Field days are farm events organized by producers and agricultural institutes to educate farmers on good agricultural practices (GAP) and promote the adoption of recommended improved crop varieties by smallholder farmers.
The Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) project organized a farmers’ field day on 7 October on its Cowpea demonstration plots to showcase GAP as part of increasing consumer awareness and access to improved cowpea varieties in the project.
The cowpea demonstration plots are situated in the Bichi LGA of Badume Community of Kano State. Thirty-four farmers and three growers participated in the field day, which focused on GAP for enhanced production of climate-smart improved cowpea varieties (FUAMPEA1 and SAMPEA 14) introduced to the community. The farmers were amazed to see the two new cowpea varieties completely free of the parasitic weed (Striga gesnerioides) while their existing variety, used as farmers’ choice, was devasted by Striga.