New Weed Control Techniques Responsible For Bauchi Maize Boom – Gital

The Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme (BSADP) Manager, Dr. Iliyasu Gital has stated that maize farmers in the State, have recorded 100 percent yield per hectare in the past three years due to the widespread adoption of striga weed control techniques introduced in 2011.
Gital made this known recently in Bauchi adding that the techniques, namely crop rotation, mixed cropping and the application of viral powder, were adopted from the Kenya experience, and had proved to be very effective.
He explained that before the introduction of the techniques, 25 Agriculture Extension Agents were trained, after which each of them selected 20 farmers within his areas of jurisdictions for trial.

In his words, “20 farmlands were selected, who were made to establish demonstration farms and each farmer adopted one of the newly introduced techniques of striga control on their maize, sorghum and cow-pea farms. He reiterated that “Where farmers used to get 50 percent yield due to damage by striga, they got 100 percent yield, while where some earlier recorded zero yield, they first attained 50 percent and in subsequent years, recorded 100 percent”. According to Gital, the success of the techniques is being reviewed continuously and where problems are detected, experts are invited to improve on the research.