{"id":13006,"date":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/improved-cowpea-varieties-hit-nigerias-savanna-region\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","slug":"improved-cowpea-varieties-hit-nigerias-savanna-region","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/improved-cowpea-varieties-hit-nigerias-savanna-region\/","title":{"rendered":"Improved cowpea varieties hit Nigerias savanna region"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nigeria has released two new improved cowpea varieties to raise production and improve farmers\u2019 incomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cowpea<\/a>
Cowpea seeds. Photo by IITA.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The varieties come just when the country\u2019s researchers are preparing to attend the Fifth World Cowpea Research Conference to be held from 27 September to 1 October 2010 in Dakar, Senegal, to discuss the state of the art in cowpea research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The varieties\u2014IT89KD-288 and IT89KD-391\u2014were developed by scientists working at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, in collaboration with the Institute for Agricultural Research of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; the University of Maiduguri, Borno; and the Agricultural Development Programs of Borno, Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both varieties have proven superiority over the current improved lines being cultivated and aim to overcome the challenges faced by cowpea farmers in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, IT89KD-288 (now SAMPEA-11) is a dual-purpose cowpea variety with large white seeds and a rough seed coat. It has combined resistance to major diseases including septoria leaf spot, scab, and bacterial blight, as well as to nematodes, and tolerance to Nigeria\u2019s strain of Striga gesnerioides (a parasitic weed that severely lowers yield).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt also has a yield advantage of at least 80% over the local varieties,\u201d said Dr Alpha Kamara, IITA Agronomist, who is leading efforts to rapidly disseminate the varieties to farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nematode-resistant variety is an equally good c andidate for sowing in cereals or as a relay crop with maize in the moist and dry savanna zones, as well as for high grain production in the dry season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists recommend that the variety be planted in mid July in the Sudan savanna, early to mid-August in the northern Guinea savanna, and by the end of August in the southern Guinea savanna. However, where there is certainty of rains up till the end of October, IT89KD-288 can be planted in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IT89KD-391 (now SAMPEA-12) is also a dual-purpose cowpea variety but it has medium-to-large brown seeds with a rough seed coat. These are preferred seed characteristics for commercial production in northeast Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIT89KD-391 is a welcome improvement over SAMPEA 7, Ife brown, IT90K-76, and IT90K-82-2 which are the main improved brown-seeded varieties available. It has been tested extensively in this area and is well accepted by the farmers,\u201d said Dr Hakeem Ajeigbe, IITA Extension\/Dissemination Specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe variety performs well as a sole crop and an intercrop. It could also be planted as a relay crop with maize in the Guinea savannas,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several on-station and on-farm trials have shown that IT89KD-391 (SAMPEA 12) produces double the yields of local cultivars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will be recalled that in 2008, Nigeria released a Striga<\/em>-resistant improved cowpea variety (IT97K-499-35). Currently, efforts are being made through the project on legumes funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to make available seeds of these improved varieties by setting up community-based seed production systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Kamara said, \u201cThe dem and for these improved varieties is high because of their superior yields and their acceptability by consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

###<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pour plus d'informations, veuillez contacter :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Alpha Yaya Kamara, a.kamara@cgiar.org<\/a>
Agronome des syst\u00e8mes de savane<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Hakeem Ajeigbe, H.Ajeigbe@cgiar.org<\/a>
Extension\/Dissemination Specialist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeffrey T. Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org<\/a>
Charg\u00e9 de communication d'entreprise (international)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org<\/a>
Charg\u00e9 de la communication d'entreprise (Afrique de l'Ouest)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IITA \u2013 Si\u00e8ge
Ibadan, Nig\u00e9ria<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c0 propos de l'IITA<\/b>
L'Afrique est confront\u00e9e \u00e0 des probl\u00e8mes complexes qui minent l'agriculture et la vie des populations. Nous d\u00e9veloppons des solutions agricoles avec nos partenaires pour lutter contre la faim et la pauvret\u00e9. Notre recherche pour le d\u00e9veloppement (R4D), maintes fois r\u00e9compens\u00e9e, repose sur une r\u00e9flexion cibl\u00e9e et autoris\u00e9e, ancr\u00e9e dans les besoins de d\u00e9veloppement de l'Afrique subsaharienne. Nous travaillons avec des partenaires en Afrique et au-del\u00e0 pour r\u00e9duire les risques pour les producteurs et les consommateurs, am\u00e9liorer la qualit\u00e9 et la productivit\u00e9 des cultures, et g\u00e9n\u00e9rer de la richesse gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 l'agriculture. L'IITA est une organisation internationale de recherche pour le d\u00e9veloppement sans but lucratif, cr\u00e9\u00e9e en 1967, dirig\u00e9e par un Conseil d'administration et soutenue principalement par le CGIAR.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nigeria has released two new improved cowpea varieties to raise production and improve farmers\u2019 incomes. The varieties come just when the country\u2019s researchers are preparing to attend the Fifth World Cowpea Research Conference…<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[32],"news-type":[],"hub":[],"crop":[67],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[188],"class_list":["post-13006","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","hentry","location-nigeria","crop-cowpea","item-year-188"],"yoast_head":"\nImproved cowpea varieties hit Nigerias savanna region - IITA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/improved-cowpea-varieties-hit-nigerias-savanna-region\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Improved cowpea varieties hit Nigerias savanna region - IITA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nigeria has released two new improved cowpea varieties to raise production and improve farmers\u2019 incomes. 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