Farmers` participation in bean research in Uganda

The need for farmer participation, considering the complexity and diversity of bean production systems in Uganda, is highlighted. Through on-farm experimentation, technologies can be evaluated under farmers` environmental and managerial conditions. Farmer participation in bean research in the country has been mainly in the form of exploratory surveys (identification of production constraints and possible solutions, bean/banana intercropping, bean storage practices and constraints) and on-farm experimentation (var., NP fertilization, yield, maize/climbing bean intercropping, and disease and beanfly control). The implications for on-farm research regarding exploratory surveys and farmer participation in Uganda, based on the experience of the National Bean Program, are discussed. The role of extension agents in on-farm research is analyzed, emphasizing the importance of the researcher-extension agent-farmer linkage. Due to the complementarity of on-station and on-farm research, these activities should not be planned separately. It is suggested that much of the descriptive and diagnostic work involved in on-farm research be noncommodity- specific; by coordinating survey work at a the national level, each program would avoid having to collect the same information. The background, objectives, and resources of the National Bean Program are also indicated. (CIAT)