Kano farmers train to fight Striga

Although, the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has developed and released striga resistant seeds of assorted crops, the low educational level of most farmers has left them ignorant of such seeds or how to access them. Worried by the high level of destruction of crops by the weed, the Kano State […]

Although, the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has developed and released striga resistant seeds of assorted crops, the low educational level of most farmers has left them ignorant of such seeds or how to access them.
 Worried by the high level of destruction of crops by the weed, the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNADA) in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Foundation has trained farmers on new techniques to permanently eradicate the striga weeds from their farmlands.
 Bill and Melinda Foundation visited farmers at Doguwa, Tudun Wada and Kiru local government areas of the state and launched a programme on new techniques in controlling striga weeds.
During the launch of the programme, farmers in the three local government areas were advised to use striga resistant seeds as the best way to eradicate the parasitic plant.
 Malam Umar Garba, one the facilitators of the Striga control programme in the state said the weed cannot live or grow on its own as it must rely on other crops to survive, adding, “striga could not allow a crop to grow because it derives its life from it so at the same time those that manage to grow, the quantity is very low.”
Some of the farmers that attended the launch said in the past, they usually uprooted the affected plant and threw it away believing that will destroy it until they were told that each plant of striga has the capability of producing up to 500,000 seeds, which may remain viable in the soil for over 10 years and survives only on the already absorbed natural plant’s roots.
 Bara’u Yusuf, from KNADA media unit said farmers learnt during the programme that maize can resist striga more that soya beans, adding, “so in this case, when the farmer harvests his maize, he can plant soya-beans but must not add any chemical. That way, the striga will not survive in the farmland.”
 The project coordinator, Dr. Maul Oluche, said if striga weed problem is successfully addressed in Nigeria, it will boost the nation’s economy in such a way that farmers, during harvest, will get more benefit because of the increase in crop yield.
Another farmer who attended the training, MalamSaniDanriga, said he has succeeded in eradicating striga from his farm following the application of the formula in his farmland.