First Experience on Participatory Barley Breeding in Algeria

Abstract

Participatory plant breeding was introduced in Algeria in 2005–2006 with the full collaboration and support of the Ministry of Agriculture. This paper describes the methodology used in the first cycle of evaluation and selection with barley (Hordeum vulgare spp. vulgare L.), which lasted five years but in one year data were not collected because of a severe drought. The work was conducted on four farmers' fields and two research stations in Western Algeria. There were large genotype x locations and genotype x years within locations interactions, and differences in farmers preferences. Of particular relevance were the differences between farmers' selections at the research station and in their own fields. This confirms that centralized-participatory selection (i.e., selection by farmers on a research station) is not a substitute for decentralized participatory selection. Farmers' selection criteria included plant height, earliness, 1,000-kernel weight, and spike numbers, with differences between locations. Farmers were able to identify high-yielding entries and were at least as efficient as the breeders. At the end of the first cycle, eight of the initial 75 entries were selected on the basis of performance and farmers' preferences. Seed of the selections has been distributed to farmers while the entries are submitted for formal release.