An ecological approach to on-farm experimentation

The need to obtain more bio-physical agroforestry data from on-farm situations is emphasized. Two methods are discussed: studies of single, established multipurpose trees and on-farm experimentation. Some of the complexities of the former are described and briefly illustrated. A new approach to on-farm experimentation is proposed which involves randomly sampling natural conditions on-farm which are selected to be relevant and useful comparisons (“ecological” treatments), and/or with added manipulations (“interference” treatments). The advantages of this ecological approach, using any “quadrats” designs, are discussed vis-a-vis classical conventionally designed experiments, which may not be perceived by the farmer as so relevant, nor lend themselves to his active participation so readily

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