Institute Set To Release Drought-Resistant Tomato Variety

The National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT),Ibadan, says it will soon make a drought-resistant tomato variety available to farmers in the country.
The Director of  Research and Head of  Vegetable and Floriculture Department, Dr  Olagorite Adetula, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan, recently.
She said that the drought-resistant variety would enable farmers  to cultivate  tomatoes all year round and eradicate scarcity of  the food item during the dry season in the country.
Adetula also said  all year farming  would help to boost  the income of farmers  and improve the country’s  Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
According to her, 80 per cent of most varieties of tomatoes presently in the country  are lost during the dry season.
“The drought-resistant tomato the institute is currently working on can with withstand dry season and bacteria wilt (Ralstonia Solanacerum) and fungi wilt (Fusarium Oxysporium) that usually destroy  tomatoes during the dry season.
“ We have tried the drought-resistant tomato variety with some selected farmers in Benue and Plateau states  and it yielded very well in that location.
“ But we still have to test this variety in different ecological zones and as well as  follow the guidelines  in releasing new varieties of seeds in Nigeria before we can release this drought-resistant tomato variety to  farmers.
“ As soon as the institute gets  fund , we are going to try this variety in Ibadan, Kano,  Gombe  and Mbato in Imo among others, and then complete the necessary guidelines,’’ she said.
Adetula  further  said that most of the imported tomato seeds  are not  well adapted to the Nigerian  environment unlike the new variety being introduced by NIHORT.
“Most farmers spray chemicals  to control disease and research has shown  that no chemical can effectively control tomato disease, especially bacteria wilt which affects  tomato production.