The Nigerian Institute for Agricultural Research(IAR), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, said the newly developed Genetically Modified maize, ‘TELA’ by the institute would save farmers about N9 billion annually.
TELA maize is a transgenic crop which is developed primarily to resist Fall Armyworm and also thrive during drought.
The Executive Director, IAR, Professor Mohammad Ishyaku, while speaking during a press conference after harvesting TELA maize on third Confined Field Trial (CFT) at ABU Zaria, explained that the saving farmers would make from the new maize variety is estimated to be over N3 billion from insecticide spray of 500 hectares land and over N6 billion from drought effects.
Ishiyaku, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Research, IAR, Professor Bitrus Tarfa, said IAR as a leader in agricultural biotechnology in the country is ahead amongst Nigerian agricultural research institutes in deployment of biotechnology tools to provide solutions to farmers.
He noted that the institute had recorded enormous success in the release of cotton that is resistant to ballworm which causes up to 80 per cent yield loss in cotton, adding that it had also successfully developed and released the first pod borer resistant cowpea SAMPEA 20T.
“Today, IAR is bringing to the notice of the public, its success on the development of maize that is resistant to the notorious stem boring group of insects including the dreadful fall army worm which is known to decimate farmers maize production.
“This is our humble contribution through the dedication of our scientists to achieving results and ensuring food security. In addition, this new maize variety which we harvested this morning is also tolerant to drought which will go a long way in increasing farmers’ production by 90 per cent even with little rain.”
The savings farmers will make from this maize variety is estimated to be over N3 billion from insecticide spray of 500 hectares land and over N6 billion from drought effects”, he said.
He however assured Nigerian farmers that the institute will continue to seek for their inputs so as to provide them with the best results from research.
“This is to ensure that we continue to expend government resources strictly on those problems that will lead to national economic growth and self-sufficiency in food production,” he added.
The Director-General, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Professor Abdullahi Mustapha in his remarks, said biotechnology and its tools have opened a window of opportunity to Nigeria to address challenges facing food crops.
He said “as a country, agriculture is one of the major employers of labour, but in recent times, our agricultural processes started encountering challenges of insects/pests, drought, floods, gully erosion, oil spillage among others.
He, however, assured that NABDA would continue to work with IAR and other institutions across Nigeria and beyond to promote biotechnology usage and research development in agriculture as one of the most potent options available to revive agriculture and make it net contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Professor Rabiu Adamu, the Principal investigator of the project, said fall army worm and drought could cost 80 percent yield loss if not properly managed.
He noted that the project is aimed at alleviating the two major problems militating against food crops.
“We are doing this trial for the third time, we started the first one during dry season, we did the second in June 2020, and the third one from November 2020 to April 2021,” he added.
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