Farmer Participation in On-Station Tree Species Selection for Agroforestry: a Case Study from Burundi

Abstract

Surveys and on-farm trials are frequently used to facilitate farmer participation in agricultural research. This paper reports on a less common method-farmer involvement in on-station trials. Thirty-nine farmers were invited to multipurpose-tree screening trials in Burundi. Three different methods were used to determine which species the farmers wanted to test on their own farms. Private interviews and voting by a show of hands in plenary sessions gave very similar results whereas focus group interviews produced different and contradictory results. Researchers also learned what criteria farmers used to evaluate trees and the reasons for their choices. A supplementary survey of farmers' preferences for trees grown on their own farms confirmed the findings and more clearly defined their criteria. In this survey, farmers used a local board game, Bao, to rate tree species across criteria they considered important. Overall, the visit to the trials and follow-up survey proved to be a useful and cost-effective method for getting farmer input and applying it in the screening process.La participation de los agricultores en la selection de especies de arboles RESUMEN A menudo se usan los estudios y ensayos en explotaciones agrfcolas para facilitar la participation del agricultor en la investigation agricola. Este documento informa sobre un metodo menos comun-la participacion del agricultor en las pruebasin situ. Se invitoa treinta y nueve agricultores a los ensayos multiproposito en Burundi. Se utilizaron tres metodos diferentes para determinar que especies querfan probar los agricultores en sus propias explotaciones agrfcolas. Las entrevistas personales y la votacion a mano en sesiones plenarias tuvieron resultados muy parecidos, mientras que las entrevistas a grupos dieron resultados contradictorios y diferentes. Los investigadores descubrieron tambien que criterios utilizan los agricultores para evaluar arboles y los motivos de sus elecciones. Un estudio suplementario sobre las preferencias de los agricultores en cuanto a arboles crecidos en sus propias explotaciones agrfcolas confirmo estos hallazgos y definio mas claramente sus criterios. En este estudio, los agricultores utilizaron un juego de mesa autoctono, Bao, para puntuar las especies de arboles de acuerdo con los criterios que consideraban importantes. En general, la visita a las pruebas y el consiguiente informe probaron ser un metodo de obtener la participacion de los agricultores util y con una buena relation coste-resultados para aplicarlo asf en el proceso de cribacion.

Variation of pomelo (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck) in Nepal and participatory selection of strains for further improvement

“…However, superior strains can be identified during the process as demonstrated in this paper and we have shown the great value of farmers' comments and acceptability during the screening process. It has long been the practice in screening multipurpose tree species to involve farmers in onstation trials (Franzel et al 1995). Hence improvement of planting materials can be stepwise depending on the propagation capabilities of research stations but always aimed at satisfying farmers demands and planned development of elite materials.…”

Gender and Agroforestry in Africa: are women participating

“…In Burundi, women had similar preferences to men but selected Markhamia lutea for planting because they use the leaves to prepare medicine for treating their children's diarrhea. Men rejected the species because it was not good for timber (Franzel et al, 1995).…”

Farmer Acceptability Criteria in Breeding Cowpea

“…Farmer participation in the breeding of crop varieties for low-resource farmers is regarded by some as necessary to help ensure acceptance and eventual adoption (Maurya et al, 1988;Prain et al, 1992;Franzel et al, 1995;Sperling et al, 1993). Since farmers in fact make the ®nal`selections' in any breeding programme when they choose whether or not to adopt a new variety, it has been argued that farmers should participate early in the breeding programme, by helping make on-station selections preceding later-stage on-farm testing (Sperling et al, 1993;Franzel et al, 1995).…”