IDRC 1997, ISBN 0-88936-833-3, online only

Résumé français

Conservation of threatened, farmer-developed varieties and the breeding and selection of new cultivars are often seen as distinct activities and the concerns of different organizations. The "Using Diversity" workshop explored the common ground between the two approaches. It brought together scientists, farmers and NGO workers from across South Asia who share the conviction that genetic diversity, on-farm, is key to rural people's food security and that farmers must be involved in its maintenance and enhancement. These are the proceedings of that workshop. 

• Preface 
• Introduction 

Joining dynamic conservation to decentralized genetic enhancement: prospects and issues — M. Loevinsohn and L. Sperling 

• Understanding farmer seed and variety systems 

On-farm conservation as a process: an analysis of its components — M.R. Bellon 

On-farm genetic diversity in wet-tropical Kerala— V. Santhakumar 

What does in situ conservation mean in the life of a small-scale farmer?


Excerpts from Zimbabwe's communal areas— S. van Oosterhout

Discussion 

Diversity of rice cultivars in a rainfed village in the Orissa state of India — K.G. Kshirsagar and S. Pandey 

Documentation of local crop varieties: evolving a participatory methodology — R. Tiwari and A. Das 

Contributions of tribal communities in the conservation of traditional cultivars — T. Ravishankar and V. Selvam 

Discussion 

• Participatory breeding and selection: decentralization with greater user involvement 

The impact of farmer participatory research on biodiversity of crops — J.R. Witcombe and A. Joshi 

Results, methods and institutional issues in participatory selection: the case of beans in Rwanda - L. Sperling and U. Scheidegger 

Devolution of plant breeding — T. Berg 

Discussion 

Diagnostic methods for breeding pearl millet with farmers in Rajasthan — E. Weltzien R., M.L. Whitaker and M. Dhamotharan 

Addressing diversity through farmer participatory variety testing and dissemination approach: a case study of chaite rice in the western hills of Nepal — K.D. Joshi, R.B. Rana, M. Subedi, K.B. Kadayat, and B.R. Sthapit 

Rice genetic diversity: its scope in participatory rainfed lowland breeding — R. Thakur 

Discussion 

Farmers participatory high altitude rice breeding in Nepal: providing choice and utilizing farmers' expertise — B.R. Sthapit, K.D. Joshi and J.R. Witcombe 

Participatory breeding, on-farm seed management and genetic resource conservation methodology: a sustainable agriculture R & D model — D.M. Maurya 

Enhancing genetic resources and breeding for problem soils — B. Mishra, R.K. Singh, and D. Senadhira 

Conserving genetic resources and using diversity in flood-prone ecosystems in eastern India — J.L. Dwivedi 

Evaluating Pearl Millet Varieties with farmers in Barmer district — M.K. Choudhary, E. Weltzien R., and M.M. Sharma 

Discussion 

• Seedbanking and seed supply systems: ensuring access to needed seeds 

The Academy of Development Sciences Rice Project: need for decentralized community genebanks to strengthen on-farm conservation — R. Khedkar 

Nayakrishi andolon: an initiative of the Bangladesh peasants for better living — F. Mazhar 

Genes, gender and biodiversity: Deccan Development Society's community genebanks — P.V. Satheesh 

Rebuilding the genetic resource base through farmer-scientist-activist alliance — G.N. Reddi 

Discussion 

Towards setting up a community seedbank - experience from Chengam, Tamil Nadu — K. Vijayalashmi and A. Nambi 

Community-based resource management: CONSERVE (Phillipines) experience — F.A. Magnifico 

Conserving agricultural biodiversity:The case of Tehri Garhwal and implications for national policy — V. Jardhari and A. Kothari 

Maintenance and conservation of 'heirloom' varieties in Indian agro-ecosystems — J.K. Maheshwari 

Discussion 

• Institutional reflections 

A role for ICRISAT in enhancing and maintaining genetic resources on-farm — J. Lenné, E. Weltzien R. and J. Stenhouse 

Discussion 

• List of participants 

IDRC 1997, ISBN 0-88936-833-3, online only

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