Four drought tolerant and striga resistant corn varieties developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the National Maize Program of Ghana were released to Ghanaian farmers recently. Three early maturing lines EVDT-W 99 STR QPM Co; TZE-W Pop STR QPM C0; and TZEE-W Pop STR QPM C0 and one intermediate maturing, drought tolerant QPM hybrid were released by the Ghanaian Crops Research Institute in collaboration with the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute and Industrial Research of Ghana.

“With the release of these varieties, farmers in Ghana now have options not only in terms of maturity, grain color and type but also varieties which can tolerate the two major stresses which prevent increased maize production and productivity in the sub-region,” IITA Maize Breeder, Dr. Baffour Badu-Apraku, said. In addition, Ghana Grains and Legumes Development Board of the Food and Agriculture Ministry, Dr. Robert Asuboah is optimistic that these ‘insurance' crops will enable farmers to produce crops and profit during periods of drought.

For details, see the article at:  http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/ghanaian-farmers-get-drought-tolerant-maize-to-boost-production-2010040347069.html.