Research Activities

Maize

Maize OPV

  • Maintenance/ improvement of base populations.
  • Evaluation of local, national (NUMYT) and international (CIMMYT) material.
  • Production of BNS, pre-basic, basic and certified seed.

Maize Hybrid

  • Maintenance and derivation of yellow maize inbred lines.
  • Derivation of white maize inbred lines.
  • Derivation of sweet corn inbred lines.
  • Derivation of popcorn inbred lines.
  • Screening / development of germplasm against stalk rot and heat stress.
  • Constitution of new single cross hybrids.
  • Evaluation of new hybrids in preliminary, micro, macro and hybrid yield trials.
  • Development of inducer lines with high induction rate under local environmental conditions.
  • Evaluation of national (NUMYT) & international (CIMMYT) material.
  • Seed multiplication of inbred lines for promising maize hybrid constitution.
  • Seed production of single cross maize hybrids.
  • Demonstration / on-farm testing of promising hybrids.

Sorghum

  • Maintenance of gene pool.
  • Maintenance of cytoplasmic male sterile (A) lines.
  • Maintenance of fertility restorer (R) lines.
  • Development of dual purpose sweet sorghum varieties.
  • Sorghum varietal yield trial.
  • Constitution of varietal crosses.
  • Constitution of sorghum hybrids.
  • Sorghum hybrid yield trial.
  • Evaluation of sorghum varieties/ hybrids in national (NUMYT) and on-farm yield trials.
  • Production of BNS, pre-basic, basic and certified seed.

Pearl Millet

  • Maintenance of gene pool.
  • Maintenance of cytoplasmic male sterile (A) lines.
  • Maintenance of fertility restorer (R) lines.
  • Derivation of fertility restorer (R) lines.
  • Constitution of pearl millet hybrids.
  • Development of dual purpose pearl millet varieties.
  • Constitution of varietal crosses.
  • Pearl millet varietal yield trial.
  • Evaluation of pearl millet varieties in national (NUMYT) and on-farm yield trials.
  • Production of BNS, pre-basic, basic and certified seed.

Agronomy

  • Standardization / finding of optimum plant spacings and irrigations for different OPV’s and hybrids of maize, sorghum & pearl millet crops for getting maximum and economical yields
  • Testing of new herbicides against weeds in maize, sorghum & pearl millet crops.

Soil Chemistry

  • Standardization of fertilizer doses for maize, sorghum & pearl millet crops for obtaining economical returns.

Plant Pathology

  • Testing of maize hybrids /OPVs against stalk rot.
  • Testing of different seed dressing fungicides against diseases.

Entomology

  • Testing of different seed dressing insecticides against shoot fly.
  • Testing of spray able insecticides for the control of maize and sorghum borer.