Participatory Varietal Selection and a Community-Based Seed System for Restoring Rice Production in Liberia

Inadequate seed quality has been one of the major constraints to rice production in Liberia after years of conflict. A community-based seed production system (CBSS), implemented in two rice growing counties of Liberia, aimed to improve the supply of high quality rice seed and increase locally produced rice. Ninety-four improved rice varieties (18 upland and 76 lowland) were introduced into the country. Selected varieties were screened for tolerance to iron toxicity, after which 10 mt of foundation seed of three selected varieties, Nerica-L19, Suakoko-8 and Nerica 14, were produced under irrigated conditions and distributed to farming groups trained in the concept of CBSS, to produce quality-declared rice seed. Over 125 mt of quality-declared seed of several rice varieties were produced. Availability of high quality rice seed increased Liberian farmers' interest in growing rice for consumption and commercial purposes.