High-yielding maize variety introduced to S/West farmers

New high-yielding sweet tasting maize variety seed aptly tagged DR 92-8 has been introduced to the farmers in the Southwest Zone by the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan.

The fast yielding maize variety was formally introduced to farmers in the zone at a free agro-inputs distribution ceremony held for beneficiaries at Ilora farm settlement in Oyo State.

The Director of IAR&T, Professor James Adediran, presented the new seed variety to the benefiting farmers, saying that the next category of farmers to benefit in the free agro-inputs distribution scheme will be farmers in the IAR&T outstations at Kishi, Bala near Ilorin, Orin Ekiti, Ikenne, IleIfe, Eruwa, Oniyo near Ikoyi, Ogbomoso and Apete Onidoko, in Omi Adio, among others.

He said the IAR&T management has presented the seeds to the farmers to make them benefit from the result of the research findings.

While disclosing that new variety maize planted other agro ecologies in the country, the IAR&T director told the farmers that the variety will grow under the South-western ecology.

“As a result, we have brought the variety, which is very special for this ecology, for our farmers to plant,” Adediran said, adding that the research findings have shown that the variety may not grow well if taken to other places.

He said: “The variety has been released by the varietal committee in this country and that is why we are bold enough to bring the variety to the farmers for planting for this season.”