Drought Tolerant Maize Varieties Research Articles

Impact of adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties on total maize production in south Eastern Zimbabwe

Drought is a huge limiting factor in maize production, mainly in the rain-fed agriculture of sub-Saharan Africa. In response to this threat, drought-tolerant (DT) maize varieties have been developed with an aim to ensure maize production under mild drought conditions. We conducted a study to assess the impact of smallholder farmers’ adoption of DT maize varieties on total maize production. Data for the study came from a survey of 200 randomly sampled households in two districts of Chiredzi and Chipinge in southeastern Zimbabwe. The study found that 93% of the households were growing improved maize varieties and that 30% of the sampled households were growing DT maize varieties. Total maize yield was 436.5 kg/ha for a household that did not grow DT maize varieties and 680.5 kg/ha for households that grew DT maize varieties. We control for the endogeneity of the DT adoption variable, by using the control function approach to estimate total maize production in a Cobb–Douglas model. The results show that households that grew DT maize varieties had 617 kg/ha more maize than households that did not grow the DT maize varieties. Given that almost all farmers buy their seeds in the market, a change in varieties to DT maize seeds gives an extra income of US$240/ha or more than nine months of food at no additional cost. This has huge implications in curbing food insecurity and simultaneously saving huge amounts of resources at the household and national levels, which are used to buy extra food during the lean season.

Measuring the impacts of adaptation strategies to drought stress: The case of drought tolerant maize varieties

This study measured the impacts of drought tolerant maize varieties (DTMVs) on productivity, welfare, and risk exposure using household and plot-level data from rural Nigeria. The study employed an endogenous switching regression approach to control for both observed and unobserved sources of heterogeneity between adopters and non-adopters. Our results showed that adoption of DTMVs increased maize yields by 13.3% and reduced the level of variance by 53% and downside risk exposure by 81% among adopters. This suggests that adoption had a “win-win” outcome by increasing maize yields and reducing exposure to drought risk. The gains in productivity and risk reduction due to adoption led to a reduction of 12.9% in the incidence of poverty and of 83.8% in the probability of food scarcity among adopters. The paper concluded that adoption of DTMVs was not just a simple coping strategy against drought but also a productivity enhancing and welfare improving strategy. The results point to the need for policies and programs aimed at enhancing adoption as an adaptation strategy to drought stress in Nigeria and beyond.

Modeling Preference and Willingness to Pay for Drought Tolerance (DT) in Maize in Rural Zimbabwe

Maize plays a leading role in the food security of millions in southern Africa, yet it is highly vulnerable to the moisture stress brought about by the erratic rainfall patterns that characterize weather systems in the area. Developing and making drought-tolerant maize varieties available to farmers in the region has thus long been a key goal on the regional development agenda. Farm-level adoption of these varieties, however, depends on local perceptions of the value they add, along with willingness to pay (WTP) for it. Focusing on Zimbabwe, this research aimed at estimating the implicit prices farmers are willing to pay for drought tolerance in maize compared to other preferred traits. Using a choice experiment framework, we generated 12,600 observations from a random sample of 1,400 households in communal areas within 14 districts of Zimbabwe. Taste parameters and heterogeneities were estimated using the generalized multinomial logit model (G-MNL). The results reveal drought tolerance, grain yield, covered cob tip, cob size, and semi-flint texture to be the most preferred traits by farm households in Zimbabwe. The WTP estimates show that farmers are willing to pay a premium for drought tolerance equal to 2.56, 7, 3.2, and 5 times higher than for an additional ton of yield per acre, bigger cob size, larger grain size, and covered cob tip, respectively. We suggest designing and implementing innovative ways of promoting DT maize along with awareness-raising activities to enhance contextual understandings of drought and drought risk to speed adoption of new DT maize varieties by risk-prone farming communities. Given the high level of rural literacy and the high rate of adoption of improved maize, trait-based promotion and marketing of varieties constitutes the right strategy.

Performance of high yielding drought tolerant varieties of maize and in situ moisture conservation techniques in Kandi region of Punjab, India

In the present investigation, 87 front line demonstrations (FLDs) of maize were conducted on farmers’ fields to demonstrate the impact of high yielding drought tolerant varieties (JH 3459, Parkash and PMH 1) and in situ moisture conservation techniques (ridge sowing, sowing across the slope, summer ploughing and earthing up) on production and economic benefits in Kandi region of Punjab state during kharif seasons from 2011 to 2013 under rainfed situation. The improved production technologies recorded additional yield ranging from 29.7 to 47.6 q/ha with a mean yield of 37.1 q/ha and 24.4 to 42.6 q/ha with a mean yield of 32.7 q/ha for drought tolerant varieties and in situ moisture conservation techniques, respectively. The per cent average increase in yield of drought tolerant varieties over local cultivars was 35.8, while 15.6 for in situ moisture conservation techniques.The average extension gap, technology gap and technology index were 9.8& 4.4 q/ha, 3.7& 6.1q/ha and 9.1& 16.7 per cent, respectively in drought tolerant varieties and in situ moisture conservation techniques. FLDs recorded higher mean net returns i.e. Rs. 36,292 and 28,234 per ha. with B:C ratio of 2.53 and 2.17 for drought tolerant varieties and in situ moisture conservation techniques, respectively. The FLDS conducted revealed that availability of suitable high yielding variety and lack of knowledge about improved production technologies is the main bottleneck in maize production, enhancement of yield and knowledge of the farmers. Hence, the productivity of maize can be increased by adoption of the recommended management practices and the study resulted in convincing the farming community about potentialities of the recommended production technologies in yield enhancement.

Adaptation to high temperature mitigates the impact of water deficit during combined heat and drought stress in C3 sunflower and C4 maize varieties with contrasting drought tolerance.

Heat and drought stress frequently occur together, however, their impact on plant growth and photosynthesis (PN ) is unclear. The frequency, duration and severity of heat and drought stress events are predicted to increase in the future, having severe implications for agricultural productivity and food security. To assess the impact on plant gas exchange, physiology and morphology we grew drought tolerant and sensitive varieties of C3 sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and C4 maize (Zea mays) under conditions of elevated temperature for 4 weeks prior to the imposition of water deficit. The negative impact of temperature on PN was most apparent in sunflower. The drought tolerant sunflower retained ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) activity under heat stress to a greater extent than its drought sensitive counterpart. Maize exhibited no varietal difference in response to increased temperature. In contrast to previous studies, where a sudden rise in temperature induced an increase in stomatal conductance (Gs ), we observed no change or a reduction in Gs with elevated temperature, which alongside lower leaf area mitigated the impact of drought at the higher temperature. The drought tolerant sunflower and maize varieties exhibited greater investment in root-systems, allowing greater uptake of the available soil water. Elevated temperatures associated with heat-waves will have profound negative impacts on crop growth in both sunflower and maize, but the deleterious effect on PN was less apparent in the drought tolerant sunflower and both maize varieties. As C4 plants generally exhibit water use efficiency (WUE) and resistance to heat stress, selection on the basis of tolerance to heat and drought stress would be more beneficial to the yields of C3 crops cultivated in drought prone semi-arid regions.

Proline, Soluble Sugar, Leaf Starch and Relative Water Contents of Four Maize Varieties in Response to Different Watering Regimes

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the response of four maize varieties to different simulated watering regimes in term of proline, starch and soluble sugar contents as well as relative water content. Maize seeds were planted in 64 plastic pots of 20 litre capacity, arranged in a factorial fitted in completely randomized design (CRD), with four replications in the screen house of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (I.A.R&T), Moor Plantation Ibadan. The watering was done based on the designated field capacities (FC) of 25, 50, 75 and 100%. Fresh leaf samples were collected five weeks after planting and at the end of each stress period. The proline, soluble sugar, leaf starch and the relative water contents in the leaves were estimated. The results obtained showed that watering regime significantly influenced the leaf starch, soluble sugar, proline and relative water contents. The varieties also differ significantly in the proline, soluble sugar content, leaf starch and the relative water contents. Watering regime and variety interaction was significant for soluble sugar, starch, proline and the relative water content. Highest soluble sugar of 1.28 mg/g and proline of 35.70 μmol/g FW were obtained when FC was 25% and lowest when watering level was optimum. The starch and relative water contents were optimum under full watering (100% FC) and lowest when field capacity was 25%. Variations were observed with regards to different maize varieties. ART98SW6-OB accumulated the highest quantity of soluble sugar and proline under 25 and 50% field capacities alongside DTESYN, which is a drought tolerant maize variety. It could be concluded that water stress increased production of soluble sugar and proline, while water availability increases relative water content and favors starch accumulation. The consideration of these metabolites alongside other physiological features is a very fast and reliable method for drought tolerant plant selection even at the plant seedling growth stage.

Estimating crop water deficit during maize potential growth period and climatic sensitivity analysis in Northeast China, 1961–2010

SUMMARYOne of the probable adverse effects of climate change on agriculture is yield loss due to water scarcity. Assessment of meteorological drought risk with the index of crop water deficit (CWD) can help in determining appropriate adaptation strategies to counter such losses. Using daily weather data from 68 stations in Northeast China (NEC) for 1961–2010, the spatial and temporal behaviour ofCWDwas assessed and the sensitivity of climatic variables related toCWDduring the potential growth period of maize was explored. The results indicated that the potential maize growth period decreased by 26 days due to climate warming. The deficit (i.e. a negative value for water demand) decreased from east to west and decreased gradually during 1978–1984 and sharply during 2000–2010. It is noteworthy that NEC experienced severe droughts especially in the 1970s and the 2000s, and relative humidity was the most sensitive parameter affecting evapotranspiration. Regions in the middle of Heilongjiang and Jilin should take precautions concerning climate change effects onCWD, while the northern part of NEC should take precautions concerning changes in temperature and sunshine hours. Growing late-maturing and drought-tolerant maize varieties is therefore a good option for higher production in NEC, coupled with enhancing the availability of water in this limited-rainfall region, and should form a part of the strategy to cope with climate change.

Systemic perspectives on scaling agricultural innovations. A review

Agricultural production involves the scaling of agricultural innovations such as disease-resistant and drought-tolerant maize varieties, zero-tillage techniques, permaculture cultivation practices based on perennial crops and automated milking systems. Scaling agricultural innovations should take into account complex interactions between biophysical, social, economic and institutional factors. Actual methods of scaling are rather empirical and based on the premise of ‘find out what works in one place and do more of the same, in another place’. These methods thus do not sufficiently take into account complex realities beyond the concepts of innovation transfer, dissemination, diffusion and adoption. As a consequence, scaling initiatives often do not produce the desired effect. They may produce undesirable effects in the form of negative spill-overs or unanticipated side effects such as environmental degradation, bad labour conditions of farm workers and loss of control of farming communities over access to genetic resources. Therefore, here, we conceptualise scaling processes as an integral part of a systemic approach to innovation, to anticipate on the possible consequences of scaling efforts. We propose a method that connects the heuristic framework of the multi-level perspective on socio-technical transitions (MLP) to a philosophical ‘modal aspects’ framework, with the objective of elucidating the connectedness between technologies, processes and practices. The resultant framework, the PRactice-Oriented Multi-level perspective on Innovation and Scaling (PROMIS), can inform research and policymakers on the complex dynamics involved in scaling. This is illustrated in relation to three cases in which the framework was applied: scaling agro-ecological practices in Nicaragua, farmer field schools on cocoa cultivation in Cameroon and ‘green rubber’ cultivation in Southwest China.

Evaluation of Drought Tolerant Maize Varieties under Drought and Rain-Fed Conditions: A Rainforest Location

<p>Newly developed drought tolerant maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) varieties have been hypothesized to be of different genetic make-ups, hence this study was conducted to evaluate drought-tolerant maize varieties under drought and rain-fed conditions, identify the highest yielding varieties and determine the relationship between agronomic traits and varieties’ yield under these conditions in a rainforest location. Nine drought tolerant varieties of maize and a local check were evaluated during the early part of the early cropping season (March) (Drought) as well as the actual early cropping season (May-June) (Rain-fed) of 2015 at the Teaching and Research Farm (T&RF) of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (7°28'N, 4°33'E and 244 m above sea level). There were significant differences among the two environments for all the traits measured. The performance of the drought tolerant maize varieties is better under the rain-fed condition. The yield performance of all varieties are not significantly different from each other (1.36 tons/ha to 2.75 tons/ha) under drought except EVDT-W 2000 STR C<sub>0</sub> (1.10 tons/ha). All the varieties evaluated under rain-fed condition produce higher grain yield (2-44 tons/ha-3.69 tons/ha) which are not significantly different each other. All the yield components except ear height and length had a strong positive relationship with grain yield under drought while only ear number and weight had relationship with yield under rain-fed condition. In conclusion, among the drought tolerant maize varieties, EVDT-W 2000 STR C<sub>0</sub> need further improvements to drought. Furthermore, ear weight can be used to select parents for the development of drought tolerant maize varieties in this agro-ecology.</p>

English

This study investigated soil physicochemical properties and nutrient uptake of a drought-tolerant maize variety (DT-SR-WC2) in a derived savanna zone of Southwestern Nigeria when different composted poultry manures (CPM) and inorganic fertilizer (IF) were applied. This was with a view to determining the essential trace elements and nutritional quality of the test crop. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with six treatments [cockerel manure (CM), broiler manure (BM), layers manure (LM), equal proportions of cockerel + broiler + layers manures (CBLM), IF)] and zero manure/fertilizer application served as control. Each treatment was replicated three times. Three months after sowing, the maize ears were manually harvested and threshed for analyses. The results show that addition of CPM increased the soil properties, but only significantly (p < 0.05) with the soil organic carbon and cation exchangeable capacity when BM was applied. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences among the treatments considered in the proximate compositions of the harvested maize grains. The concentrations of mineral and trace elements in the harvested maize were generally higher during the wet than dry seasons, but with only Cu showing significant (p < 0.05) difference among the elements. It was concluded that BM was the best choice among the CPM considered for enhanced soil health and nutrient uptake of maize. Key words: Maize, cockerel manure, broiler manure, layers manure, quality maize, soil health.  &nbsp

Assessment of Water-use Efficiency of Drought Tolerant Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties in a Rainforest Location

Assessment of Water-use Efficiency of Drought Tolerant Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties in a Rainforest Location

Targeting Drought-Tolerant Maize Varieties in Southern Africa: A Geospatial Crop Modeling Approach Using Big Data

Maize is a major staple food crop in southern Africa and stress tolerant improved varieties have the potential to increase productivity, enhance livelihoods and reduce food insecurity. This study uses big data in refining the geospatial targeting of new drought-tolerant (DT) maize varieties in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Results indicate that more than 1.0 million hectares (Mha) of maize in the study countries is exposed to a seasonal drought frequency exceeding 20% while an additional 1.6 Mha experience a drought occurrence of 10–20%. Spatial modeling indicates that new DT varieties could give a yield advantage of 5–40% over the commercial check variety across drought environments while crop management and input costs are kept equal. Results indicate a huge potential for DT maize seed production and marketing in the study countries. The study demonstrates how big data and analytical tools enhance the targeting and uptake of new agricultural technologies for boosting rural livelihoods, agribusiness development and food security in developing countries.

Subsidies promote use of drought tolerant maize varieties despite variable yield performance under smallholder environments in Malawi

This study used a three-year panel dataset for 350 Malawian farm households to examine the potential for widespread adoption of drought tolerant (DT) maize varieties, a technology that holds considerable promise for helping smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) adapt to drought risk. Regression results revealed that DT maize cultivation increased substantially from 2006 to 2012, with the main driver being the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program. Recently experienced drought and farmer risk aversion stimulated adoption of DT maize. In yield performance, improved maize varieties performed significantly better than local maize during the 2011/12 drought year. However, DT maize did not perform significantly better than other improved maize varieties used in Malawi, which is in contradiction to results obtained from on-station and on-farm trials. A plausible explanation is that the severe drought in Malawi in the 2011/12 season occurred early in the rainy season and DT maize primarily provides an advantage in the case of late droughts during the silking/grain filling stage of the crop. Preliminary results herein suggest that it was lack of rainfall in December 2011 that constrained maize yield while rainfall in January and February was less limiting. Additionally, the length of the longest dry spells in December and February further strengthens the evidence in favor of this explanation, but further research is needed to reach a conclusion.

Conservation agriculture and drought-tolerant germplasm: Reaping the benefits of climate-smart agriculture technologies in central Mozambique

AbstractConservation agriculture (CA) based on minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention and crop rotations is considered as a soil and crop management system that could potentially increase soil quality and mitigate the negative effects of climate variability. When CA is combined with drought-tolerant (DT) maize varieties, farmers can reap the benefits of both—genetic improvement and sustainable land management. New initiatives were started in 2007 in Mozambique to test the two climate-smart agriculture technologies on farmers' fields. Long-term trends showed that direct seeded manual CA treatments outyielded conventional tillage treatments in up to 89% of cases on maize and in 90% of cases on legume in direct yield comparisons. Improved DT maize varieties outyielded the traditional control variety by 26–46% (695–1422 kg ha−1) on different tillage treatment, across sites and season. However a direct interaction between tillage treatment and variety performance could not be established. Maize and legume grain yields on CA plots in this long-term dataset did not increase with increased years of practice due to on-site variability between farmer replicates. It was evident from the farmers' choice that, beside taste and good milling quality, farmers in drought-prone environments considered the potential of a variety to mature faster more important than larger potential yields of long season varieties. Population growth, labor shortage to clear new land areas and limited land resources in future will force farmers to change toward more permanent and sustainable cropping systems and CA is a viable option to improve their food security and livelihoods.

Greenhouse screening of maize genotypes for deep root mass and related root traits and their association with grain yield under water-deficit conditions in the field

Plant roots play an important adaptive role in drought prone environments. Although there have been many efforts to improve root traits to develop drought tolerant maize varieties but significant progress has not yet made mainly due to difficulty in screening root traits. The aims of the study were to develop an easy and reliable screening method for deep root mass and related root traits of maize in greenhouse and evaluate their association with the grain yield under water-deficit field conditions. Twelve maize hybrids and their corresponding 12 female inbred parents were evaluated for phenotypic variation in deep root mass (dry weight of the root section below 45 cm from the root base), and related root traits, such as root length and total root mass in PVC tubes in greenhouse. The test hybrids were selected based on their grain yield under water-deficit conditions in the field. Plants were grown in three different growing media, and a mixture of sand, vermiculite, perlite and soil was found to be the best growing medium to study root growth. Deep root mass, total root mass and root length differed significantly among the genotypes, and these traits showed positive relationship with grain yield under water-deficit field conditions. The root screening system used is simple and inexpensive, making it suitable for evaluating large number of maize genotypes for root traits in greenhouse for selection for drought tolerance. Several diverse inbred lines for deep root mass have been identified and these could be used as parents to develop appropriate populations to study the genetic basis of deep root mass with a goal to manipulate drought tolerance.

Drought tolerant maize for farmer adaptation to drought in sub-Saharan Africa: Determinants of adoption in eastern and southern Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), “maize is life,” due to its importance to food security and economic wellbeing. Around 40 % of Africa’s maize-growing area faces occasional drought stress, resulting in yield losses of 10–25 %. Around 25 % of the maize crop suffers frequent drought, with losses of up to half the harvest. To reduce vulnerability and improve food security, the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project has made releases of 160 drought tolerant (DT) maize varieties between 2007 and 2013. These have been tested in experimental and farmers’ fields, and disseminated to farmers in 13 African countries through national agricultural research systems and private seed companies. Yields of the new varieties are superior to those of currently available commercial maize varieties under both stress and optimum growing conditions. Although the benefits of DT maize for African farmers have been repeatedly predicted, realization of those benefits depends on farmer uptake, which has received limited empirical study. We use new plot-level data from surveys of 3,700 farm households in six countries (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) to measure DT maize adoption rates and their determinants. The data reveal considerable inter-country variation in farmer uptake of DT maize, from 9 % of maize plots in Zimbabwe to 61 % in Malawi. The major barriers to adoption include unavailability of improved seed, inadequate information, lack of resources, high seed price, and perceived attributes of different varieties. Based on the results, we recommend that seed companies and agro-dealers ensure adequate supply of DT maize seed in local markets and sell seed in affordable micro-packs (1 or 2 kg). Furthermore, the DTMA project and partners should ramp up promotional efforts to ensure widespread awareness and understanding of the benefits of the new DT maize varieties.

Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping and Molecular Breeding for Developing Stress Resilient Maize for Sub‐Saharan Africa

ABSTRACTThe International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in partnership with several public and private institutions, is working to develop and deploy improved maize (Zea mays L.) germplasm that is drought tolerant, nitrogen use efficient (NUE), and disease resistant for sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), using conventional pedigree selection and molecular breeding. Here, we provide an overview of the progress made on (i) quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for drought, NUE, and maize lethal necrosis (MLN); (ii) development of production markers for maize streak virus (MSV) and MLN resistance; and (iii) marker‐assisted recurrent selection (MARS) and genomic selection (GS) for developing drought tolerant maize germplasm. We identified several small to moderate effect QTL associated with grain yield and anthesis‐silking interval under low N, managed drought, and optimum environments, but only a few small to moderate effect QTL were detected in multiple genetic backgrounds. Thus, CIMMYT is conducting the largest public MARS and GS projects in SSA. A recent comparative study of pedigree selection, MARS and GS undertaken across 8 to 10 bi‐parental populations, demonstrated the superior performance of both MARS and GS schemes over pedigree selection. More than 90% of current commercial maize germplasm was found to be highly susceptible to MLN disease. Preliminary mapping studies identified three major QTL for MLN disease resistance, and two are being used for pilot line conversion using marker‐assisted backcrossing (MABC). For MSV, pilot marker‐assisted selection is ongoing, using three single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers to select a major QTL on chromosome 1. Development of drought tolerant and NUE maize varieties must include MLN resistance in eastern Africa, and we strongly suggest to maize breeders to introgress promising genomic regions for MLN resistance using either conventional or molecular methods.

Impact of climate change on maize production in Ghana. A review

Climate change is one of the challenges that human populations and the environment face. In Ghana, agricultural production is expected to be negatively affected because of the projected changes in rainfall regimes and increase in temperatures. Due to the essential role of maize in the food security of the country, numerous studies have been conducted to estimate how its production is being affected now and likely to be affected in future by current and projected changes in climate. In order to assemble the current knowledge of how maize production in Ghana will be affected, a systematic literature review was conducted for published material relating to the topic. From the review, it was apparent that climate change is already happening in Ghana. Available records indicated that temperature has increased by 1oC across the country over the last 30 years. Rainfall has decreased by 20% over the same period. The yields of maize have been affected by these climatic changes. In recent years, there has been a decline in maize yields across the country. Although other contributing factors exist, increasing temperatures and irregularity in rainfall have been cited as the primary causes of the continuous reduction in yields. For future climate projections, the common agreement amongst all the reviewed literature is that maize yields will further decline. The decline varied from 7% in 2020 to 55% by 2050 depending on crop models and emission scenarios used in the study. With a projected increase in population, Ghana is likely to face many challenges in meeting the maize demands by its habitants in the future under the projected climate scenarios. The planting of more heat and drought tolerant maize varieties, adjustments in the planting dates and increasing irrigation facilities in maize production were the commonest adaptation measures identified.

English

The agronomic, morphological, anatomical and physiological characteristics of native and improved varieties of rain fed drought tolerant maize (DTV) and non-tolerant varieties (NDTV) was compared. Correlation analysis of each variety in terms of production characteristics and other variables was done. This was done in order to observe if some of the latter could be used as selection indices of productive plants. The study was conducted under irrigated conditions in Zacatecas, Mexico (2280 musl; 15.8°C mean temperature; 448 mm of annual rainfall average). The average of 10 fully competitive plants of each variety was evaluated. There were no differences between the DTV and NDTV as a group, but they differed when considering characteristics of each individual variety. It suggests that to find differences between these varieties, they should be studied individually. The indices for selecting productive plants in the early DTV native are: C-5: NGC, NRC, NL and W5G for both grain and stubble; in the DTV semi early native: C-7: high values of: NKR and low: EH, DMF, DS  and PH for grain, also high values of: W5G, V5G, NSP and NPBT for stubble; in the  DTV native semi early C-23, high values of: W5G and a low one of PL for grain, also high values of: W5G, V5G and EH and low of: ASY, NRC and ILE, for stubble.   Key words: Zea mays L., native varieties, rain fed, grain yield, stubble yield.

Analysis of Drought-Tolerant Maize Adoption and its Effect on Food Security among Farmers in the Sudan Savanna of Northeastern Nigeria

This article examined the factors influencing the adoption of the drought-tolerant Maize (DT) varieties and their effect on food security among farmers in the Sudan Savanna agro-ecological zone of northeastern Nigeria. Data for the study were collected from 200 farmers who were selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure. Factors influencing the adoption of DT maize varieties were determined through the use of censored regression (the Tobit model) while the effect of adoption of DT maize on food security was determined through the use of the chi-square test. The results from the chi-square test were further converted to a contingency coefficient in order to obtain the extent of the association between the adoption of DT maize and food security. The study revealed that income ( ρ ≤ 0.01) and access to extension services ( ρ ≤ 0.01) were significant in influencing the adoption of DT maize among farmers. The study also found a strong