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Definition
"Participatory plant breeding refers to the involvement
of end users (and sometimes other actors) in any number of
the full range of genetic improvement activities. This includes
setting breeding goals, creating genetic variability, selecting
within variable populations, evaluating and selecting experimental
varieties, releasing and popularising new varieties and multiplying
and distributing seed."
Source: Plant Breeding Working Group/. April 2000. Guidelines
for Developing Participatory Plant Breeding Programs. Working
Document No. 1. Version 3. PRGA Program, Cali, Colombia.
Related topics
General plant breeding
Participatory
plant breeding
Managed stress breeding
Molecular tools to enhance
crop genetic analysis and improvement
Analysis of genotype by environment interactions
Relevant literature
Available in PDF format
 Scientific
references: participatory plant breeding
Available on the Internet
Participatory Gender and Analysis Program
- Website: PRGA
Program
- Description: This excellent Web resource has a section
devoted to participatory plant breeding.
Role of participatory plant breeding in the CGIAR
- Website: CIMMYT
- Reference: Bellon, M.R., and M.L Morris. 2002. Linking
global and local approaches to agricultural technology development:
The role of participatory plant breeding research in the
CGIAR. CIMMYT Economics. Working Paper 02-03. Mexico, D.F.:
CIMMYT. 30 pp.
- Description: The link takes you to the main publication
page. The PDF can be accessed by entering the name "Bellon"
in the search box in the upper left-hand corner of the page.
- Abstract: "This paper describes the current state
of international plant breeding research and explains why
the centralized approach to germplasm improvement that was
so successful in the past is gradually being transformed
by the integration of decentralized local breeding methods
that incorporate the perspective of end users. The paper
begins by identifying factors that contributed to past successes
of international breeding efforts for major crops, describes
shortcomings of the existing global approach to plant breeding,
and explains why future successes will depend on researchers'
ability to incorporate the knowledge and preferences of
technology users. Next, the paper reviews participatory
research methods and highlights a range of approaches that
are currently being tested in different settings and with
different crops. The paper then discusses synergies that
can be achieved by linking centralized and decentralized
methods. It concludes by describing technical, economic,
and institutional challenges that will have to be overcome
to integrate end-user based participatory approaches into
the international plant breeding system."
Participatory Plant Breeding: Experimental Methods and
Data Analysis
- Website: CIMMYT
- Reference: Bellon, M.R., and J. Reeves (eds.). 2002. Quantitative
Analysis of Data from Participatory Methods in Plant Breeding.
Mexico, DF: CIMMYT.
- Abstract: "Although participatory plant breeding
(PPB) is gaining greater acceptance worldwide, the techniques
needed to analyze the data from participatory methodologies
in the context of plant breeding are still not well known
or understood. Scientists from different disciplines and
cropping backgrounds, working in international research
centers and universities, discussed and exchanged methods
and ideas at a workshop on the quantitative analysis of
data from participatory methods in plant breeding. The papers
in this volume address the three themes of the workshop:
designing and analyzing joint experiments involving variety
evaluation by farmers; identifying and analyzing farmers'
evaluations of crop characteristics and varieties; and dealing
with social heterogeneity and other research issues. Topics
covered included different statistical methodologies for
analyzing data from on-farm trials; the mother-baby trial
system, which is designed to incorporate farmer participation
into research; the identification and evaluation of maize
landraces by small-scale farmers; and a PPB process that
aims to address the difficulties of setting breeding goals
and choosing parents in diversity research studies. Summaries
of the discussion, as well as the participatory breeding
work currently conducted by the participants, are provided."
Manual of Participatory Research Methods
- Website: CIMMYT
- Reference: Bellon, M.R. 2001. Participatory Research Methods
for Technology Evaluation: A Manual for Scientists Working
with Farmers. Mexico, D.F.: CIMMYT.
- Abstract: "This manual presents methods that enable
agricultural scientists and farmers to evaluate technologies/practices
jointly. The methods are specifically designed for participatory
research on germplasm and soil fertility technologies, and
they are illustrated with actual examples from three research
projects. The manual begins by reviewing conceptual issues
that are important in participatory research and presents
information to assist researchers in selecting research
sites and fieldwork participants. Next, the manual describes
the rationale and associated methods for each major activity
in farmer participatory research: diagnosing farmers' conditions,
evaluating current and new technologies/practices, and assessing
their impact. Goals, procedures, advantages, and limitations
of each method are outlined. The manual also presents detailed
information on analyzing data gathered through participatory
methods, discusses differences between gathering data through
participatory methods and more traditional structured farm
surveys, and offers examples, based on field experience,
of the choices and strategies involved in applying these
methods."
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