it! DAILYTRUsr
31
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
interview
AGBICULTURE
ABU has produced high protein content maize - Dr Uthman Dr. Inuwa Sh ehu Uthman is Head of Department of Plant Science in the Institute of Agricu ltural Research (lAR) of th e Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). Zaria. He works wit h IAR's maize im provement team led by Professor Shehu Garki Ado. In this intervi ew with Daily Trust, Dr. Uthman said his tea m has successfull y developed a variety of maize that contains protein, among many other achievements. Excerpts: Fro m b a Sa'idu. Kaduna As an apert working on tb~ Impro veme nt of maize, can yo u sha re WitJl us so m e of yo ur brl:'akthrougbs? Our main focus revol\'e$ .. round thr« key principal a~
that ohile climate change.
which is targeting droughL At. you might have nUlla<! over the years, the rai 115 arc nol ilS steady and predictable and 11llIiz.e, unlike millcl. SOfBhum or !;owpea, doesn't tolerate drought. There is need (or bretding to devdop nntlic$ that an loI~tc drought_ Therefore, the n~ to adapt 10 this dim ate change.. We arc also focusing on biotic stres5cs.
On biotic, 'We arc focusing on slnga. Striga is II .serious weed which hu devastating dTecu on
maize. In some cases, striga leads to dO$( to uro yit:lds. So, because maize is n01 an indi~ow crop. thJ.5 makes it to be: vay sensitive to slriga. This brought th~ need to product various vui~lies thaI would be adaptabl~ to our ecologies. Thtn. thtTe is tht I5SU~ of th~ nutritional focus.. This is aima! at imp roVlJlg thC' nutritional conttnl of maiu. Malu is a staplt food that Is consumed In all homes in all parts of the' country. It is also a staplC' food for IhC' low incomt group whoar.:: usually nOI ablt 10 access Ih~ requir«l nutrit'nt5 in quantity and quality. So, thC' nutritional improvement of maizt is seen in Ie.nns of microcconomic conctpt. where. wearC' improving households' food s.ecurity of the enlirecountry. So, hC're, the focus is to d~vr.lop quality prote.m maiu_ Quality prolC'in maize is maW' thaI haJJ higher levd of two c:sscntial amino adds - ladn and trotoba - \hat ar~ alwayslacking in cC're.aU.. BC'caUSC' of this improvC'menl , thC' maize that has ladn and trotoba is called quality protcin maize and Ihal maiu is equatC'd 10 supply quality nutrition to thC' body that isaboulthe samtquantityto when you cat eggs. meal or nsh. That means thC' peoplC' thaI eat that type of maiu, who cannot afford mC'at or rlSh, would ge t the same nutritional advantage. So. that hu been our focus. If you notice, you would nnd Ihalth~ growing zont'3 of maiu: art C'xpanding. &(orC'. it wtd to be fatricted to northern and southern guin~a savannah but now it is up . _ ..l ; .... ..I... ~-
Dr. lnllWa 5hehu Uthman
"
The maize yield before was 3.5 tons per hectare as the best but now with the new varieties, farmers can get up to 6.9 to 7.5 tons per hectare, which is more than hundred percentage increase. This is when efficient management is put in place
you will sec maiu ill Sokoto up to Talalan Mmra. If you go to ....... rds Kano axis up 10 Daura )'Ou will Set mal1.t growmg. That W;l5 made possible bccaUSC' we ha~ cliffC'rC'nl nn~es that have difTert nt maturit)·. We have thoSC" tha t can mature wi tllin 80 days, which arc called alta C'atiy. WC' ha\"~ thosc lhal manlft within 95 days. These two arC' meant for artU With low rainfall duration Iikt the Sudan Savannah and some parts.of the' Sahel. We havt those that art intermediatC' that IwabouIIIOdays.tomalure. II is within this group that you havC' a lot of new maiu: varie ties that are suitable for thC',nonllcrn gumca savannah that are now being oo't'loped and used by farmr.rs. Then. Wt have the late \'ariC'ty that takes 120 to 160 days to maturC'. ThoS(' are the normal mai1.C' th ai WC' used to grow before. Because of this wide range of maturity groups. we now ha\·e varieties thaI art dC'velo~ to mt"Ct 5pecinc conditions wilhm tht range of ecologies that art available to us. b therC' any challenge f OU
face in fannC'rs IIccepling these new vvlC'tit'3! Well. I .....ouldn·t ~ it as a challC'nge but nUIYbe constraint. ScfoTe a variety is relusw, it has 10 go through some rouline processes of on-stalion trial. w h~re ....~ plant IhC'm on our fidds in the institute, and ~n on-f.mntrial Thr.on-farm trial is conduct«l on the farmC'n;' ficlds and isaimcdatgelting the fal"1lKlS m\·oh"Cd in chOO$ing the l...nety. O ur apentllct has shown that usually when we take' the new varieties 10 fanners.. aftC'r thC' first )'t"dr. the rormC'ts would 5t't' the superiority of these new varieties and therd"C/fl! Jlways willing to ;1Cctpt tMm. The on-f.mn trial is supposed 10 be for two years but after the first rar the rormcn usually :Keepl thC'm. ThC' new varietie! come with thl'..<;C value added trade. If it is a slriga challengC'. they st'C' varielles Ihat can m·etcome the challenge and raist il. 1br.rdore, lhtyget bcUer yields. ThC' constralnl IS that thC' farmers au nOI able to get some ofthC' requi red inputs like fertilizer, ~u1ar wttdingamong
others to ge t bent( yields. So, whC'rC' the farmC'r is constrainoo. hC' may not want to grow mailt'. He may go for other crop!! like sorghum, millet or groundnut that do not require lIluch fertili1.tr. Gencrally. farmer!; that cultivatC' maize know that it has ad\'llIltagt' m"Cr !.nIdiuonal crops because it has higher productivity. So. ifther can afford the inpuls that m;uu reqUires.. they would pTefer to grow maize because of its advan tages. The farmC'rs are. seeing thC' proouctlVlty of these n~ improved variC'ties. You are giving C'mphasis 011 fertilizer; do these nC'w varieti es requiTe morefC'rtilizus? No, thC'y· ~uire nonnal application likC' the traditional maizc_ TIle maize siandard rttommC'ndation of fertiliztr is theTe and that is wha t these ntw varietlt'3 fC{juirC'. NormaUy, thC'rt is no diffeTen cr. between what thesC' new vaneties requirC' and Ihe !.nIditlonal m:ulC. Indeed. bcaUSC" of th~ cost of f~rtiliztr. ""e thought of coming up with a variety thaI can do with low nitrogC'n and .....e ....·C're ablt 10
develop two varietieslhat can do with low nltrogC'n. Tilt farmer!; iltt' also realiZing that. If WC' compare tht yidds th at fa nners get beforC' and whallhcy gel now with your nC'w,... ri et i!:s. wha t major diffcn:n ce ha~ you noti cC'd! 1bC' maiZe' yidd befOTe .... as 3.5 tons per h«tar(' as tht bol but now with the new varleti('$, fannC'n can get up to 6.9 to 75 tons per h«tare. which IS more Ihan hundred percellt.lb't' increase. 111i5 IS wilen tmelt'nl mallage.ment is put III place Our research in KaJuna and Samlnaka has shown that farme.fS can gcl up to 70 bags per hectare What challC'ngC'S did )'ou facC' in coming up wilh allthese n e,,· va rieti C'S! 'Ve have coliabor-lIlOn With inltrnallonal reseilrch centre'S. Thcse centrcs arc equipped wllh rc.sc:arch equipment. In lenns of human capadl)·, we have the ~mC' capacity but Iilty ha \" t advanced research environment. Wt art taking adnnlagC' o f their research cnvltonmenlin commg up I ..ilh these nC'w VlITleuC'S. I think as a natiOnal Ob}ecll'·e. research instltutt'3 in Nigeria should bt rqulppcd with ad""nced facilities and I think things will be better for us \ VC' also need to ullpro\1: tht farmC'r's condition of living to enablt him afford the C'SSoC'ntiais for maximum Y'dJ~ . If till: farmer is poor and is gettin g poorer tvery day, he can't m«-t the basic necessllle!i to mtC'tlhe requirement of these impro'·ed mputs. ,\ft havt 10 IhC'reforc empower thC' fannetS for Ihem to be able 10 meet tile baSIC nttessilics for optimal yields. If that happens.. il is the count ry that would benC'fit because food is essential for peace " 'hat werC' yo ur recent rC'iC'UC:5! ThC' variC'ues that werc- t«C'lItir released. in 2011 . have gmt polt'ntlai. SA).L"IAZ 32 and 33 .....C'Te the one'S rtleased in 2011 TIley arc of exIra early maturit y and combtne 5mga resiSlancC' They ha\'t'quallty protC'in mthC'1lI Our research shifted 10 proVldtng multi-I-alued added !.nIde ""hert' ....~ combmtd 1'001ut'3 in one varicty. lliesc lIew releases wert' imprcn'e.menl ol"Cr what ....-.5 rdeascd before, which .....C'rt about 19 varieties. This ltd 10 the improvemenl of m aize produclion In the country