What happens when droughts hinder farmers from planting their seeds? They wait for the rains. What if heavy rains that come after the drought cause seeds to decay within the soils while others are washed away by floods? May be the seeds should be stored until the weather is conducive enough for planting. But pests will destroy them from the stores. This is what is happening to some farmers in South Western Uganda as torrential rains hit their villages.

However, as Fredrick Mugira finds out, one farmer in the region has developed an innovation that could help farmers in Uganda preserve their seeds cheaply until the right time for planting comes.

It is the beginning of the wet season in Katojo Nyakayojo, Mbarara District. The shadows are lengthening. The sun shines clearly in spite of the efforts of deep gray clouds to cover it. A farmer sits proudly next to her sacks of beans and maize. She wears a smile of satisfaction. The object of her smile is not the many sacks of beans and maize she has. It is the ability to preserve these seeds longer which allows her to adapt to the changing planting season as a result of climate change.

He name is Plakseda Kamanyiro. She lives in Katojo Nyakayojo sub county Mbarara district. She is a farmer who grows different types of crops such as beans, gnuts, beans maize and grapes too.

Urine Business
Mrs. Kamanyiro’s store is full of beans and maize seeds. But how does she manage to preserve them amidst ever-hiking prices of pesticides.

“In the past we used pesticides to preserve these seeds but recently we no longer use them because they are poisonous. Now we have resorted to using urine from cows,” Mrs. Kamanyiro narrates as she laughs.

“You mix it with wood ash. Then after mixing it, you get your seeds such as those of beans or maize put them on the ground or floor. Then you pour in that mixture of urine and ash and you mix them. You spread them on the sunshine, dry them and keep them, she further narrates.

Mrs. Kamanyiro describes this as the best method of preserving her seeds. She says it is effective because it is cheap and not poisonous

She says she is able to preserve her seeds for about one year without being attacked by
weevils or other pests.

Mrs. Kamanyiro tells me that she was forced to innovate this method of preserving seeds because of food Security and climate change.

“We normally have droughts. Droughts attack us and we keep these seeds for along time and because beans and maize are our main food crop. That is why we need to preserve them for a long time,” Mrs. Kamanyiro narrates further stressing that, “you see now climate has changed. We now have short rain seasons in March and April which are not good for planting beans and other crops. That is why we need to preserve our seeds and keep them up to September when the rain season is a bit longer,” notes Mrs. Kamanyiro.

She says she had been seeing her grandfathers using cow urine to kill pests in their kitchen and stores as so she also thought of using it to preserve her seeds.

“I thought if I use this urine in our crops can’t it kill pests. So I decided. I got beans then mixed them with urine and wood ash and it worked,” she notes.

Mrs. Kamanyiro says it is not easy to collect urine from cows. “We wake up very early in the morning, get saucepan. You just go to the kraal and collect it from the cows while they are passing it out,” she speaks as she laughs.

Costs of Not Preserving Seeds.

But what would be the consequences if Kamanyiro does not preserve her beans and maize? As she narrates, they are attacked by weevils. They do not germinate and they can not be used for food or home consumption.

“We preserve beans because we need them for home consumption and even get money from beans. So when we don’t preserve them, we get problems. Hanger attacks us and even we fail to get money because beans are the major source of income, home income and even food crop. That is why we preserve them,” Mrs. Kamanyiro contends.

She says in the past before she started using this method of seeds preservation, her seeds were being attacked by weevils and they could not germinate. They could even not be used as food and so they would end up in garbage pits.

“You couldn’t even sell them to get money. So it was a big problem. Mmm there is a saying that necessity is a mother of innovation. That is why we decided to use our own methods of food preservations and they are now working. We are now very happy. Our crops are well preserved. We are happy, we get money. We eat good foods without any problem,” Kamanyiro says.

Genetically Modified Crops versus Traditional Crops.

Activists have been advocating for good quality seeds that are drought resistant. But what happens to the traditional crops such as beans, maize, and peas if drought resistant seeds are introduced? Kamanyiro contends that with such an innovation, there is no need of introducing drought resistant seeds.

“For me I think it is better to remain with our traditional seeds because we need to preserve our culture, preserve our traditional seeds and I know they are good. They are good. Eee they resist some of the pests and even they are long lasting.

As she waits to plant her seeds, Kamanyiro wears a smile of satisfaction. She is not bothered by the climate change. Her innovation will clearly help her.

“My advice to the farmers is that since we have learnt and we are being told that these pesticides we buy from shops are poisonous, farmers should go to our local pesticides which are good and which are not poisonous, these ingredients are free. You don’t need money to buy them. They are available. You can get them anytime you need them. So that is why we need to utilize our local herbicides because they are effective and they are good’” she tips other farmers.

My farmer friend, what are you doing to adapt to climate change? Make appropriate changes in planting dates. Innovate strategies that could help in pest and disease control. Conserve your environment.