Evaluation of Drought-Tolerant Maize Varieties Released by IITA for Adoption in the North West Zone

IITA and CIMMYT drought-tolerant maize varieties developed for sub-Saharan Africa have demonstrated significant yield advantages under moisture stress in research trials, but their evaluation under actual farmer field conditions in the North West zone of Nigeria is necessary before scaled extension recommendation. This study evaluated the performance of six IITA drought-tolerant maize varieties (DTMA varieties) under farmer-managed conditions across 24 farms in Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa States during the 2023 rainy season. A multi-location evaluation design was used with four varieties per location and local check as the common entry. Grain yield, anthesis-silking interval, root-pulling resistance, and disease scores were measured. Results showed that DTMA 87 produced the highest mean grain yield across all locations (3.84 tonnes per hectare), 28.3 percent higher than the local check (2.99 t ha-1). Yield advantage was greatest in Jigawa State, where rainfall was lowest (22 percent below average) during the season. DTMA 88 showed the best yield stability (GxE analysis: lowest AMMI stability value) across the three states. Farmer preference surveys rated DTMA 87 highest for grain colour and size. Expert review by 8 maize agronomists confirmed the evaluation methodology was rigorous and the results reliable. The study recommends certification and commercial seed release of DTMA 87 and 88 through the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and prioritised distribution through North West State ADPs before the 2025 season.

Keywords: drought-tolerant maize, variety evaluation, IITA, North West Nigeria, farmer-managed trial