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Welcome to IAR

Solution for National Agriculture

The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Samaru was established in 1922 as the research division of the Department of Agriculture for the defunct Northern region of Nigeria. IAR was formally transferred by law to the later established Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) on 4th October,1962. With the Federation of the University in 1975, IAR was affiliated in accordance with statute 14 of the University. IAR has been the bedrock of crop research and improvement in the savanna region of Nigeria. Our varieties and recommendations on modern agricultural practices have permeated through the nooks and crannies of farming communities in Nigeria. The Institute is poised to partner with all relevant stakeholders to reposition agriculture and make it the cornerstone of Nigeria economy, ensure sustainable food and nutrition security, gainful employment to our youths and income to farmers. Our approach to research is through Integrated Agricultural Research for development that seeks the opinion of all stakeholders along the value chain of any commodity. The Institute has been assigned the responsibility to conduct research and services as follows;

National mandate for the genetic improvement of maize, cowpea, sorghum, cotton, sunflower and groundnut together with research into their respective agronomy and plant health. Irrigation engineering and irrigated crop production; mechanization of crop production and post-harvest research. In addition the Institute also is mandated to provide solutions to problems of the general farming systems in the North-west Nigeria covering Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.

Discover Our Mandate

The re-organization of the National Agricultural Research Institution in 1987 mandated IAR to conduct research and provide service as follows: Genetic improvement of Cowpea, Cotton, Groundnut, Maize, Sorghum, Castor, Jatropha and Sunflower. Problems of production of all agricultural food crops growth in the north-west agro-ecological zone covering Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and particular problems to be addressed include:

1. Crops agronomy including improved agronomic practices and harvesting methods.

2. Adaption of introduced and improved cultivars.

Do you have a suitable crop variety for my state?

Yes, IAR has bred and released various varieties of its mandate crops suitable for production across all the agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. Kindly contact the numbers provided on this website with the name of your state and the crop(s) of interest for our scientists to guide you appropriately.

Which crops variety are available at IAR?

The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Samaru has developed and released several varieties of its mandate crops suitable for production across the agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. These crops include 6 cotton varieties; 20 cowpea varieties; 11 groundnut varieties; 53 maize varieties; 23 sorghum varieties; and 4 sunflower varieties as contained in the Institute’s Crop Variety Descriptors (2021 Edition). These were developed to solve agricultural production problems of the Nigerian farmers. Foundation seeds of these varieties could be obtained at the IAR Seed Company Ltd, located within the IAR premises at ABU, Samaru, Zaria.

Do you offer training on crop production?

IAR has international standard manpower and state-of-the-art facilities for training and knowledge transfer. The Institute organizes and conducts trainings and capacity development sessions for farmers, extension personnel, policy makers and other agricultural stakeholders across value chains. Such are usually organized based on demand and in collaboration with partners.

How Much Capital do I need to begin with?

Amount of capital required depends on several factors. These include type of enterprise, type of crop(s), land ownership, land size, and farming system. Contact the Institute for further guidance on farm planning and budget.