Smart Seed Choices

Using VarietyCatalogues.com to Grow What Works in Southern Africa

An informal learning course for farmers, extension officers, and agripreneurs across Southern Africa.

Overview

Across Southern Africa, farmers face mounting pressures from climate variability, pest outbreaks, and soil degradation. One of the most strategic yet underutilized solutions is the careful selection of locally tested and appropriate crop varieties.

This course introduces learners to VarietyCatalogues.com, an open-access platform created by the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) in collaboration with National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS). The website provides scientifically validated, country-specific information on crop varieties based on official field trial data.

This empowers farmers, advisors, and agri-entrepreneurs to make informed, resilient seed choices that are tailored to local growing conditions.