critical hurdle in advancing the livestock industry, with many farmers turning to self-produced seeds to fulfil their requirements.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Farmers in Tunisia strive to enhance the quality of self-produced forage and pasture seeds, aiming to adhere to technical standards for purity and germination, often undertaking manual cleaning efforts. The initial phase, known as “purification”, occurs in the fields before the harvest. This phase focuses on weeding out unwanted plants, such as Cichorium intybus in bersim (Trifolium sp.). Post-harvest, each farmer engages in the process of cleaning the seeds to eliminate impurities using the means available to them (e.g. manually with basic implements).
Typically, additional seed cleaning, known as winnowing, is carried at the El Grine forage and pasture seed production center of the Livestock and Pasture Office (OEP) to meet quality standards.
In collaboration with national partners, the ProSol Tunisia project, spearheaded by OEP, has introduced an innovative, locally produced, "mobile seed cleaning and treatment unit". This unit, designed by a local machinery manufacturer, consists of various sieves tailored to different forage seed species (barley, vetches, faba beans, bersim, alfalfa, fenugreek, oats, forage peas, etc.).
A bucket chain feeds raw seeds directly into the machine's intake funnel at a height of 2 m. The unit operates on 220 V, ensuring ease of use for beneficiaries on their farms.
Under the ProSol/OEP partnership, two mobile seed conditioning units have been acquired. The first is allocated to the El Grine center in Kairouan, serving alfalfa seed multipliers either on their farms or at the center. The second is delivered to the OEP Fritissa farm, benefiting sulla, bersim, and other seed multipliers.
To boost the production of forage legumes, cooperatives in different regions have purchased these units, making them available to their members and developing a business model around mechanization. Through these mobile seed cleaning and treatment units, seed quality is enhanced, leading to increased revenue for farmers. Additionally, a business plan has been developed to create job opportunities and boost income for professional agricultural organizations (OPAs), mutual agricultural services societies (SMSAs), and others. This has encouraged cooperatives to acquire additional units, providing farmers with valuable services and contributing to economic growth.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

Media Gallery

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

Country:

Tunisia

Region/ State/ Province:

Jendouba

Further specification of location:

El Brahmi, Bou Salem

Specify the spread of the Technology:

applied at specific points/ concentrated on a small area

Is/are the technology site(s) located in a permanently protected area?

2.6 Date of implementation

Indicate year of implementation:

2018

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

during experiments/ research

3. Classification of the SLM Technology

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

improve production
create beneficial economic impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

Cropland

Annual cropping

Annual cropping - Specify crops:

fodder crops - other

Is intercropping practiced?

Is crop rotation practiced?

Yes

Waterways, waterbodies, wetlands

Ponds, dams

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

No (Continue with question 3.4)

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

full irrigation

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

improved plant varieties/ animal breeds
post-harvest measures

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

agronomic measures

A5: Seed management, improved varieties

vegetative measures

V4: Replacement or removal of alien/ invasive species

management measures

M2: Change of management/ intensity level
M5: Control/ change of species composition

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

biological degradation

Bc: reduction of vegetation cover
Bs: quality and species composition/ diversity decline

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

not applicable

Comments:

This technology is designed to provide an adequate and reliable supply of superior-grade forage seed.

4. Technical specifications, implementation activities, inputs, and costs

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

Author:

Wafa SAIDI

Date:

03/2023

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

per Technology area

Indicate size and area unit:

10 ha

other/ national currency (specify):

Tunisian dinar

If relevant, indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (e.g. 1 USD = 79.9 Brazilian Real): 1 USD =:

3.1

Indicate average wage cost of hired labour per day:

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	Ploughing	August
2.	Seeding	September
3.	Irrigation
4.	Mowing	December to mid-May
5.	Purification of the plot of parasitic plants (Cichorium intybus)
6.	Harvesting

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Workers	Man-day	6.0	20.0	120.0	100.0
Equipment	Labour	Hour	4.0	40.0	160.0	100.0
Equipment	Seeding machine	Hour	1.0	70.0	70.0	100.0
Equipment	Combine harvester	Hour	1.5	100.0	150.0	100.0
Plant material	Seed	kg	20.0	5.5	110.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Manure	Hour	0.5	70.0	35.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	DAP	kg	100.0	0.8	80.0	100.0
Other	Transportation		1.0	40.0	40.0	100.0
Other	Irrigation	m3	4000.0	0.12	480.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					1245.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					401.61

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Manual seed sieving
2.	Cleaning of the seeds sieved using the mobile seed cleaning and processing unit

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Workers	Man-day	4.0	20.0	80.0	100.0
Other	Transportation		2.0	40.0	80.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					160.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD					51.61

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Availability of workers

5. Natural and human environment

5.1 Climate

Annual rainfall

< 250 mm
251-500 mm
501-750 mm
751-1,000 mm
1,001-1,500 mm
1,501-2,000 mm
2,001-3,000 mm
3,001-4,000 mm
> 4,000 mm

Specify average annual rainfall (if known), in mm:

820.00

Specifications/ comments on rainfall:

The region is characterized by abundant rainfall, with considerable inter-annual and inter-seasonal variations. The winter months experience the highest precipitation levels, while the summer and autumn periods are the driest.

Indicate the name of the reference meteorological station considered:

Zouem SM

Agro-climatic zone

sub-humid

The average annual temperature ranges between 15° and 20°C.

5.2 Topography

Slopes on average:

flat (0-2%)
gentle (3-5%)
moderate (6-10%)
rolling (11-15%)
hilly (16-30%)
steep (31-60%)
very steep (>60%)

Landforms:

plateau/plains
ridges
mountain slopes
hill slopes
footslopes
valley floors

Altitudinal zone:

0-100 m a.s.l.
101-500 m a.s.l.
501-1,000 m a.s.l.
1,001-1,500 m a.s.l.
1,501-2,000 m a.s.l.
2,001-2,500 m a.s.l.
2,501-3,000 m a.s.l.
3,001-4,000 m a.s.l.
> 4,000 m a.s.l.

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

not relevant

5.3 Soils

Soil depth on average:

very shallow (0-20 cm)
shallow (21-50 cm)
moderately deep (51-80 cm)
deep (81-120 cm)
very deep (> 120 cm)

Soil texture (topsoil):

medium (loamy, silty)

Soil texture (> 20 cm below surface):

medium (loamy, silty)

Topsoil organic matter:

high (>3%)

5.4 Water availability and quality

Ground water table:

> 50 m

Availability of surface water:

good

Water quality (untreated):

for agricultural use only (irrigation)

Water quality refers to:

ground water

Is water salinity a problem?

Is flooding of the area occurring?

5.5 Biodiversity

Species diversity:

medium

Habitat diversity:

medium

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Sedentary or nomadic:

Sedentary

Market orientation of production system:

commercial/ market

Off-farm income:

less than 10% of all income

Relative level of wealth:

rich

Individuals or groups:

individual/ household

Level of mechanization:

manual work
mechanized/ motorized

Gender:

women
men

Age of land users:

middle-aged

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

< 0.5 ha
0.5-1 ha
1-2 ha
2-5 ha
5-15 ha
15-50 ha
50-100 ha
100-500 ha
500-1,000 ha
1,000-10,000 ha
> 10,000 ha

Is this considered small-, medium- or large-scale (referring to local context)?

medium-scale

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

individual, not titled

Land use rights:

individual

Water use rights:

communal (organized)

Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Yes

Specify:

Heritage

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

health:

poor
moderate
good

education:

poor
moderate
good

technical assistance:

poor
moderate
good

employment (e.g. off-farm):

poor
moderate
good

markets:

poor
moderate
good

energy:

poor
moderate
good

roads and transport:

poor
moderate
good

drinking water and sanitation:

poor
moderate
good

financial services:

poor
moderate
good

6. Impacts and concluding statements

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

crop production

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

Cleaned seeds improve crop productivity by 150%.

crop quality

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

Seed cleaning plays a crucial role in maintaining the genetic purity of crop varieties.

fodder production

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

Green mowing repeated twice

fodder quality

decreased

increased

risk of production failure

increased

decreased

Comments/ specify:

High-quality seeds are used, reducing the risk of production failure

product diversity

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

Green products, seeds

Income and costs

farm income

decreased

increased

diversity of income sources

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

Sale of green products, seeds

workload

increased

decreased

Comments/ specify:

By using high-quality cleaned seed, farmers can reduce the need for additional inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.

Socio-cultural impacts

food security/ self-sufficiency

reduced

improved

Comments/ specify:

Self-procurement of seeds

Ecological impacts

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

invasive alien species

increased

reduced

Comments/ specify:

Purification of the plot from pest plants

Specify assessment of on-site impacts (measurements):

Impact assessment involves measurements on a pilot plot.

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

Preservation of genetic purity

réduit

améliore

Comments/ specify:

Seed cleaning plays a crucial role in maintaining the genetic purity of crop varieties.

Specify assessment of off-site impacts (measurements):

This technology has no off-site impact.

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

	Season	increase or decrease	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual rainfall		decrease	well
seasonal rainfall	wet/ rainy season	decrease	well

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

Short-term returns:

very positive

Long-term returns:

very positive

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

Short-term returns:

very positive

Long-term returns:

very positive

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

1-10%

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

11-50%

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Increased yield: Using high-quality seeds leads to improved yields, which in turn means higher profits and enhanced food security.
Preserving local crop varieties
Profitability: Minimize the cost of purchasing seeds while providing another source of income through the sale of the seeds produced.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Resilience to climate change: The seed multiplication and cleaning technique provides access to climate-resistant crop varieties, helping farmers to adapt to climate change and maintain productivity and livelihoods under changing climatic conditions.
Improved seed quality and diversity
Stimulation of local economies and improved livelihoods through the creation of employment opportunities

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
The relatively high upfront investment needed to set up a seed a seed multiplication and cleaning system may pose a challenge for certain farmers, especially smallholders.	Incentivizing farmers through subsidies

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Climate change can have an impact on crop productivity and affect seed multiplication and cleaning activities.	Promote climate-friendly farming practices

7. References and links

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

field visits, field surveys

A visit to a seed multiplier

interviews with land users

A visit to a seed multiplier

interviews with SLM specialists/ experts

Interviews with two experts from the Livestock and Pasture Office

compilation from reports and other existing documentation

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

02/02/2023

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Locally manufactured seedcleaning and treatment unit: Improve seed quality, Udo Rudiger and Anis Zaiem

Available from where? Costs?

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Cahier de charge relatif à la production et à la multiplication des semences et plants,

Available from where? Costs?

Ministry of Agriculture

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Mobile seed cleaning and treatment unit designed and developed with support from ICARDA, 2019, Zied Idoudi, Udo Rudiger

Available from where? Costs?

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

Outils de formation pour la production de semences de qualité: Module 1: Le développement d’entreprises semencières à petite échelle, 2019, FAO ET AFRICASEEDS

URL:

https://duddal.org/files/original/feefacb4735d646101fb82e4a5140801597e2b3c.pdf

Title/ description:

Rudiger, U. 2020. Mobile seed cleaning and treatment units as business opportunities for farmer cooperatives in Tunisia. Poster prepared for the Virtual Livestock CRP Planning Meeting, 8-17 June 2020. Tunisia: ICARDA.