Three Nigerian scientists behind new maize breeds released January 12

By YANGE IKYAA

Full details on the three new and improved maize hybrids released in Nigeria on Wednesday, January 10 have emerged.

The Africanscholar learnt that the three varieties of maize, namely VSL 2101, VSL 2102 and VSL 2065 were developed by a team of scientists from Value Seeds Limited, in collaboration with the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) of the Ahmadu Bello University, which is located at Samaru in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The three-man team of plant scientists that achieved this feat is made up of Anthony Oluwatoyosi Job, Muhammad Ahmad Yahaya, and Moses Terngu Igyuve.

The release of the new maize varieties developed by the scientists was authorized at the instance of the 34th meeting of the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries, which held at the National Center for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Moor Plantation, Apata in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State.

The VSL 2101, which is a top-cross breed, is tolerant to drought, as well as low nitrogen and can adapt to derived and guinea savannah ecologies. This white-colour, medium maturing breed takes between 110 and 120 days to attain full maturity and can yield up to 8.2 tonnes of seeds per hectare.

On its part, the VSL 2102 is yellow in colour, tolerant to low nitrogen, and is medium maturing. The top-cross breed takes between 110 and 120 days to mature and can yield 8.2 tonnes of seeds per hectare, while retaining its ability to adapt to guinea and sudan savannah ecologies.

Then, the VSL 2065, which is also a top-cross breed, but early maturing, white in colour, tolerant to low soil nitrogen, and can take 90 to 95 days to mature. This maize hybrid that is capable of adapting to both guinea and sudan savannah agro-ecologies, can also produce up to 8.6 tonnes of seeds per hectare.

It was also confirmed by The Africanscholar from credible sources with competent knowledge on the matter that the new maize hybrids were released for Value Seeds, an agricultural company that is also based in Zaria.

“This was the fruit of many years of hard work by the team of scientists at Value Seeds Limited Zaria, Nigeria,” said our source on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly comment on the matter.