New cowpea variety shows prospect for multi-crop revolution
Experts in the Nigerian agricultural sector have stressed the need for crop diversity in the face of changing climate as ‘Alkam Super’, a new variety of cowpea, meets farmers quest for a sustainable legume production in Benue State. Our correspondent reports that the variety, known for its resilience and high yield, promises to support farmers […]
Experts in the Nigerian agricultural sector have stressed the need for crop diversity in the face of changing climate as ‘Alkam Super’, a new variety of cowpea, meets farmers quest for a sustainable legume production in Benue State.
Our correspondent reports that the variety, known for its resilience and high yield, promises to support farmers in achieving sustainable legume production.
The Chairman of the Technical Sub-Committee for Variety Release Committee Nigeria, Professor Ado Shehu, who led his team a few days ago to assess fields and interact with farmers in the state over the Alkam Super variety, applauded the breeders team of the Joseph Sarwaun Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM) for their exploits in cowpea development.
Shehu called on other crop breeders at JOSTUM, former Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), to emulate the cowpea researchers by developing other crucial crops like rice, maize and groundnuts to widen their scope.
He noted that with cowpea breeding making remarkable strides, the Joint Implementation of the Legume Seed System Project with available grants could expedite research across a wider range of crops.
“Our role is to inspect, observe and discourse with farmers about the development of new varieties in the fields. If the variety is good with breeders and not acceptable to farmers, it cannot be released. That’s why we discussed with the farmers to understand their perspectives about the new variety.
“The proposed variety (Alkam Super) might possibly, at the conclusion of our visit, be recommended in the next meeting of the Variety Release Committee Nigeria,” he added.
On his part, the Registrar of Variety Release Committee Nigeria, Dr Anthony Okere, said the new seed portal would also streamline access to approved varieties.
Our correspondent reports that the Alkam Super variety, developed in the molecular biology laboratory of Joseph Sarwaun Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM) by a team of breeders led by Professor Lucky Omoigui, is an improvement on what they have been doing before.
The Omoigui team began with FUMPEA 1, but farmers complained that the seeds were too small. The improvement gave birth to FUMPEA 2, 3 and 4 before the latest Alkam Super which is milk in colour and believed to have performed excellently in Benue, Abuja and Zaria on field trials.
Explaining the process of Alkam Super on the campus farm, Omoigui, the Head of the University’s breeding team, pointed out some of the cowpea’s outstanding characteristics to include: larger seeds, resistance to striga (a parasitic weed that devastates legume crops), and compatibility with intercropping.
“This cowpea can be grown alongside cereals like maize, sorghum and millet,” he said.
Omoigui added, “It’s adaptable to the Guinea Savannah ecological zone, cooks in just 30 minutes, and has an exceptional taste.
“The pod size is 32 grams per 100 seedlings. The seed is light brown, attractive and appealing. We have three to five pods perpendicular and several other advantages,” the lead breeder stated.
For Dr Teryima Iorlamen, who is the lead agronomist on the breeding team and a seed system specialist, “Before the variety is released, the breeder has to follow the laid down principle.”
“We have tested this (Alkam Super) variety on station and all farms; meaning we have tested on campus and with farmers. There are some farmers that planted this variety and it’s doing well. We also gave the variety to some seed companies like Teryima Nigeria Limited and Gadaya seeds which they have also tested and given us the result.
“For example, we were at Vitalis farm, a week ago and we saw the performance of the farm. We have tested it with other farmers, done demonstrations and compared it with other varieties, it’s super. That is why we call it Alkam Super. So the variety is adaptable to the environment and maximising the farm area.”
In the same vein, the Director of Seed Technology Centre (JOSTUM), Prof. Ngozi Odiaka, hailed the variety committee for assessing the new variety and hoped that they would facilitate its quick release to the market for the next cropping season.
“I’m a farmer and we have produced two or three of these seeds which they are harvesting now. Your contributions are invaluable,” Odiaka also told the breeders.
The Director of the University Farm Centre, and a soil scientist, Prof. Ali, expressed optimism that they would now have something to give to farmers who make enquiries way every day, asking for new varieties, noting that the university flagship variety, FUMPEA 1, has gone far and wide across the globe.
Kenneth Wasem, a farmer attested to the efficacy of the variety, saying the new variety produces more pods than the previous ones and that the leaves are also much, adding that from his past experience the cowpea seed brought from the North did not yield well in Benue.
“Since we started getting the FUMPEAs from Prof. Lucky Omoigui, we are now doing commercial cowpea farming. I started with 0.25 piece of land which is less than a hectare but eight years down the line, I now have over six hectares of cowpea,” he told the variety committee during an interaction on the farm.
Wasem, who has cultivated all four varieties of FUMPEA and is now harvesting the Alkam Super, added that the new seed is attractive and appealing.