Nigeria rolls out first genetically modified (GM) cowpea crop to fight pod borer infestations

Nigerian producers of cow pea have battled pod borer (Maruca) infestations for years, with significant crop losses that a number of farmers quit growing cow pea out of frustration.
This lead the Nigerian government’s decision to allow the commercial release of the first genetically modified (GM) food crop Bt cowpea, which resists the destructive pod borer insect without the use of pesticides.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic may have interfered with the proposed planting of Bt cowpea, which is one of Nigeria’s most important staple crops.