FIG. 1. Organizational scheme for the Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnologia Agricola (ICTA), Guatemala.


ICTA BOARD


OF


DIRECTORS


 I
DIRECTOR GENERAL


ADMINISTRATIVE
 SERVICES


PLANNING
 UNIT


TECHNICAL PRODUCTION UNIT


 COMMODITY RESEARCH
 SECTIONS


 BREEDING
 SOILS MAIZ
 PLANT PATHOLOGY BEAN
TECHNICAL ENTOMOLOGY WHEAT
DIRECTOR SEED PRODUCTION SORGHI
 SOCIOECONOMICS RICE
 COMMUNICATION
 TRAINING


FSR/E Approach
 In many countries, research and extension are separate entities
with little or no communication between them. Often, research is
confined to the experiment stations and the researchers have little.
contact with farmers. Under such an organizational scheme there
is a lower probability that research priorities are specific to farmer
need. Research results produced solely under station conditions
are handed to extension with the expectation that diffusion and
adoption will naturally occur. This may or may not be true.
 FSR/E embodies a holistic, interdisciplinary approach designed
to accurately and rapidly:
 1. identify specific problems faced by the farm clientele;
 2. develop alternative and systemic solutions to those prob-
 lems;
 3. test the alternative solutions under farm conditions;
 4. evaluate acceptability of selected solutions; and
 5. disseminate appropriate technology (Hildebrand, 1982;
 French and Schmidt, 1984).
These five steps are achieved through the close interaction of
farmers, extension agents and researchers working as a team. This
farm oriented team approach is the underlying concept by which
FSR/E operates.
 The interactive team approach provides a recognized organiza-
tional form which focuses on farmer problems from a systemic


108


w
01
cr

I
2
O


REGIONAL

ON -FARM
TRIALS


perspective. In compliance with the methodology, traditional
component or commodity research represented by station
research is directed toward a holistic view of the total environ-
ment with an applied orientation. Emphasis placed on problem
identification, and technology verification at the farm level forms
the foundation for rapid generation and dissemination of ap-
propriate technology.
On-Farm Testing
 On-farm technology validation is key to the rapid development
of appropriate technology. The importance of on-farm testing
can be illustrated by ranking, from low to high, the average yields
of a particular variable or set of variables measured in on-farm
and on-station tests. These average yields make up the range of
environmental index (Hildebrand, 1984). In many instances the
research station ranks at the high end of the environmental range
(perhaps good soil, irrigation, fertility management, etc.), attain-
ing the highest yield average.
 When testing a selected group of corn cultivars for example,
one would find that the locally grown corn cultivar will produce
something even under the low environments, while the com-
posite or "improved" cultivars require good growing conditions,
i.e., high environmental index. The only way to attain this type
of specific information is through testing at several farm sites as

 PROCEEDINGS of the CARIBBEAN FOOD CROPS SOCIETY-VOL. XX


a