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On-farm agronomic trials in farming systems research and extension
Agricultural Administration 23 (1986) 183-l 87
Book Reviews
On-farm Agronomic Trials in Farming SystemsResearchand Extension, by Peter E. Hildebrand and Frederic0 Poey. Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc., Boulder, Colorado, 1985. xvi + 162 pp. Price: E13.50. In recent years, there has been a growing acceptance among those engagedin agricultural researchand extension work that a prerequisite for agricultural development is a full, multi-disciplinary understanding of existing farming systems. At the same time it is being recognisedthat progress requires a collaborative relationship between the agriculturists and the farmers, in which farmers are involved in the development of solutions to their problems and of new farming possibilities-what is becoming known as ‘client participation’. New technology will be appropriate and be of benefit to its usersonly in so far as it is acceptable to farmers who are able to incorporate it into their existing systems. Thus, the development of technological innovations in agriculture depends on relevant scienceand ideas being ‘worked into a production system’. To do this, agricultural researchand development workers need to use appropriate testing techniques. The purpose of this volume is to offer a contribution to the methodology of agricultural technology development, specifically by means of farm trials; but, this must be considered in its context-that such activity forms an integral part of farming systemsresearchand extension (FSR/E), i.e. ‘generating, testing, evaluating the acceptability of, and disseminating new or modified technology which can be directly applied by farm families in their farm operations’ (p. 149). 183
Agricultural Administration (23) (1986)-o England,
1986. Printed
in Great Britain
Elsevier
Applied
Science Publishers
Ltd,
184
Book reviews
The value of this book by Hildebrand and Poey is at least two-fold. First, it provides a concise background to the development of FSR/E especially in relation to the contemporary concern with improving the livelihoods of small, resource-poor farmers in less developed countries. This, however, is in no way to deny the relevance of the approach in developed countries. Moreover, the approach is not new. Indeed, it might be argued that historically, during the early growth of agricultural research and extension services in Europe and North America in the late nineteenth century, the emphasis was very much upon the improvement of the farming systems of small farmers; and much of the work involved local farm trials and demonstrations. But, in terms of the present-day organization of agricultural R & D and extension work, this book offers a considerable refinement and systematisation with referenceto agronomy. It clearly distinguishes betweenfield trials carried out by researchworkers at their institutes (with which it is not concerned) and those conducted on farms, and also between on-farm trials and demonstrations (which, again, are not its concern). For the on-farm trials, however, it offers a working typology, in which four main types follow each other in sequenceand with a declining degree of their management being exercised by research workers: exploratory trials, site-specific trials, regional trials which require both agronomic and socio-economic evaluations, and farmer-managed trials. Secondly, the book provides a practical guide to appropriate methodologies which could be adopted in the design of the four main types of trials, and in the statistical analysis and interpretation of their results. In large part, this is an application of various parametric statistical methods. The authors stress, however, that it is important for the research workers themselves to apply the relevant methods, and to do so from a thorough knowledge of their data as well as a sound basein the theory of their science. In taking the reader through the various methods, with the aid of illustrative examples, various comments are made on closely related issuessuch as the choice of criteria for evaluating results and on the limits of the data obtained from on-farm trials. This is both a useful and an important book. It is tightly written but rewards careful reading. It is one which would merit attention by research workers if only to convince them that scientifically valid data which are necessaryin the development of new agricultural technology can be obtained from on-farm trials. In this context, however, it is vital for them to establish close working relationships with farmers and to
Book reviews
185
learn from their knowledge and experience.Even more, it is an important book for agricultural extension workers. It would enable them to recognise more explicitly the significance of various kinds of on-farm trials, and the importance for their work of involving farmers and helping them to gain benefit from such trials. It would also help to clarify the roles which extention workers can perform in establishing, maintaining and fostering the necessaryrelationships between research workers and farmers and the conditions under which the results of farm trials can form a source of information for them to disseminate further among the farming community. Finally, for all who are involved in administering agricultural development programmes and projects this book offers a firm basis for one of the ways in which farmers can be encouragedto participate in and become an integral, collaborative part of the process. Gwyn E. Jones
Indigenous
Agricultural
Revolution,
by Paul Richards. Hutchinson,
London, 1985. Price: L6.50. Congratulations to Paul Richards for this well researched,well considered and well presentedbook. As an ex-colonial Agricultural Officer in The Gold Coast, I wish that I had written it myself-though it probably would not have been so good. The author’s basic messageis that West African farmers know more about growing food crops in the West African environment than do agricultural scientists and that the methods they have traditionally developedmay be more appropriate for soil and ecosystemconservation than onesintroduced from other countries. Consequently the agricultural scientists have, at this stage, more to learn from the farmers than the farmers have from them. This is a view which has been postulated at intervals over the past 60 years; many times agreed and just as often forgotten when efforts have been made to drag West African agriculture into the era of high technology. After this first declaration of his message, Richards provides an excellent review of the historical sceneto illustrate the mistakes made in the past and the lessons they suggest for the future. Old colonials will be able to add many more examples from their own experiences.
Book Reviews
On-farm Agronomic Trials in Farming SystemsResearchand Extension, by Peter E. Hildebrand and Frederic0 Poey. Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc., Boulder, Colorado, 1985. xvi + 162 pp. Price: E13.50. In recent years, there has been a growing acceptance among those engagedin agricultural researchand extension work that a prerequisite for agricultural development is a full, multi-disciplinary understanding of existing farming systems. At the same time it is being recognisedthat progress requires a collaborative relationship between the agriculturists and the farmers, in which farmers are involved in the development of solutions to their problems and of new farming possibilities-what is becoming known as ‘client participation’. New technology will be appropriate and be of benefit to its usersonly in so far as it is acceptable to farmers who are able to incorporate it into their existing systems. Thus, the development of technological innovations in agriculture depends on relevant scienceand ideas being ‘worked into a production system’. To do this, agricultural researchand development workers need to use appropriate testing techniques. The purpose of this volume is to offer a contribution to the methodology of agricultural technology development, specifically by means of farm trials; but, this must be considered in its context-that such activity forms an integral part of farming systemsresearchand extension (FSR/E), i.e. ‘generating, testing, evaluating the acceptability of, and disseminating new or modified technology which can be directly applied by farm families in their farm operations’ (p. 149). 183
Agricultural Administration (23) (1986)-o England,
1986. Printed
in Great Britain
Elsevier
Applied
Science Publishers
Ltd,
184
Book reviews
The value of this book by Hildebrand and Poey is at least two-fold. First, it provides a concise background to the development of FSR/E especially in relation to the contemporary concern with improving the livelihoods of small, resource-poor farmers in less developed countries. This, however, is in no way to deny the relevance of the approach in developed countries. Moreover, the approach is not new. Indeed, it might be argued that historically, during the early growth of agricultural research and extension services in Europe and North America in the late nineteenth century, the emphasis was very much upon the improvement of the farming systems of small farmers; and much of the work involved local farm trials and demonstrations. But, in terms of the present-day organization of agricultural R & D and extension work, this book offers a considerable refinement and systematisation with referenceto agronomy. It clearly distinguishes betweenfield trials carried out by researchworkers at their institutes (with which it is not concerned) and those conducted on farms, and also between on-farm trials and demonstrations (which, again, are not its concern). For the on-farm trials, however, it offers a working typology, in which four main types follow each other in sequenceand with a declining degree of their management being exercised by research workers: exploratory trials, site-specific trials, regional trials which require both agronomic and socio-economic evaluations, and farmer-managed trials. Secondly, the book provides a practical guide to appropriate methodologies which could be adopted in the design of the four main types of trials, and in the statistical analysis and interpretation of their results. In large part, this is an application of various parametric statistical methods. The authors stress, however, that it is important for the research workers themselves to apply the relevant methods, and to do so from a thorough knowledge of their data as well as a sound basein the theory of their science. In taking the reader through the various methods, with the aid of illustrative examples, various comments are made on closely related issuessuch as the choice of criteria for evaluating results and on the limits of the data obtained from on-farm trials. This is both a useful and an important book. It is tightly written but rewards careful reading. It is one which would merit attention by research workers if only to convince them that scientifically valid data which are necessaryin the development of new agricultural technology can be obtained from on-farm trials. In this context, however, it is vital for them to establish close working relationships with farmers and to
Book reviews
185
learn from their knowledge and experience.Even more, it is an important book for agricultural extension workers. It would enable them to recognise more explicitly the significance of various kinds of on-farm trials, and the importance for their work of involving farmers and helping them to gain benefit from such trials. It would also help to clarify the roles which extention workers can perform in establishing, maintaining and fostering the necessaryrelationships between research workers and farmers and the conditions under which the results of farm trials can form a source of information for them to disseminate further among the farming community. Finally, for all who are involved in administering agricultural development programmes and projects this book offers a firm basis for one of the ways in which farmers can be encouragedto participate in and become an integral, collaborative part of the process. Gwyn E. Jones
Indigenous
Agricultural
Revolution,
by Paul Richards. Hutchinson,
London, 1985. Price: L6.50. Congratulations to Paul Richards for this well researched,well considered and well presentedbook. As an ex-colonial Agricultural Officer in The Gold Coast, I wish that I had written it myself-though it probably would not have been so good. The author’s basic messageis that West African farmers know more about growing food crops in the West African environment than do agricultural scientists and that the methods they have traditionally developedmay be more appropriate for soil and ecosystemconservation than onesintroduced from other countries. Consequently the agricultural scientists have, at this stage, more to learn from the farmers than the farmers have from them. This is a view which has been postulated at intervals over the past 60 years; many times agreed and just as often forgotten when efforts have been made to drag West African agriculture into the era of high technology. After this first declaration of his message, Richards provides an excellent review of the historical sceneto illustrate the mistakes made in the past and the lessons they suggest for the future. Old colonials will be able to add many more examples from their own experiences.