The tricot approach: an agile framework for decentralized on-farm testing supported by citizen science. A retrospective

Matching crop varieties to their target use context and user preferences is a challenge faced by many plant breeding programs serving smallholder agriculture. Numerous participatory approaches proposed by CGIAR and other research teams over the last four decades have attempted to capture farmers’ priorities/preferences and crop variety field performance in representative growing environments through experimental trials with higher external validity. Yet none have overcome the challenges of scalability, data validity and reliability, and difficulties in capturing socio-economic and environmental heterogeneity. Building on the strengths of these attempts, we developed a new data-generation approach, called triadic comparison of technology options (tricot). Tricot is a decentralized experimental approach supported by crowdsourced citizen science. In this article, we review the development, validation, and evolution of the tricot approach, through our own research results and reviewing the literature in which tricot approaches have been successfully applied. The first results indicated that tricot-aggregated farmer-led assessments contained information with adequate validity and that reliability could be achieved with a large sample. Costs were lower than current participatory approaches. Scaling the tricot approach into a large on-farm testing network successfully registered specific climatic effects of crop variety performance in representative growing environments. Tricot’s recent application in plant breeding networks in relation to decision-making has (i) advanced plant breeding lines recognizing socio-economic heterogeneity, and (ii) identified consumers’ preferences and market demands, generating alternative breeding design priorities. We review lessons learned from tricot applications that have enabled a large scaling effort, which should lead to stronger decision-making in crop improvement and increased use of improved varieties in smallholder agriculture.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	de Sousa, K., Etten, J. van, Manners, R., Erna Abidin, Abdulmalik, R.O., Bello Abolore, Kwabena Acheremu, Angudubo, S., Aguilar, A., Arnaud, E., Adventina Babu, Barrios, M., Benavente, G., Boukar, O., Cairns, J.E., Carey, E., Daudi, H., Maryam Abba Dawud, Edughaen, G., Ellison, J., Esuma, W., Sanusi Gaya Mohammed, van de Gevel, J., Gomez, M., Heerwaarden, J., Iragaba, P., Kadege, E., Assefa, T., Kalemera, S., Fadhili Salum Kasubiri, Kawuki, R., Yosef Gebrehawaryat Kidane, Kilango, M., Heneriko Kulembeka, Adofo Kwadwo, Madriz, B., Masumba, E., Mbiu, J., Mendes, T., Müller, A., Moyo, M., Kiddo Mtunda, Muzhingi, T., Muungani, D., Mwenda. E.T., Veera Prabha Rama Ganga Rao Nadigatla, Ann Ritah Nanyonjo, Sognigbé, N., Athanase Nduwumuremyi, Nshimiyimana, J.C., Ephraim Nuwamanya, Hyacinthe Nyirahabimana, Occelli, M., Olamide Olaosebikan, Ongom, P.O., Ortiz-Crespo, B., Oteng-Fripong, R., Ozimati, A., Durodola Owoade, Quiros, C.F., Rosas, J.C., Rukundo, P., Rutsaert, P., Milindi Sibomana, Sharma, N., Nestory Shida, Steinke, J., Ssali, Reuben, Suchini, J.G., Teeken, B., Theophilus Kwabla Tengey, Tufan, H.A., Silver Tumwegamire, Tuyishime, E., Ulzen, J., Muhammad Lawan Umar, Onwuka, S., Tessy Ugo Madu, Voss, R.C., Yeye, M., Zaman-Allah, M.
Format:	Article biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	Springer Science + Business Media 2024
Subjects:	AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, External Validity, Socio-Economic Heterogeneity, Target Product Profle, PARTICIPATORY PLANT BREEDING, CROPS, VARIETIES, BREEDING PROGRAMMES, SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS, Maize,
Online Access:	https://hdl.handle.net/10883/22981
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