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• Shaking the sheaves and collecting the seeds falling on a sheet of canvas placed underneath the crop.
Cleaning and drying The drying process must be done under a shed to protect the seed from direct sunlight. Grass seeds are more sensitive to drying processes than legume seeds and should be dried slowly under a shed to maintain high viability. Legume pods and grass inflorescence heaps should be turned regularly once a day to ensure uniformity of drying. After drying, the material could be threshed by trampling with feet, lightly pounding with local wooden mortar (mukecha) or beating with sticks. Final cleaning can be done traditionally using a grass plate (sefeid) and sieve (wonfeet).
Storage Cleaned and properly dried seed must be stored in a cool, dry place. Seeds may be stored in cloth bags which provide good aeration. For both grass and legume seeds storage in plastic bags should be avoided. Seed storehouses should have high roofs for efficient ventilation and to keep the temperature as low as possible. Vent holes around the wall above the ceiling will provide movement of hot air out of the space in between the ceiling and iron roof. The seed storeroom should be clean and free from insects and rodents. Generally, seed must be kept at a room temperature not exceeding 15oC with a relative humidity below 45% for short-term (2–3 years) storage.
8.4.2. Suggested sources of foundation seed Foundation seed for initiating forage seed multiplication may be found at/through one of the following:
• National and international research institutes ♦ Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research • Holetta Research Centre • Debre Zeit Research Centre • Kuklumsa Research Centre • Bako Research Centre ♦ International Livestock Research Institute ♦ Farmer-to-farmer seed exchange • The most reliable and sustainable source for the smallholder farmer. • Organize and create awareness among farmers to raise and exchange forage seeds the same way they exchange food crop seeds.
♦ Cost-retrieving projects at the woreda level. Seed producers’ cooperatives organized at the woreda level may operate seed production nurseries for elite forage species and varieties and sell the seed at a reasonable price just to cover the cost of production The woreda Ministry of Agriculture offices, besides organizing and monitoring the cooperatives, may offer technical training and guidance as to where foundation seed and other farm supplies can be obtained.
Ethiopia Sheep and Goat Productivity Improvement Program