Abstract

An emphasis needs to be placed on location and time specific solutions when directing the efforts of researchers, policy-makers and extension workers. Farmer participatory research is used to improve the collaboration and communication between farmers and scientists in agricultural research so as to ensure that research findings are relevant to farmers’ needs and applicable within their biophysical and socio-economic environments. With assistance from the moderators, farmers themselves discover answers and solutions during informal discussions for their problems. This study was undertaken following the sequential steps namely; participatory problem diagnosis, participatory search for solutions, testing of suitable technological interventions at farmers’ fields, regular monitoring of the trials and assessing the impact of the interventions. Research interventions for adaptation and verification of potential technologies under local conditions were tested on participating farmers’ fields jointly managed by researchers and farmers. The results in terms of spike length, number of grains/ spike, grain yield, and total dry matter produced were significantly higher in the tested technologies as compared to farmers’ practices. The perceptions of participating farmers as well as non-participating farmers were sought on the methodology of technology refinement, and it was found that majority of the farmers were observed to be highly satisfied and expressed their willingness to participate in the process of on-farm research.

Key words: Agricultural interventions, participatory rural appraisal, constraints in participation, on farm testing.