Crop improvement through plant breeding, like crop evolution in general, occurs through
selection operating on genetic variability. Selection by plant breeders or by farmers can be …

Abstract Participatory Crop Improvement (PCI) has developed over the past decade as an
alternative and complementary breeding approach to Formal Crop Improvement (FCI). In …

Eight improved haricot bean varieties were studied for their proximate composition and
physico-chemical properties. The nutrition related parameters studied were moisture, ash …

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) has evolved rapidly in Africa and is steadily
transforming from a traditional subsistence to a market-oriented crop, with major impacts on …

While seed security is key to food security, concrete means for building resilient seed
systems remain unexplored in research and practice. A new toolkit, the Seed System …

Experimental results and farmer surveys from a Mexican community located in the buffer
zone of a biosphere reserve indicate that farmers' seed selection practices protect the …

Informal markets receive little attention from governments and researchers, despite their
centrality to farmers' seed security. This paper documents the importance of informal markets …

In Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador informal potato seed systems are much more important than
formal systems. National seed projects recognize complementarities between the two …

The research summarized in this report systematically assesses the smallholder farmer
context and the constraints that hinder common bean productivity improvements in Eastern …

This article addresses concerns of technology dissemination for small farmers, specifically
focusing on the diffusion of new varieties of a self-pollinating crop. Based on bean seed …