Importance of Participatory Variety Selection and Participatory Plant Breeding in Variety Development and Adoption

Abstract

Participatory varietal selection and participatory plant breeding are two new terminologies that include both old and new concepts and procedures. The degree and timing of farmer involvement in plant breeding determines the difference between participatory varietal selection and participatory plant breeding. The main difference between participatory plant breeding and participatory varietal selection is the degree of farmer involvement in the various stages of the breeding program. Participatory varietal selection involves farmers testing and selecting new varieties generated by the institutional system in their fields and at local research stations in a range of environments, as well as comparing these varieties to local farmer varieties while in a participatory plant breeding, farmers are often involved in decision-making throughout the breeding process, not just in the final testing of advanced breeding lines. Farmers are the primary beneficiaries of a participatory variety selection program because they are the end-users of agricultural technologies. The participatory variety selection method provides researchers valuable feedback that allows them to focus their research program to properly meet the demands of farmers. The poorest farmers should to profit from new varieties by promoting collaboration between plant breeders and farmers. However, poor farmers in marginal areas continue to produce obsolete crop varieties that are low yielding, susceptible to pests and disease and are less fitted to farmers' actual challenges and opportunities. These farmers have little exposure to new varieties, and those that have been released are frequently unsuitable for marginal areas. Therefore, participatory variety selection is very critical to introducing improved crop varieties to new growing environments based on farmers preferred traits and selected improved crop varieties. In order to enhance improved crop varieties, farmers' preferences must be taken into account across regions and growing seasons that farmers will accept. Generally, participatory varietal selection and participatory plant breeding are the way to overcome the issue of local adaptation and demand driven improved technologies. Participatory Varietal Selection and client-oriented breeding are two methods used to achieve farmers’ profitability with improved crop varieties.