Farming Systems Research: Procedures for Technology Development

Abstract

SUMMARY: Procedures for better decision making in agricultural research are considered. Fanning Systems Adaptive Research (FSAR) has evolved to complement the more traditional research approach, allowing better decisions to be made on recommendations to fanners and on priorities for technical research. This is done through the identification of research results most relevant to the development of specific farming systems; the testing of these results by experiments in farmers' fields; and the identification of factors limiting productivity in local farming systems.FSAR involves interdisciplinary cooperation between production agronomists, farm economists and, where appropriate, animal production scientists, in close cooperation with other production specialists and with farmers.