Nigeria’s Genetically Modified (GM) Potato project has concluded its first-year multi-locational confined trial in three locations. The Biotech potatoes are showing a significant yield advantage over conventional varieties planted in the country.
According to Communication Officer (West and Central Africa) AATF, Alex Abutu, preliminary results from the three locations, namely Kuru and Bokkos in Plateau and Kusuku in Taraba, showed that the biotech potatoes had a uniform yield advantage of over 300 per cent. This was when compared to the best-performing variety in the country when no fungicide was applied.
Abutu said the trials were under the Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership (GBPP), a five-year project, coordinated by Michigan State University. It focuses on the commercialization of late blight disease-resistant potatoes in farmer-preferred varieties in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya and Nigeria.
Source: pmnewsnigeria.com