The National Root Crops Research Institute,

Umudike Umudike is a semi-urban settlement in Ikwuano Local Government Area Abia State, Nigeria, about 11 kilometers southeast of Umuahia, the state capital city. It is home to the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture and to the National Root Crops Res ...

Abia State Abia State ( ig, Ȯha Abia) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, it is bordered to the north and northeast by the states of Enugu, and Ebonyi, Imo State to the west, Cross River State to the east, Akwa Ibom State to the ...

is an agricultural research institute in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. Its origins can be traced back to an experimental farm established at Moor Plantation,

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...

on January 1, 1923 by the Nigerian Department of Agriculture. The School of Agriculture was established in 1955, and the two establishments were combined as the Eastern Nigeria Agricultural Research and Training Station (ARTS) in 1956, with headquarters at

Enugu Enugu ( ; ) is the capital city of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in southeastern part of Nigeria. The city had a population of 820,000 according to the 2022 Nigerian census. The name ''Enugu'' is derived from the two Igbo words ''Énú ...

. In 1972, the institution assumed federal status as the Federal Agricultural Research and Training Station (FARTS). In 1976 it was renamed the National Root Crops Research Institute, coming under the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria. In 1995, the training wing was split off as the

Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu The Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu (popularly known as "FCA Ishiagu") is based in Ishiagu, Ivo Local government area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The college promotes education, training and research into agricultural production, processin ...

. The institute conducts research into genetic improvement of economically important root and tuber crops such as cassava, yam, cocoyam, sweet potato, Irish potato, ginger, rizga, Hausa potato, sugar beets and Turmeric. It also researches subjects such as crop cultivation techniques, storage, processing and utilization of the crops, concentrating on requirements of farmers in the south-east zone of Nigeria. The institute provides training of middle level agricultural workers, awarding National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas and providing specialized vocational training to farmers. The institute has received funding from the Generation Challenge Program and the National Agricultural Research Systems to establish a modern laboratory for research into improvements to cassava genetics using molecular markers. The institute collaborates with other regional research centers through the Southern Africa Root Crops Research Network, funded by

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

References

{{authority control Abia State Agricultural research institutes Research institutes in Nigeria Agricultural organizations based in Nigeria