New soya bean varieties released

Nyankpala (N/R), Nov 21, GNA - The Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) at Nyankpala near Tamale has released two new soya bean varieties it has developed to farmers in the three Northern regions to promote large-scale production of the crop.

The two varieties, "Tax 1448-2E" and "Tax 1445-2E" have been tested and found to fit into the agro-ecologies as well as withstand the specific stresses of the climatic conditions of the regions

SARI has taken 12 years to develop the two varieties that have maturing periods of 110 and 117 days and can yield between six-and-half bags and six bags per acre respectively under proper agricultural practices.

The introduction of the two brings to four the different varieties of soybeans SARI has developed, the first two being "Salintuya 1" and "Salintuya II". The Food Crops Development Project provided financial support to SARI for the development of the varieties.

Dr Abdulai Salifu, Director of SARI, announced this at a forum when he took a five-member team from the National Varietal Release Committee, through the characteristics and activities of the crop.

The Committee later approved the release of the new varieties after they had examined their performance on the field.

He said the Tax 1448-2E has been given the name "Jenguma" in the Lobi dialect, which literally means "stay and wait for me" and it has 40 per cent protein and 20 per cent oil suitable for industrial use.

It is high yielding, field resistance to pod shattering and a killer to the striga weed that hinders crops performance and yields.

Dr Salifu said the other variety, Tax 1445-2E, is drought-tolerant and suitable for cultivation in the Upper East Region because of its erratic rainfall pattern and poor climatic conditions.

It has also been named "Quarshie" in honour of the first Director of SARI, Mr Hector Mercer-Quarshie who improved research work at the Institute.

In a speech read for him, Dr J.A. Poku, Acting Director of Crop Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), noted that soya bean has become an important food crop in the country since it provides nutrition especially for infants and the increasing demand for it from industries for vegetable oil and animal feed production.

He said the government has stepped up its activities on the transfer of improved technologies of its production and utilization to producers and consumers and urged scientists to develop more varieties to meet public demands.

Dr Poku, who is also the Chairman of the National Varietal Release Committee, commended the efforts of SARI and urged farmers in the three Northern regions to take advantage of the new varieties to boost soya bean production.