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The Impact of Regular Research Field Hearings (RRFH) in On-farm Trials in Northeast Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2008

Greg Baker ,
Hendrik C. Knipscheer  and
Jose De Souza Neto
Greg Baker
Affiliation:
EMBRAPA, Cnp Caprinos, Caixa Postal 10, Sobral, Ceara, 62.100, Brazil
Hendrik C. Knipscheer
Affiliation:
EMBRAPA, Cnp Caprinos, Caixa Postal 10, Sobral, Ceara, 62.100, Brazil
Jose De Souza Neto
Affiliation:
EMBRAPA, Cnp Caprinos, Caixa Postal 10, Sobral, Ceara, 62.100, Brazil
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Summary

The study of livestock in farming systems research presents several challenges. Factors such as the small number of observations, high statistical variability in measurements, and the difficulty in valuing non-market inputs and outputs make it difficult to evaluate on-farm research. Regular Research Field Hearings (RRFH) can improve communication between scientists and farmers, thereby increasing mutual understanding, willingness to collaborate in evaluation, potential technologies, and also improving test results. Of three groups of sheep and goat farmers involved in on-farm testing in northeast Brazil, the group which participated in RRFH experienced a significantly higher level of success with the technology as measured according to performance criteria such as weight gains and farmers' perceptions of their animals' performance. The results confirm the importance of farmers' participation in agricultural research.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 24 , Issue 3 , July 1988 , pp. 281 - 288
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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References

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