New sorghum varieties offer hope to farmers amid declining rainfall

Three improved sorghum varieties capable of maturing within three months have been introduced to farmers in northern Nigeria to help them cope with declining rainfall and the effects of climate change on agricultural production.

The varieties, Samsorg 52, Samsorg 53 and Samsorg 54, were developed by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to enable farmers in drought-prone areas produce grains within a shorter period while also providing fodder for livestock.

Ignatius Angarawai, immediate past Country Representative of ICRISAT, who represented the organisation’s Country Representative, Victor Afari-Sefa, at the event, said the development was a response to changing weather conditions, which had significantly shortened the rainy season in many farming communities.

He said farmers who previously cultivated crops that required about five months to mature were now at risk of losing their harvest because rainfall often stopped before the crops could produce grains.

Angarawai said the new varieties had performed well during field trials, explaining that they matured within three months and remained green even after the rains had stopped.

He said ICRISAT conducted the trials on 3.8 hectares, where the three varieties produced bigger grains than other varieties used for comparison.

He explained that the varieties were developed through a breeding process involving more than 1,500 crosses, from which 200 were selected for further assessment over three years under both rainy and dry-season conditions.

According to him, five varieties eventually emerged from the selection process and were distributed to farmers for further testing, after which Samsorg 52, 53 and 54 were identified for the current demonstration.

Angarawai said the programme comprised two days of training followed by a one-day field demonstration, which brought together farmers from Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and Bauchi states.

He said the training exposed participants to improved methods of cultivating sorghum, groundnut, cowpea and other crops, as well as selecting seeds suitable for their different climatic conditions.

During the field demonstration, participants were shown how the three sorghum varieties were planted and the results they produced under the trial conditions.

Professor Sanusi Gaya, Director of the Centre for Dryland Agriculture at Bayero University, Kano, said the varieties would provide two major benefits to farmers: increased food production for human consumption and greater availability of fodder for livestock.

He said the varieties were developed to address the challenges of modern agriculture, particularly rising temperatures and prolonged dry spells.

Gaya explained that Samsorg 52 was the shortest of the three varieties and would be more suitable for areas with relatively better rainfall, while Samsorg 53 was slightly taller and Samsorg 54 the tallest.

He added that the relatively shorter crops could also improve visibility around farmlands in communities facing security challenges by reducing the possibility of criminals using tall crops as hiding places.

Gaya expressed optimism that farmers would embrace the varieties to improve agricultural production and their livelihoods.

Also speaking, Dr. Gambo of the Sasakawa Africa Association said the organisation and ICRISAT were working to improve farmers’ productivity by taking modern agricultural technologies to rural communities.

He urged farmers to adapt their farming practices to changing weather conditions, stressing the need to select suitable seeds and follow recommended planting periods, fertiliser application and other farming practices.

He said farmers needed to understand that crops required proper care, adding that agricultural knowledge was essential to achieving better yields.

Fatima Usman of the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) said the organisation had inspected and certified the seeds before planting and later returned to assess their performance.

She said the council was satisfied that the varieties met the required standards, explaining that NASC was responsible for ensuring that seeds supplied to farmers were properly certified.

Ramlat Kabir Yaya, who represented a seed company, said they attended the demonstration to understand the characteristics of the varieties, their planting requirements and how to manage them before supplying them to farmers.

She said her company obtained seeds from ICRISAT and distributed them to farmers, adding that the training would enable them to provide better guidance to customers.

Some participating farmers, including both Abdussalam Amadi Tsanni from Batagarawa Local Government Area and Aminu Umar from Malumfashi LGA of Katsina state, said the training had improved their knowledge of modern farming methods.

They expressed confidence that the varieties would help farmers cope with declining rainfall, improve their earnings and address some security concerns in their communities.

Similarly, Zainab Muhammad from Ningi LGA of Bauchi State and Bello Jodi from Maradun LGA of Zamfara State said the training would help them increase production and improve their returns from farming.

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