Farmers participating in the IITA/Gatsby crop-livestock project in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria are taking advantage of the extra early varieties of cowpea supplied them under the project to double their production and earn more income.
The rainy season in the Guinea savanna agro-ecological zone in northern Nigeria normally starts in June and ends in September with a few showers before and after the season (May and October). Under such a short duration of rainy season, farmers plant cowpea only once. However, with the intervention of the IITA/Gatsby crop-livestock project, early maturing varieties of cowpeas are being distributed to the farmers at the end of May or early June. Thus, the first cowpeas are now planted with maize in a mixed cropping system. The extra-early (60 days) cowpea varieties are ready for harvesting in August; while the maize is harvested in September. The second cowpea planting follows immediately after the maize stalks are cut down and packed from the field to allow for cowpea which takes over as a sole crop.
In addition, the farmers are being trained on improved cultivation methods, and better seed storage techniques. They are equally advised to store seeds for planting for subsequent farming seasons. That is not all. The farmers themselves are coming up with new ideas because of the availability of improved cowpea seeds. For instance, with the first rains by end of April to early May, farmers are now planting cowpea either as sole crop or intercropped with melon; and in relay with tomato, yam, maize and, sorghum.
Last year, extra-early cowpea varieties were introduced to 95 farmers in 10 villages including Zango Aya, in Igabi LGA of Kaduna State, with the active participation of the State Agricultural Development Project. The farmers who kept seeds harvested from the trials decided to plant a particular variety (IT93K-452-1) with the first rains at the end of April, this year. Harvesting was in June. The grain yields were estimated at about 700 to 1100 kg/ha, which to them was a record high, especially considering the fact that the crop was on the field for barely two months.
One of the farmers, Alhaji Yahaya could not hide his joy as he told IITA scientists and extension agents how other farmers have been trooping to his house to buy the cowpea grains. When reminded of the need to keep some seeds for planting, Alhaji Yahaya said that the early harvest was mainly for subsistence i.e. for food and cash. The profits from the harvest, he said, were used to buy fertilizers, pay for labour and take care of family needs. He said he will plant another set of crop in August for seed preservation and planting. Another important discovery was the high grain yields (700-800 kg/ha) in some fields that were not sprayed with insecticides.
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