Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
The role of informal farmer-to-farmer seed distribution in diffusion of new barley varieties in Syria
Experimental Agriculture, Volume 44, No. 3, Year 2008
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
This study examines the role, structure and effectiveness of informal seed systems in the diffusion of new barley varieties. It uses data collected by tracing farmers who received new barley varieties and other farmers who purchased seeds through farmer-to-farmer seed trade over a period of five years. The principal finding was that informal farmer-to-farmer seed dissemination was an important vehicle for the diffusion of new barley varieties, which were grow on 27% of the barley area of monitored farmers, despite a complete lack of extension support. Almost all seed exchanges were undertaken through purchases at market prices, highlighting the importance of markets in informal seed systems. The second main finding was the high concentration of seed sales among a few key seed suppliers, who established reputations as reliable sources of seed and had contacts with research organizations. The importance of market-based local seed transactions implies that farmers specializing in seed sales can invest in local seed enterprises and provide sustainable services at affordable prices. The results of this study indicate great potential for supporting local seed suppliers in order to ensure a sustainable flow of new crop varieties to smallholder farmers in the dry areas. The study also examined farmers' criteria in evaluating and eventually adopting a new variety. These criteria depend on agro-ecological zones with more complex criteria in drier areas with high rainfall variability. These findings will help plant breeding programmes to target dry and marginal areas, where access to new varieties is low, more effectively. © 2008 Cambridge University Press.
Authors & Co-Authors
Aw-Hassan, Aden A.
Lebanon, Beirut
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas Syria
Mazid, Ahmed
Lebanon, Beirut
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas Syria
Salahieh, Hisham
Lebanon, Beirut
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas Syria
Statistics
Citations: 47
Authors: 3
Affiliations: 1
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1017/S001447970800642X
ISSN:
00144797
e-ISSN:
14694441
Research Areas
Health System And Policy