By Idris Umar, Zaria The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has celebrated its 2024 Field Day, an ...
By Idris Umar, Zaria
The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has celebrated its 2024 Field Day, an event aimed at promoting agricultural production and research. The ceremony took place at the Institute’s farm in Shika.
Key activities during the event included demonstrations of strip cropping systems for various crops, strategies for enhancing sole maize productivity through timely organo-mineral fertilization, and moisture conservation techniques. The development of drought-tolerant and Striga-resistant maize germplasm was also showcased, along with discussions on artemisinin content and its impact on soil quality and microbial activity.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director of IAR, Prof. Ado Yusuf, emphasized the importance of groundnut, describing it as the pride of the Institute and the northern region of Nigeria. He also highlighted that seeds are the foundation of the Institute’s agricultural research efforts.
Prof. Yusuf commended both senior and young researchers for their dedication, noting that IAR’s research efforts are recognized not only in Nigeria but across the African Sahel region.
Lead Agronomist, Prof. J.A.Y. Shebayan, presented findings on optimizing maize productivity through appropriate seedbed preparation and sowing dates. He explained that the objective is to determine the most economical land preparation method and the optimal sowing dates for maize varieties with different maturity periods. Prof. Shebayan highlighted two land preparation methods: conventional tillage and minimum tillage.
Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Yahaya gave a presentation on breeder seed production for SAMSUN 4, a sunflower variety. He noted that sunflower, a focal crop of the Institute, plays a key role in reducing Nigeria’s dependence on oil imports. He emphasized that sunflower is cultivated using low-input systems, making it an important crop for northern Nigeria.
Dr. Yahaya also discussed SAMSORG 46, a sorghum variety, explaining that the unit has released 54 improved varieties, many of which are updates of older ones. He stressed that SAMSORG 46 is particularly suited for the Sahel and northern regions.
The event featured 13 different crop varieties, with senior professors, researchers, and administrative and technical staff of the Institute in attendance.
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