Foundation Harps On Biotechnology

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) said that plant biotechnology would address some of the constraints farmers encountered in producing their crops.

The foundation’s Project Manager (Cowpea), Dr. Prince Addae said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja recently.

Addae said that until the advent of biotechnology, science was not able to control or develop resistance or tolerance to some of these crops.

‘’Since 1996, products of this technology have been introduced to the world and proven in countries like U.S., Brazil, Argentina, China; all these countries are using these products.’’

Addae said that the foundation had embarked on the development of an improved variety of cowpea. He said that the cowpea project would help improve varieties that could withstand the pod borer (maruca vitrata) and enhance farmers’ yields and income.

According to him, the pod borer inflicts severe damages to cowpea, leading to yield losses of between 70 per cent and 80 per cent in severe infestation. He said that the use of insecticide had not been widely adopted by farmers due to the prohibitive costs.