Gombe State University students from the Department of Botany embarked on a field trip to the IITA Kano Station to learn about plant breeding, the crossing process, and the diseases that affect plants. The event took place on 29 August, with the Head of the Department, Prof. Halima Abba, present with some department staff members.
The students were placed in groups, going from one screen house to another, learning about good agronomic practices (GAP).
IITA-CGIAR Cowpea Host Plant Entomologist Abou Togola took the students on a tour of the screen houses, explaining that the Institute works collaboratively with national research organizations like the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), stating that he works with Breeders on host plant resistance to increase the performance of improved varieties and make them available for smallholder farmers across West Africa. Togola helps to tackle the issues of insects in plants.