varieties into the hands of farmers. From MARS to GWS we are perhaps – taking a cue from astronaut Neil Armstrong – taking “one small step for maize breeders, one giant leap for farmers”.
Giving cereals and legumes production in sub-Saharan Africa a boost The production of cereals and legumes in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly maize, cowpea, and soybean, got a much-needed boost with the release of improved varieties that we developed with partners in the region. The varieties address many of the major constraints to the production of the crops such as drought, low soil fertility, pests, diseases, and parasitic weed, and were developed through conventional plant breeding by tapping naturally-available traits. Every year, we distribute improved varieties and hybrids to national partners and the private sector through regional trials. We use these trials to select promising varieties and hybrids adapted to specific conditions in the different countries for extensive testing and later release. Improved maize In Nigeria, the Nigeria National Variety Release Committee released 13 new open-pollinated maize varieties of extra-early-, early-, intermediate-, and late-maturity with improved resistance to Striga and stem borers, tolerance to drought, and well adapted to suboptimal soil nitrogen. We developed the varieties in partnership with the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) of the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria
With the release of new maize varieties, farmers and consumers have more and better options. Photo by IITA.
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