Illegal seeds: Scientists advise farmers on hybrids

·         NASC may soon begin e- certification

Seeds

Farmers have been admonished by agricultural scientists to ensure the use of only certified hybrid seeds as there are many fake of such in circulation that were imported without National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC)‘s approval just as the body reiterated its readiness to ensure certification through electronic means using digital tracking to reduce adulteration.

The advice to the end users by scientists was given chiefly by the Executive Director, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Prof. Ibrahim U. Abubakar during the annual cropping scheme for year 2019, held at Samaru, Zaria.

He said that many hybrids with inscription of high yield are not adaptable to Nigerian soil, and that was why it was important that farmers must use the ones certified by the Nigerian Agricultural  Research Institute (NARIs) saying ‘’ we have so many illegally imported seeds in the country. 

When you import seeds illegally without passing through the NARIs, then you are expected to have this kind of scenario. Let me give an example, a Hungarian hybrid that gives 15 tons per hectare could only give 2-4 tons when brought for testing in IAR. That is the adaptability we are talking about.’’

Prof. Abubakar continued that ‘’ you cannot just go any country and bring seeds. That is why we have influx of them in the country whereas many hybrids from those countries are not adaptable to Nigerian ecologies. This is failure of the process. We have seed council. Apart from seeds from ECOWAS department into the country, any variety that is released in Nigeria can be used in Ghana, Mali and all ECOWAS countries. Also all the varieties in those countries can be used in Nigeria. But they have to get approval of Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service so as to ensure we don’t import scary infectious pest and diseases’’

 The Maslaha Seeds manager, Chief Samson Olatunji Isaac counselled that farmers must embrace the locally certified hybrid with best agronomic practices of more application of inputs for maximum yields and harvest, adding that there was need for education of farmers in terms of application of inputs on hybrid seeds saying that ‘’ local farmers need enlightenment in terms of hybrid in Nigeria because if they do not have  the knowledge of how to take care of the hybrid seeds, they may get low harvest as rightly reported. But if we apply the right quantity of needed fertilizer as the amount you need for a hybrid seed is much higher than the one for OPV; and know that to always clear your farm of weeds is very important so as to avoid the weeds competing with the crops.’’

 The Dean, faculty of Agriculture, ABU, Prof. O. Alabi said that for hybrid seeds to perform very well, you need a lot more of inputs more than you need for OPV. It needs more fertilizers, more pesticide and weeding herbicide because the weed will be competing with the crops.’’

Other suggestions pointed out that any seed that is not ecologically adapted to Nigerian soil cannot give a maximum yield even if it performed very well in other countries, and that was why farmers are advised to ensure that any hybrid they wanted to purchase must be well certified through appropriate authority so as not to be defrauded.

Meanwhile, as part of plans to phase out fake seeds in circulation, the National Agriculture Seed Council (NASC) Director General (DG) Dr. Philip Ojo during the 2019 Seedconnect has announced the introduction of  digital certification to track fake seeds in Nigeria.

Dr. Ojo said that the e-certification would enable the council to easily monitor seeds from their source to the farmers across the country, adding that with the help of electronic trackers, farmers would be able to detect adulterated seeds from any part of the world.

He pointed out that the increased production experienced in cassava crop was as result of first ever seeds tracker deployed to monitor and prevent its adulteration in collaboration with International Institute for  Tropical Agriculture (IITA) stressing the need for electronic tracking of seed production in order to eradicate adulteration in Nigeria.