Agriculture

Seed Council To Establish Zonal Seed Multiplication Laboratories

By Web News 699

In a bid to enhance the multiplication of quality seeds, the National Agriculture Seed Council, NASC is to establish tissue culture laboratories in all the geo-political zones of the country.

The Director-General, NASC, Dr. Olusegun Ojo stated this at the formal opening of training organized in conjunction with the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, the University of Ibadan for the staff of the council.

The two-week training program centred on tissue culture techniques, research and management of tissue culture laboratories.

Dr. Ojo represented by the NASC South-West Director, Mr. Kunle Adeseko said the establishment of the tissue culture laboratory, TSL was borne out of the need to have modern seed multiplication facilities and such laboratory would also be at the zonal offices in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

“The idea of establishing TSL was because of the desire to have modern seed multiplication facilities for the proposed NASC Centre of Excellence for seed in West Africa to train seed entrepreneurs on the novel High Ratio propagation technologies developed under the YIIFSWA and BASICS projects.”

“To hit the ground running, a building was constructed at the headquarters and it is being equipped with basic laboratory equipment for the take-off of the TCL”.

Dr. Ojo explained that being a new area of speciality in the council necessitated the partnership with the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology to train the newly employed staff on tissue culture techniques and management of tissue culture laboratories. 

“It’s a rare privilege accorded you by the management and you are therefore enjoined to take the training seriously and pay undivided attention to the instructions by the resource persons and make it worth the while for the resources put together to organise the training”.

“The training is considered a train-the-trainers course as skills and knowledge acquired by you are expected to be stepped down to your colleagues”

Also speaking, the training facilitator, Dr. Morufat Balogun, said it was the first time NASC would train its staff on tissue culture.

“This is highly appreciated and commendable, we will give the participants the best because the department has experts who can handle the training”.

“The two-week training promises to be very rich so participants should be open and feel free to ask questions”.

Also, the UI Director of Teaching and Research Farm, Professor Andrew Omojola, who spoke on “the importance of quality seed, public and private partnerships in Agricultural Value chain”, said seeds have more value than plants or fruits.

He urged farmers to ensure that the source of the seeds they planted was guaranteed.

Professor Omojola emphasised that public-private partnership was paramount for farmers and agriculturists to make more profits and impacts.

“You cannot do it alone as far as research is concerned, so be in partnership with the right competent people and add value to your seed through packaging”.

The Head of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology Department, Professor Rasheed Awodoyin, said it was a good relationship working with NASC, especially in the area of training.

He said it was paramount to adopt the method of tissue culture in the production of seedlings.

“Tissue culture is a sure thing one must key into to meet the present demand, with tissue culture, one can produce more seedlings at any time”.

Ridwan Fasasi

Education

NASC partners UI to train staff on Quality Seed Production

By Web News 1108

National Agricultural Seed Council, (NASC) in conjunction with the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, University of Ibadan has begun a -week training of staff of the Council towards enhancing quality seeds production in Nigeria.

The training being held at the University of Ibadan focused on seed research methodology, data analysis and reporting.

Speaking at the formal opening of the programme, the NASC Director-General, Dr Olusegun Ojo, said the training was to ensure production of improved quality seeds which is one of the mandates of the agency.

Dr Ojo who was represented by the Director of Seed Coordination and Management Services in the Council, Dr Jimmy Zidafamor, said the training would strengthen collaboration with other agencies to provide quality seeds to farmers.

“We want to equip the staff more as well as deepen their knowledge on seed research, methodology and data analysis so that they can go back to do the needful on the field.

“We are responsible for the regulation and coordination of seed industry. We have the seed components and take research on seeds very seriously because without seeds there will be no crop to protect.

“We have a crop of staff, green hands, to be trained and we have been able to set up our research works with the trainings,” he said.

Also speaking, the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, UI, Professor Stella Odebode emphasised the importance of seeds, saying that without them the country would not be food secured.

“It’s with the seed multiplication that we can produce adequate food for the populace and export. This training is apt because it will impact positively on farmers and agriculture sector in general.”

Also, the Director of Research Management Office, UI, Professor Ayodele Jegede said any nation that does not focus on research would be far away from development.

According to Professor Jegede, it’s unethical for one to collect data without analysing and reporting it to disseminate the information.

“When your data is of no quality it will automatically affect the quality of data you are going to produce, so the basis of your report should depend on the quality of your data analysis.

“Researchers need to always check their data and do literature review which is very critical in carrying effective research.”

Earlier, the Head of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology of the University, Professor Rasheed Awodoyin said the training is the third of its kind since 2017.

“The first one was held in 2017, second one in 2019 and this is the third, I’m optimistic that the success we will record in this one will supercede others.”

“Crop protection starts from production, provision of quality seeds, our department will continue to support the NASC in its mandate.”

Similarly, the workshop facilitator, Dr Morufat Balogun noted that Nigeria is at the forefront in terms of seed production, research and improvement.

Dr Balogun commended the NASC for always being in motion, especially in the aspect of training its staff.

She added that the training is loaded with worthy resource persons and “there will also be feedback from participants at the end, of which we will work with later.”

Ridwan Fasasi