In its efforts at achieving food sufficiency, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) and the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), have released high-yield crop varieties to farmers to tackle hunger and boost income. The other goal is to safeguard food security while ensuring that the most vulnerable sections of the population have access to nutritious food.
This month, IITA in collaboration with the NRCRI released a new yam variety, UMUDr36 (IITA breeding ID: TDr1302100) for farmers in Nigeria, with the commercial name ‘SharpSharp’.
The announcement was made at the just concluded 33rd Meeting of the National Committee on Naming, Registration, and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breed/Fisheries held in Ibadan. UMUDr36-SharpSharp is a White Guinea yam (D. rotundata) variety. The new varieties originated from IITA and were released to farmers through NRCRI, Umudike.
The UMUDr36-SharpSharp is a game changer because of its remarkable attributes: early maturity, high yield, high flour production, and good boiling and pounding capabilities. The new variety is celebrated for its high potential yield of 33 tonnes per hectare( t/ha). The maturity period is between 180-210 days. Last year, IITA and NRCRI two varities UMUDr33 and UMUDr34 with a maturity period of 230-270 days in Nigeria. This month, the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB)released 23 high-yield crop varieties to farmers.
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The Chairman, National Variety Release Committee (NVRC), Prof. Soji Olufajo, announced the registration and release of the 23 new varieties of seven crops recommended to the committee by its technical sub-committee.Olufajo said that the crops received from research institutes, universities and private companies included: maize, pepper, rice, yam, sorghum hybrid, castor and oat. The technical sub-committee on naming, registration and release of crops varieties, chaired by Prof. Shehu Ado, had, during its 37th meeting, held in Ibadan ,, deliberated on 24 varieties received.
The sub-committee, after deliberation and consideration of the 24 submissions, recommended 23 varieties for release.
The sub-committee put its recommendations before the NVRC for final approval during the Thursday meeting.
The NVRC chairman, after thorough scrutiny of the recommendations by the committee members, announced the registration and release of the 23 new varieties.
He listed the 12 maize varieties registered and released to include: SAMMAZ 72T; SAMMAZ 73T; SAMMAZ 74T; SAMMAZ 75T; SAMMAZ 71T; Champion Gold 68; SC 417; SC 665; Kabamanoj (yellow); Golden MH 1-W (white); Golden MH 2-Y (yellow) and SAMMAZ 70.
Olufajo also declared two varieties of pepper, namely: PS PEP 1 and PS PEP 2; three rice varieties – Ex Badaru, Biofeedback Fiyah 549 and Bioseed Fiyah 800 and one yam variety – UMUDr36 sharpsharp, registered and released.
He further announced that one sorghum hybrid (Gold SH1); one castor variety (SAMCAS 1) and three oat varieties, namely: SAMOAT 3; SAMOAT 4 and SAMOAT 5) were all approved and released.
Justifying the registration and release of the 23 new varieties of the seven crops, the NVRC chairman said that the 12 maize varieties had high grain yield, resistance to fall armyworm, resistance to aflatoxin B, early maturity, among other characteristics.
Olufajo added that the two pepper varieties were registered and released based on their medium maturity, pungency, long, heavy fruits and multiple disease resistance. He further maintained that the three new rice varieties were released because they had early maturity, high yield/ tillering and high swelling ratio.