Nigeria Content Online

Nigerians
scientists have released two new and improved cowpea varieties to
farmers as part of efforts to raise production and improve farmer
incomes in Nigeria’s savannah region, an official of the International
Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan has said.

The varieties –
IT89KD-288 and IT89KD-391 – were developed by scientists working at the
Institute, in collaboration with the Institute for Agricultural
Research of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; the University of
Maiduguri, Borno and the Agricultural Development Programmes of Borno,
Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina States.

Proven superiority

Godwin Atser, the
West African corporate communications officer of the IITA, said both
varieties have proven superiority over the current lines being
cultivated and aim to overcome the challenges faced by cowpea farmers
in the country.

“For instance,
IT89KD-288 (now SAMPEA-11) is a dual-purpose cowpea variety with large
white seeds and a rough seed coat.” Mr. Atser said. “It has combined
resistance to major diseases including septoria leaf spot, scab, and
bacterial blight, as well as to nematodes, and tolerance to Nigeria’s
strain of striga gesnerioides – a parasitic weed that severely lowers
yield.”

Alpha Kamara, an
IITA agronomist who is leading efforts to rapidly disseminate the
varieties to farmers, added: “It also has a yield advantage of at least
80% over the local varieties.”

Planting dates

The scientists
recommend that the variety be planted in mid-July in the Sudan
Savannah, in early to mid-August in the Northern Guinea Savannah, and
by the end of August in the Southern Guinea Savanna. However, where
there is certainty of rains up till the end of October, IT89KD-288 can
be planted in September.

IT89KD-391 (now SAMPEA-12) is also a dual-purpose cowpea variety, but it has medium-to-large brown seeds with a rough seed coat.

“These are preferred seed characteristics for commercial production in northeast Nigeria,” Mr. Atser said.

“IT89KD-391 is a
welcome improvement over SAMPEA 7, Ife brown, IT90K-76, and IT90K-82-2
which are the main improved brown-seeded varieties available,” Hakeem
Ajeigbe, an IITA extension/dissemination specialist, added. “It has
been tested extensively in this area and is well-accepted by the
farmers.

The variety
performs well as a sole crop and an intercrop. It could also be planted
as a relay crop with maize in the Guinea Savannahs.”

Double the yield

Several on-station and on-farm trials have shown that IT89KD-391 (SAMPEA 12) produces double the yields of local cultivars.

This is not the
first improved crop released by the government. In 2008, Nigeria
released a Striga-resistant improved cowpea variety (IT97K-499-35).

According to Mr.
Atser, the scientists are currently setting up community-based seed
production schemes to make seeds of these improved varieties available
through the Project on Legumes funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation.

“The demand for
these improved varieties is high because of their superior yields and
their acceptability by consumers,” Mr. Kamara said.