CDA introduces new groundnut, sorghum technologies to boost food security

By solacebase.com On Oct 6, 2022

CDA, BUK, ICRISAT, Food Security — Farmers at the demonstration field day at Doka village in Tofa local government area of Kano state

By Muhammad Muhammad

Determined to complement federal government policies on food security, Center for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), Bayero University, Kano has introduced an improved technologies to enhance production of Groundnut and Sorghum.

SOLACEBASE reports that the improved varieties SAM 24, SAM 27, SAM 26 are essentially fortified to produce high yield crops, early generation, and resistance to bio and abiotic resources inimical to crops development.

Conducting journalists round a demonstration plots at Doka village in Tofa local government area of Kano state, on Wednesday, Deputy Director of the Centre, Prof. Sanusi Mohammad Gaya explained that the Brown field demonstration intended to showcase the significance results of the technologies.

Professor Mohammad hinted that the outcome of the trial has justified the commitment of the Centre to enhance food production, empower smallholder farmers and the university’s community service.

With the improved varieties, Professor Mohammad emphasized that farmers would harvest high yield of not less than 1,000 kg per hectare, equivalent to 50 bags of in-shell groundnut against 200 kg per hectare harvest on local breed.

Besides that, the CDA deputy director, noted that the new technologies has early maturity of 100 days after which farmers can harvest.

He added that 50 farmers including women counterparts already benefiting from the CDA seeds in Doka and other villagers, among the 22 university communities.

” The essence of the field day is to showcase the impact of the improved seeds produced by the Centre. The Centre demonstrate new technologies of Groundnut and Sorghum production. The drought of quality seeds for high production prompted the research for the new varieties.

” We have come out with SAM 26 and SAM 27 for early maturity, high yielding improved resistance to bio and abiotic resources, tolerance to drought. When you evaluate local varieties of groundnut, farmers hardly get 200kg per hectare about 5 bags but with the improved seeds, farmers will have minimum of 1,000 kg, one tons and about 50 bags of in-shell groundnut”. Professor Mohammad explained.

One of the benefiting farmers, Abubakar Aminu who narrated his experience with SAM 26 and SAM 27 stressed the improved varieties have proved significantly better than the local seed.

Aminu said the improved seeds received from CDA started generation within two months of production against the usual tradition with local breed.

CDA introduced the new technologies under Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Systems in Africa (AVISA), a project launched in February 2019 and being funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, led by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) with several implementing partners that include CDA, BUK.

The project is targeted at improving the breeding and Seed system as well as enhance the livelihood of small-scale producers and consumers of Groundnuts and Sorghums, Millets, Beans and Cowpea. AVISA project is presently implemented in seven countries of Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda.