Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important oilseed crop cultivated in the derived, northern and southern Guinea, Sudan and Sahel Savannah of Nigeria. It is used in many homes and has a lot of potential uses as an industrial and commercial crop. There is a considerable improvement in sesame seed production and the demand for sesame seed is on the increase. Thus, improved varieties of sesame have been released to farmers towards the sustainable production of sesame seed in Nigeria. This paper further looks at economic potential of sesame production, production trend, prospects for large-scale production, industrial, commercial and local uses as well as strategies for sustainable sesame production. Further research needs and focus for promoting the crop are also highlighted.

A survey of the central part of Nigeria revealed the existence of five species of Striga of which Striga asiatica, S. spera, S. forbesii and S. hermonthica infest plants in the family Gramineae (Apocea) while S. gesnerioides attacks plants in the family Leguminosae. Two taxa: S. aspera and S. hermonthica are reported cytologically for the first time, while the chromosome numbers of the rest of the taxa agree with the previous reports. Distribution map is provided.

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A two-year field experiment was carried out on the acidic coastal plain sands of South Eastern Nigeria during the year 2009 and 2010 planting seasons to study the effect of lime levels (L = 0, 500 and 1000 kg ha Results also showed that lime at 500 kg ha -1 gave the highest popcorn yields in 2010, a yield increase of 18.03 % above control, whereas there was no yield response to lime in 2009. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that popcorn sown at 80 kg N ha -1 and 500 kg ha -1 rates of lime significantly increased the crop productivity compared to those sown at other N and lime rates. The study demonstrated the effect of lime amendment in reducing rates of inorganic N applied to popcorn especially with resource poor farmers who form the bulk of maize producers in Nigeria.

Twenty-three advanced groundnut lines were evaluated for yield and resistance to early leaf spot (Mycosphaerella arachidis Deighton), late leaf spot (Mycosphaerella berkeleyi W.A. Jenkins) and rosette virus in on-station trials in 2001 and 2002. All the early groundnut lines were relatively resistant to rosette virus, early leaf spot and late leaf spot except ICGV-SM-93523 and ICGV-SM-93525, which were susceptible to late leaf spot. The medium maturing lines showed mostly higher levels of diseases, except MS16-791, which performed very well against all three diseases. The late groundnut lines were mostly susceptible to one or more of the diseases, except 49-85A and ICGV-SM-93532. Nine groundnut lines, combining high yield and resistance against all three diseases, were selected for on-farm trials at four locations in 2004 and 2005. In the on-farm trials all the nine selected lines were also resistant or highly resistant to rosette and both early and late leaf spot, while the local check, Makodi, was susceptible to all three diseases in both the on-station and on-farm trials. The analysis of yield data obtained at the eight environments, based on the linear statistical model y ij = μ + a i + e j + r ij , estimated the genetic variance about three times higher than the residual variance. Still better results were obtained with the multiplicative model y ij = μa i b j + e j + r ij , where the genetic variance was more than four times higher than the residual variance and a still better differentiation of cultivars was thus possible. Significant differences in cultivar stability, expressed as the variation coefficient of the a i estimates (i.e. the variation of Standardised Relative Yields) from the multiplicative model across the eight environments, were observed. The check cultivar Makodi, though quite stable, was the lowest yielding of all tested ones. The groundnut line ICGV-1S-96805 combined very high yielding capacity and outstanding disease resistance with good, though not the highest, yield stability.