Cereal Research

Prof.  Muyideen Oyekunle

INTRODUCTION 

The Programme is one of the largest research Programmes in the Institute that is responsible for development and release of cereal crop varieties of high grain yielding abilities and nutritional qualities, resistance to diseases and pests, tolerance to drought and responsiveness to good agronomic management and post-harvest technological practices. In the past the Programmes worked on crops including Sorghum, Maize, Millet, Wheat and Barley which are among the most popular and important cereals crops grown in Nigeria. The National Agricultural policy has streamlined Research focus of Agricultural Institutes. The Institutes now has only the National mandate for research in Sorghum (Sorghum bicalar (L) and Maize zea major.

The Programme research thought is in line with the National policy on food security Research Projects are design based on the major current production challenges of Sorghum and millet. The major aim of the programme is no enhance Maize and Sorghum productivity per unit area and crops utilization for food and feed.?

Objectives of the Programme

1. To develop high yielding, disease and pest resistant and drought tolerant varieties and hybrids of Sorghum and Maize crops for quality (nutritious) food and industrial uses.

2. To evolve cultural, management and protection practices for optional and dependable yields.
3. To establish environment requirements and to evolve technological practices for quality produce.
4. To establish the socio-economics and production suitable for adoption of our technologies on cereals to enhance the socio economic status of farmers.

(B)The specific objectives of the programme based on the Institutes  short and medium farm plan (2020-2025) and:

1. Development and Deployment of Technologies that will improve the productivity per unit area of Maize and Sorghum by at least 30 – 40% and increase the total productive of the Crops in Nigeria.
2. Promote the cultivation of high Maize and Sorghum varieties and hybrids by farmers through on form Demonstrations using farmer groups and adopted villagers.
3. Development and packaging of improved technologies for extra early, early, and medium measuring varieties of maize and Sorghums for different Agro-e cologies
4. Increase in the quantity and quality breeder and foundation seeds of Maize and Sorghum for uptake by seed companies and outgrows.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PROGRAMME

The Programme has achieved a lot in the areas of crop variety improvement, cultural practices and management of crop against pests and diseases for better output.

i. Crop Variety Improvement: The Programme has developed and released 49 improved Sorghum varieties designated as SAMSORG 1-49 and 57 improved Maize varieties released as SAMMAZ 1-57. Some of the good qualities of these varieties include the following:

a. High yields

b. Drought tolerance and Striga resistance for both Sorghum and Maize.

c. Excellent grain quality e.g. quality protein Maize (QPM).

c. Good Sorghum malting quality for industrial beer brewing.

c. Sorghum flour for composite bread, biscuits, cakes, etc.

c. Different maturity classes of varieties of the two crops suit to the different ecological areas of the Savanna.

ii. Cultural Practices and Management: Developed appropriate Planting dates, plant spacing (75cm x 25cm), plant population (53,000 plants/ha), fertilizer types, rates and time of application for early medium and late maturity varieties as well as herbicides and pesticides have been developed and packaged accordingly for the different types of varieties.

CHALLENGES OF THE PROGRAMME

i. Irregular sufficient funding to research

ii. Lack of modern research equipment.

ON-GOING RESEARCH PROJECTS

Sorghum
S/N	Research title	Research Scientists
1	Sorghum Germplasm in Nigeria	Yeye and Aba
2	Screening for Striga Resistance in Sorghum	Yeye, Aba, Abdulmalik and Shebayan
3	Variety Evaluation	Yeye, Aba and Abdulmalik
4	Hybrid Development	Yeye Aba and Abdulmaliki
5	Population Improvement Hybridization and Selection of Sorghum lines	Aba, Yeye Shebayan and Halilu
6	Variety Testing	Aba Yeye, Shebayan and Halilu
7	Sorghum Seed Production	Aba, Yeye and Halilu
8	Productivity of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench) as influenced by Types and Rates of Biochar	Ishaya, Amapu, Shebayan and Tunku
9	Effects of cow dung and inorganic nitrogen on growth, grain yield and grain malting qualities of two Sorghum varieties	Goma, Labe, Mani and Tunku
10	Effects of stand configuration and nitrogen rate on short Kaura sorghum productivity	Labe, Goma, Adamu and O.O Ugbabe
	Stem borer resistance to sorghum as influenced by sowing date and nitrogen rate	Labe, Yeye, Aba and Adamu
Maize
12	Maintenance of maize germplasm	Oyekunle, Ado,  Usman, Abdullahi and Hussaini
13	Introgression of quality protein (QPM) gene into normal maize germplasm	Oyekunle, Ado, Usman, Abdullahi and Hussaini
14	Development of Drought and Flood Tolerant Maize Germplasm	Oyekunle, Ado, Mani, Abdullahi, Usman, and Hussaini
15	Evaluation of improved Maize germplasm in multi-locations	Oyekunle, Ado, Mani, Abdullahi, Usman, and Hussaini
16	Development of Striga resistant maize germplasm	Oyekunle, Usman, Ado,  Abdullahi, and Hussaini
17	Evaluation improved Maize germplasm in multi-locations	Oyekunle, Usman, Ado, Halilu Abdullahi, Mani, Hussaini and Abdulsalam
18	Evaluation of orange Maize varieties and hybrids	Oyekunle, Ado, Mani, Usman and Abdullahi
19	Evaluation of improved Maize germplasm of private seed companies in multi-locations	Oyekunle, Ado, Mani, Usman and Abdullahi,
20	Breeder Seed Production of Released IAR Maize Germplasm	Oyekunle, Ado, Usman, Abdullahi and   Huassaini
21	Development of drought and Striga resistance Maize inbred lines using pedigree breeding method	Oyekunle, Ado and Hassan
22	Inheritance of resistance to Exerrohilum turcicum leaf blight in maize	Oyekunle, Abdulkarim (M.Sc. Student), M. Yusuf, and M.D. and Katung
23	Effects of organic manures and inorganic phosphorus fertilizer on the productivity of maize in northern Guinea savanna	OUR PROGRAMS Products Development Research Legumes And Oil Seed Research Artemisia Research Biotechnology Research Programme Cereal Research Agric Mechanization Research Cotton Research Farming System Research Irrigation Research QUICK CONTACT Submit Do you want to get quality seeds for your farming or business? Contact Us NEWSLETTER Visit our website for frequent news updates. RECENT POST Institute for Agricultural Research Institute for Agricultural Research Institute for Agricultural Research PROJECT ADDRESS Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, P.M.B 1044 Zaria. 07064218559 07050589801 08035787291 info@iar.gov.ng sales@iar.gov.ng Copyright © 2023. IAR All Rights Reserved.