IAR Zaria and IITA Collaborate to Launch SAMMAZ77: A Disease-Resistant Hybrid Maize Boosting Yields by 35%
- IAR Zaria and IITA Launch SAMMAZ77: A Hybrid Maize
In a groundbreaking collaboration, the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Zaria and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) have jointly launched SAMMAZ77, a revolutionary disease-resistant hybrid maize variety that promises to transform maize farming across the region.
The SAMMAZ77 which is a medium-maturing top-cross maize hybrid combines tolerance to fall armyworm and drought with resistance to Striga hermonthica.
This innovative hybrid boasts an impressive 35% increase in yield compared to traditional varieties, offering a powerful solution to the persistent challenges of crop diseases and food insecurity. By combining cutting-edge research with practical agricultural expertise, SAMMAZ77 is set to empower farmers with higher productivity, greater resilience, and improved livelihoods.
Compared to the previously released drought-tolerant and Striga-resistant hybrids commercialized in Nigeria (SAMMAZ50), SAMMAZ77 achieved 5–35% higher yields under combined stressors of fall armyworm infestation, Striga parasitism, and severe drought.
This hybrid outperformed SAMMAZ50 by 13–164% in seven out of nine testing locations under rainfed conditions. Additionally, SAMMAZ77 showed 14–41% yield advantages over SAMMAZ68 (a 3-way cross TEGO hybrid released in Nigeria) in two of Nigeria’s four major maize-producing states.
On-farm trials conducted across four states further demonstrated 33–132% yield increases for SAMMAZ77 compared to farmers’ preferred maize varieties. These results position SAMMAZ77 as a critical innovation for sustaining maize productivity in Nigerian savannas, where overlapping biotic and abiotic stresses threaten crop production.
This breakthrough underscores IAR Samaru and IITA’s commitment to research-based solutions that address real-world challenges.
The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Samaru was established in 1922 as the Research Division of the Northern Nigeria Ministry of Agriculture. Following the establishment of Ahmadu Bello University, the research division with its sub-stations and assets were transferred to the university under the collective title of Institute for Agricultural Research on the 4th of October 1962.
The Institute is one of the Research Institutes in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria however, it is regulated by the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) under Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), as it has the mandate to coordinate, supervise and regulate agricultural research, training and extension in Nigeria.
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