17 January 2025
We would like to invite you to the first of a new series of webinars highlighting the varied projects carried out by 1000FARMS partners, starting Tuesday 21 January.
The webinars will take place every two weeks from 15:00 to 15:30 CET and are open to anyone. The format is a 15-minute presentation followed by 15 minutes of open discussion.
Please feel free to pass this invitation on to your colleagues and networks – the more the merrier!
Webinar: “Social dynamics associated with implementing mother-baby and tricot participatory trials on selected cassava varieties in Nigeria”, 21 January
Our first presenter will be Gospel Edughaen, from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), on “Social dynamics associated with implementing mother-baby and tricot participatory trials on selected cassava varieties in Nigeria”.
Summary
During my MSc programme at the University of Ibadan, I carried out research on the impact of Mother-Baby and Tricot trials, two types of on-farm participatory trials, that were implemented between 2017 and 2022, by IITA and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) to study variety trait preferences and evaluate newly bred cassava varieties with farmers and processors.
This study was conducted in Osun and Imo States, Nigeria. The research highlighted that these trials strengthened community interactions, enhanced participants’ social status and influence and livelihoods. Social network analysis revealed that the cassava varieties diffused actively within and between communities driven mainly by traits such as early maturity and good food product qualities apart from high yield. Other reasons were market demand, food availability and preservation of varietal diversity. Varieties diffused to secondary and tertiary beneficiaries within and outside the study area.
