Participatory Approaches in Pearl Millet Breeding
Abstract
It is the objective of this chapter to explore opportunities for involving farmers in the process of breeding varieties of an open-pollinated crop. We describe and discuss here the methods we used to interact with farmers and report results relevant to pearl millet breeding for Rajasthan. The description and analysis of methods and specific results of farmers participation in this breeding programme is divided into four sections corresponding to the four major stages of the cycle of any breeding programme (Schnell, 1982): evaluating varieties; selection among experimental varieties; generating new variability and segregating populations; and defining goals for the breeding programme. This will facilitate the comparison and application of these results to other situations.
Citation
Seeds of Choice: Making the Most of New Varieties for Small Farmers, ITDG Publishing, 1853394475, 1-24.
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