IITA Annual Report 2010
Rust-resistant soybean varieties (green) being tested alongside susceptible ones (brown). Photo by R Bandyopadhyay, IITA.
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In Nigeria the early- to mediummaturing varieties TGx 1987-10F and TGx 1987-62F were released by the Nigerian Variety Release Committee in December 2010. These varieties gave an average grain yield of 1670 and 1630 kg per hectare, respectively, in a two-year multi-location, on-station trials. They also mature in just 96-97 days on the average (compared to 100-150 days by local varieties) and are capable of producing 2.6 tons of fodder per hectare. They have also been proven to be highly resistant to rust, bacterial blight, and Cercospora leaf spot, and are preferred by farmers because they smother weeds and reduce the cost of weeding. Farmers that participated in the on-farm trials also indicated that they especially like the golden color of the grains at maturity. The trials of these new varieties were supported by our Tropical Legumes II Project. In Mozambique, five varieties that we developed have been prereleased to expedite access by farmers while the country’s Variety Registration and Release Committee continue their assessment for full release. The varieties were evaluated across four agro-ecological zones of Mozambique in on-station and on-farm trials for three years. Results showed that yields for the varieties TGx 1485-1D, TGx 1740-2F, TGx 1904-6F, TGx 1908-8F, and TGx 1937-1F in the major soybean producing regions of Zambesia and Tete provinces were 3527, 3748, 4096, 3963, and 3614 kg per hectare, respectively, compared with 2830 kg per hectare of ‘Storm’, the most popular and highest yielding existing variety. The new varieties mature in 93-113 days. Farmers prefer the varieties because of their high yields, profuse nodulation, moderate drought tolerance, and resistance to Cercospora leaf spot, frog eye, and pod shattering. The varieties grow vigorously and their canopy closes early effectively controlling the growth of weeds and reducing the need for frequent weeding.