By Katherine Zavala | Coordinator of Programs
In setting up seed banks, GRAVIS uses local varieties of seeds such as Moong (Green gram), Moth (Legume), Jowar (Coarse millet), Bajra (Pearl millet) and Guar (Cluster beans), which are collected from the villages during harvest season and preserved in pots with ash, dry calcium carbonate and dried neem leaves.
Calcium carbonate absorbs the moisturizer of seeds, ash helps it to remain dry and neem acts as pesticide to prevent insects from affecting the seeds. The mouths of the pots are sealed with mud. This is how traditionally the local varieties of seeds are preserved in the villages. These seed banks are managed by community-based organizations like Village Development Communities (VDCs) and Self Help Groups (SHGs), which GRAVIS helps to form.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
