Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The on-farm trials from 2008-2010, in the F3-F4 generations presented
certain diffi culties in drawing conclusions across all fi eld sites, because
the specifi c populations grown on each farm were not the same from one
farm to the next. This was due to both the limited availability of seed of
each family and because families were targeted to the environment where
they were most likely to be adapted based on their parentage and the phe-
notypic evaluation done on one farm in 2008. In addition to the statistical
challenges with this trial design, the farmers needed more fl exibility in
choosing populations to keep and discard. The ideal trial setup from a
statistical point of view, with the same populations replicated within and
among farms, was not feasible from a practical standpoint.
11.4.3 LESSONS LEARNED AND METHODS DEVELOPED FOR
THE FUTURE OF THE PROJECT
One of the main themes that emerged in discussions among farmers and
scientists is the different approaches of farmers and scientists to the selec-
tion process and to the evaluation of plant and variety performance. Scien-
tists have a more analytical, quantitative approach, while farmers have an
appreciation of the interactions of the plant with its environment and the
overall performance of plant populations in their fields. In this case of par-
ticipatory selection, the goal is to bring together the strengths of both these
methods to improve the on-farm selection of populations that respond to
the needs of organic farmers. While, in general, scientists have been criti-
cized for being overly reductionist, and farmers have been criticized for
being less rigorous in their experiments, in this case participants have an
appreciation and respect for the expertise and experience that each person
brings to the collective project.
The FSO project was seen by many farmers as too top-down, primar-
ily directed by researchers. In particular, the development of a collab-
orative project was diffi cult due to the EU requirements that all project
documents and reports be submitted in English, which facilitates inter-
national work among scientists but creates barriers to farmer participa-
