Makurdi Varsity invents New Varieties of bean.

This will transform Cowpea Production in Nigeria. 

Most cowpeas are grown on the African continent, particularly in Nigeria and Niger, which account for 66% of world production. A 1997 estimate suggests that cowpeas are cultivated on 12.5 million hectares (31 million acres) of land, have a worldwide production of 3 million tonnes and are consumed by 200 million people on a daily basis.

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 To improve cowpea production and boost food security in the country, the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM), formerly Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi (FUAM), has released two new improved cowpea varieties. Speaking at the launch of the event on Tuesday, Professor of Plant Breeding and Seed Science, Lucky Omoigui, said the newly improved varieties – FUAMPEA 3 and FUAMPEA 4 – are medium maturing and high-yielding cowpea seeds, adaptable to the Sudan and Northern Guinea savanna areas of Nigeria. According to him, both varieties have shown superiority over the existing improved seeds being cultivated, and aim to eradicate the challenges faced by cowpea farmers in the country. It would be recalled that the institution and its partners released the first two varieties, known as FUAMPEA 1 and FUAMPEA 2 in 2016, which are early maturing seeds developed by a group of scientists in the institution led by Prof Omoigui. Omoigui said, “The two newly released genotypes are dual-purpose cowpea varieties with large brown seeds and a rough seed coat. The varieties, perform well as a sole crop and an intercrop. “The two cowpea varieties have combined resistance to the parasitic weed, Striga gesnerioides, a major biotic constraint in the predominantly major cowpea production zones of the dry savanna of Nigeria, which had been a serious threat to cowpea production and productivity. “The introduction of these varieties would mitigate the invasion of the parasitic weed thereby increasing the productivity of the crop and raising farmers’ income.

“The development of the two cowpea varieties would not have been possible without the financial support of the Kirhouse Trust Foundation, UK, to the cowpea breeding programme of the university.” Remarking, Vice-Chancellor, JOSTUM, Prof Richard Anande Kimbir, described the development as apt, saying it was in tune with the federal government’s commitment to diversifying the nation’s economy using agriculture. He lauded the collaboration between the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), the Federal Minister of Science and Technology and the institution, which led to the release of the new cowpea varieties.

He assured that JOSTUM would continue to deliver its core mandate of teaching and research towards capacity building, food security and poverty reduction in Nigeria and globally.