Beyond averages: new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming

In recent years, many studies have demonstrated the heterogeneity of the smallholder production environment. Yet agronomic research for development (R4D) that aims to identify and test options for increasing productivity has not consistently adapted its approaches to such heterogeneous conditions. T...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Vanlauwe, Bernard, Coe, R., Giller, Kenneth E.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Cambridge University Press 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/75812
_version_ 1855528812902612992
author Vanlauwe, Bernard
Coe, R.
Giller, Kenneth E.
author_browse Coe, R.
Giller, Kenneth E.
Vanlauwe, Bernard
author_facet Vanlauwe, Bernard
Coe, R.
Giller, Kenneth E.
author_sort Vanlauwe, Bernard
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In recent years, many studies have demonstrated the heterogeneity of the smallholder production environment. Yet agronomic research for development (R4D) that aims to identify and test options for increasing productivity has not consistently adapted its approaches to such heterogeneous conditions. This paper describes the challenges facing research, highlighting the importance of variation in evaluating the performance of soil management recommendations, integrating aspects of production risk management within the formulation of recommendations, and proposing alternative approaches to implement agronomic R4D. Approaches are illustrated using two multi-locational on-farm paired trials, each having one no-input control treatment and a treatment with fertilizer application for maize in Western Kenya and for beans in Eastern Rwanda. The diversity of treatment responses should be embraced rather than avoided to gain a better understanding of current context and its relation with past management.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace75812
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2019
publishDateRange 2019
publishDateSort 2019
publisher Cambridge University Press
publisherStr Cambridge University Press
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace758122025-11-11T10:32:29Z Beyond averages: new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming Vanlauwe, Bernard Coe, R. Giller, Kenneth E. agronomy crop management crop performance In recent years, many studies have demonstrated the heterogeneity of the smallholder production environment. Yet agronomic research for development (R4D) that aims to identify and test options for increasing productivity has not consistently adapted its approaches to such heterogeneous conditions. This paper describes the challenges facing research, highlighting the importance of variation in evaluating the performance of soil management recommendations, integrating aspects of production risk management within the formulation of recommendations, and proposing alternative approaches to implement agronomic R4D. Approaches are illustrated using two multi-locational on-farm paired trials, each having one no-input control treatment and a treatment with fertilizer application for maize in Western Kenya and for beans in Eastern Rwanda. The diversity of treatment responses should be embraced rather than avoided to gain a better understanding of current context and its relation with past management. 2019-06 2016-06-23T11:36:41Z 2016-06-23T11:36:41Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/75812 en Open Access application/pdf Cambridge University Press Vanlauwe, B., Coe, R. & Giller, K. (2019). Beyond averages: new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming. Experimental Agriculture
spellingShingle agronomy
crop management
crop performance
Vanlauwe, Bernard
Coe, R.
Giller, Kenneth E.
Beyond averages: new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming
title Beyond averages: new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming
title_full Beyond averages: new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming
title_fullStr Beyond averages: new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming
title_full_unstemmed Beyond averages: new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming
title_short Beyond averages: new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming
title_sort beyond averages new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming
topic agronomy
crop management
crop performance
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/75812
work_keys_str_mv AT vanlauwebernard beyondaveragesnewapproachestounderstandheterogeneityandriskoftechnologysuccessorfailureinsmallholderfarming
AT coer beyondaveragesnewapproachestounderstandheterogeneityandriskoftechnologysuccessorfailureinsmallholderfarming
AT gillerkennethe beyondaveragesnewapproachestounderstandheterogeneityandriskoftechnologysuccessorfailureinsmallholderfarming