Suitability Evaluation Of Pro Vitamin A And Quality Protein Maize QPM In Southern Guinea Savannah Of Nigeria

Abstract

Although maize supplies the calories for the resource poor farmers in southern guinea savannah of Nigeria, it is however low in protein and vitamin A, thus resulting in marasmus and nyctalopia (night blindness) respectively for people who consume it without supplements. Therefore, base on the need to establish the adaptability of pro vitamin A and quality protein maize QPM in this agro ecology, this research was initiated. To this end, six (6) pro vitamin A and four (4) QPMs were evaluated at the Teaching and Research Farm of Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin using randomized complete block design in three (3) replicates. Two (2) seeds were sown at 25 x 75 cm inter and intra row spacing respectively and later thinned to one. Weeds were controlled with herbicides and supplemented with manual weeding. The yield obtained ranged from 1.46 to 5.06 t/ha with TZE Q143 having the highest yield with lysine and tryptophan contents of 5.67 and 14.0µg/100g respectively. Thus TZE Q134 has the potential of filling the food and nutritional gap of the rural populace. Also, there is high variability in yield, protein and pro vitamin A contents of the lines, hence great potential for genetic improvement through breeding.