The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), says it has trained 35,000 farmers on modern farming techniques in seven local government areas of Adamawa.

Azeez Oyeyemi, senior agronomist at IITA’s feed the future Nigeria integrated agriculture activity, disclosed this on Tuesday during a green field day for soybean farmers in Yola-South Local Government Area of the state.

He said the farmers had been exposed to crop varieties such as soybean, maize, rice and cowpea.

According to him, the programme is being implemented in collaboration between the IITA and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Mr Oyeyemi encouraged soybean growers to plant improved variety seeds in view of their high yields and resistance to problematic challenges.

He also enjoined them to ensure proper application of fertiliser to achieve higher yields at harvest.

“NoduMax is a pea-based inoculant ensuring that soybean’s symbiotic rhizobium bacteria are present, resulting in improved root nodulation and high rate of biological nitrogen fixation.

“Today, we demonstrated to the farmers the importance of applying it and SSP brand of fertilisers on soybean production in Yola-South LGA.

“They have seen the difference by themselves on the crops, those with Nodumax and SSP fertiliser, crop with only Nodumax and crop with fertiliser only,” he said.

The exercise, he said, would build the capacity of farmers to stand on their own and sustain production even after the expiration of the programme.

Also speaking, ward head of Sabon Fegi ‘B’, Saidu Buba, lauded the gesture, adding that he learnt new farm skills under the programme to enable him to improve his 64-year-old business.

He urged the beneficiaries to the use knowledge learnt to increase their productivity.

One of the beneficiaries, Wulunga Andrew, said the training exercise assisted her in increasing her production output through the application of NoduMax and SSP fertilisers.

(NAN)