Dr. Bir. B. Singh, Plant Breeder

Special Interests: Genetics and breeding of cowpeas; plant and seed pigmentation, plant type, maturity, grain and fodder yields, resistance to diseases, nematodes, insects, Striga and Alectra, tolerance to drought, heat and low phosphorus, seed quality including protein and micronutrients, grain and dual purpose varieties for sole and intercrop and improved cropping systems, cowpea international trials.

Position: Cowpea Breeder and Officer-in Charge, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Kano Station, Nigeria; Currently Principal Investigator of three projects, i). IITA/USAID Strategic Seed Project, ii). IITA/Gatsby Crop-Livestock System Project, iii). CGIAR Challenge Program Bio-fortification Project on cowpea, and Co-Principal Investigator of two projects, i). ILRI/IITA/DFID Fodder Innovation Project and ii). CGIAR Generation CP sponsored MAS for resistance to cowpea Striga.