NASC promises DNA finger prints to seed standard

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An official,  National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Mr. Zidafamor Ebiarede Jimmy has said Nigeria is already building a laboratory whereby DeoxyriboNucleic Acid ( DNA) fingers’ print of users will soon be established to monitor and ensure standard of all improved seeds in circulation.

Mr. Zadafamor Ebiarede Jimmy said this while responding to the issue of need to evaluate the performance of released seeds after five years in circulation at the National Technical Sub Committee on Crop varieties naming, registration and release during its 33^rd meeting at Ibadan.

Mr. Jimmy said that this process is more scientific to help breeders, saying that ‘’using the DNA fingers’ print to monitor how varieties released into the national seeds system are performing is a very scientific method of monitoring the process instead of the guess work of going to farmers with questionnaires they will be filling with the stories of what they feel or have in mind. 

This time around there is going to be a reference laboratory where any material that have been released and already in the hand of farmers will have their fingers’ prints with their DNAs taken.  The project is ongoing now. They have run a demonstration test, and it is a four year project, so with that we should be able to come up with something tangible to know how to know how far the materials that have been released have gone’’

Jimmy also tasked breeders and Research Institutes to start thinking ahead of the model that would be adopted as guide to ensure standard for the new entries like achia, kenaf and ginger  that required a seed system in order to maintain standard while in the hands of farmers, saying the seeds council is much interested to ensure it in view of the plant variety protection act that president Buhari had already signed into law.

 According to him ‘’ from the NASC angle, i want to say that we are interested in setting up a seed system for the new entries of achia, kenaf and ginger. I want to particularly enjoin the breeders and institutions involved to start thinking because we want to set quality standard, and it is the breeders that will help us to do it since they know better about the crops in such a modification process that will not allow the quality to reduce before they get to the hands of farmers’’

He pointed that the seeds council would be ready to facilitate a meeting for this, saying ‘’ The breeders are the ones to set the standard for us, so you are to think ahead what quality parameters that will be adopted and seed council will facilitate the meeting of such standard process. But there is need to start thinking ahead towards these new entries. We all know that the PVC law is there and it will encourage breeders to claim what they have’’

However before the response of the Mr. Jimmy, there was a suggestion by Dr. Timothy Olorunfemi Ajiboye, a NACGRAB official who had raised the need for impact accesement of any seed variety being released into the system after five years to ensure the level of adoption and the names the farmers are calling them, saying the feedback would be very handy for the breeders’ appraise and standard performance.

Also, stakeholders that gathered at the recently concluded validation workshop on seed system development for forage, oil palm and sunflower crops have emphasised on the registration and release of all improved seeds for commercialization in order to ensure  proper monitoring through the catalogue just as assistance in terms of incentive is being advocated for private seed companies in order to be helpful in the productivity process.

Prof. Johnson Onyibe, the lead consultant during his briefing told the audience the need for more partnership between National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), Zaria and National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) for more productivity of quality livestock feeds and forages through more improved seeds modification, adding that sunflower had got four varieties that are awaiting commercialization with progressive extension services.

 Oyinbo called the attention of the Agricultural research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) to work assiduously to ensure that more funding is directed towards the development of the sunflower in the country with research focus on storage, pointing the need to consider offering  incentive to private seed companies in order to empower them to take more active role in the commercialization of the sunflowers towards making it a priority crop.

 The programme leader, Feeds and Nutrition Research Programme NAPRI, Dr. Yunusa Muhammad Ishiaku decried unserious attention being given to animals forage and seeds in view of pasture scarcity and challenges occasioned by default funding required urgent attention for better development of the seeds system in forage.

Ishiaku lamented over non laboratory to work on the improvement of available seeds that need to be improved upon adding that many nations have developed Napia grass except Nigeria who is yet to start due to lack of sufficient synergy between the necessary agencies.

He appealed for NASC partnership to release seeds for grasses availability for animal feeds, saying ‘’ there still no commercialization of pasture seeds as no single industry is going into the process for commercialization’’

The Assistant Director/ Head Plant Breeding Division, National Institute for Oilpalm Research (  NIFOR)  Dr. Maxwell Okoye said that the institute is embarking on  new hybrid seeds establishment towards achieving 15 million improved seedlings, adding that funding has always been the challenge of palm oil development in Nigeria.   

Okoye also lamented over the adulteration of oil palm materials saying it was a critical challenge to the sub sector as he stressed the need for proactive action that will checkmate the abnormality in the system.