e DAIlY TRUST
27
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
interview
AGRICULTURE
UDUS to develop onions with long storage life Dr.lawali Abubakar is of the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.ln this interview, he discloses the current research by the department on the development of onions with longer shelf life as well as the varieties that are resistant to purple blotch disease, a major disease afflicting onion production in the region. Excerpts; From Rakiya A, Muhammad. Sakoto
Onion Is one of the major crops produced In thli part of the country. Ii there any reiearch you afe currentlv conductln, towudi improvin& it, On onIons, we did a research on the purple blotch disease; it is a fungi diseaSE'. It is the major disease afflicting onion productIon In this part of the country. So, as a first step to the breeding, we did what we call Inheritance studIes. We identified whal is responsible for the lesistance and we are now In the process of Inlfogression of the genes into our local onion cultivars such that we can develop purple blotch resistant varieties. One other ilrea we are focusing on in onion is the issue of development of cuitivars with longer shelf life, stolClge. One of the major problems of onions is that It easily loses value and that Is the main reason why farmers would have to sell at the beginning of the season and at very low price. The research work at this end, is to develop varieties with longer shelf life which we believe would iKtually enhance the malket value and the turnover the farmers will get is going to be great. I think If this is achieved, we would have succeeded in solving the major problems of onion farmers In this part of the country What stage of the research are you In now? We have actually collected the germ psalm. We have the materials ready, we have applied for funding to various agenci~. NatulCllly, you require funding for these thIngs. We are still looking for funding to make sure we do It full-fledged . If the funds are available. I think we will just begin the introgression of the genes for reSistance to purple blotch and for longer shelf tife and then we do the evaluation and subsequently we talk about the release. It is like a local research. Why Is it IOGII] It Is beause It Is mainly being cultIVated In this lone Before you do what we Gill crop Improvement, the first stage is to do inheritance study. The Inheritance study on this particular disease and other things on onions took us about four tofrve '/'l'al"5 before we even
• Dr.Lawali Abubakar started the pTOgldmme. Now, the breeding, it Is like the programme on onions has been on for 9-10 years, and I
is the releaSE'. Neuhems came in when we were collecting the germ psalm and when we were dOlOg the Inheritance study.
art' observations, then you pick them up and you refine, of course, for the onion thing, we Intend to do what we call participatory plant breeding. the onions with the longer shelf life, we want to do it together with the farmers such that the farmers would actually assist us during the evaluation using their traditional methods of storage with the modern ones. We are envisaging to develop and then we now evaluate storage conditions that are best and on the basis of this, we can now come out with the best varieties with longer shelf life and the stolClge facilities methods for onions in this environment. The evaluation we want to do together with the farmers Is a new concept In breeding If you Gin enhance the shelfl1fe and you can control the disease, it means the crop can be cultivated during rainy season as well. Sa we want to extend the cultivation panern In this area What are the major challenges you encounter In your reieart.h works. The first of the major challenges is fundin" and the second is infrastructure. Once these two are resolved, I think the human angle is resolved Then we need to link researches with development.
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One othe r calli want to make, particularly to the state governments, is let them see how t hey can partner with our universities and provide some funding . such that researches can be encouraged in these areas
think it is an appreciable thing for our f.Jculty. The notable feat so far, particularly with respect to the onions. we were able to develop this purple blotch resistant varietiei. We have developed the genotype and this is even in partnership with a company in the US, Neuhems, a SE'ed company. We co-funded and we-worked on onions; the purple blotch resistance has been developed and of course we art' In the process of evaluation and once we finish the evaluation, the next stage
Now, we are seeking for fund to see how we can progress with the evaluations. We want to evaluate in Sakata. In Aliero, Kebbi State and in Talata Mafara, Zamfara, so that we can gIve the varieues a wide spread spectrum of adaptation. What about the farmen' involvement? At what stage are you InYOMnl them? You see, the first thing on research is you do the evaluation; identify the promising ones and then you extend it to the farmers and get their response. If there
Weexpectthestategovernments to come in and partner. One thing I would like to say, where we need local ellCOuragemenl.ls people should understand that partnering wIth international organizations is okay but when you partner with the local collabolCltors, the advantage Is twofold. Number one, you are developing the technology and the sp«.'(:lalty of your own people; the other one Is that it Is a normal thIng that no country on earth would come and give you the technology with which
you will ellceL It is a standard thing. all they will give you is something toget you moving but the correct and thE' right thing. it is your own people that will give it to you. That is the seuet oltne Chinese, they got the basic idea and they sat themselves down and did what was right for their country By the time you develop your own local research component. you are enhancing your technololV and you are getting your scientists more equipped than actually the capital flight - taking money 0lJt encoulClging some other ~ple to come from outside and yet no maner what ever they may defM', tN> local collaborators have that personal inspiration to develop their communities and socletlPs One other call I want to make. particularly to Ihe stale governments, Is lE't them SE'e how they can partner with our universIties and provide some fundi,. such that researches can beencouragedintheseareas. We also want the state governments to try to Identify their pnorities, and say these are areas we are actually shortchan8ed, would you do researches for us? Once we challenge the specialists, they would come out If you don't fund the scientisU, they would just be in the unlversi1ies teachIng and that's going to be the ('nd of it but once you Inject some lund~. and control should actually be instItuted in the releas€' of the funds, because I think the major challenge is the fear of abuse Once the scientiSts haYt' been Identified, the proposals have been developed, the funds can be channeled to the university which administers the funds to ensure thai there is strict control and no wastages. Once thiS IS done, we will develop our own technology and we will develop our resources and that 's the key to the future because like I said, no country witt come here and develop Nigeria . If we want to develop this country we have to do It ourselves, let government look at.the~ Issues critically and see how tb~y can partner and perhaps if they can open their doors, the SCientists could actually reach them WI!h proposals . We wouJd then Sit down and discuss, Identify the pdorities of the local people and on the basis of that, request for funding and then we do the lob