farmers' fields with their active participation.

ON-FARM RESEARCH PRACTICES

Researcher-Farmer Relations

 When conducting research on farms, researchers are
intruding upon the farmers' land and taking their valuable
time. The research may be using other of the farmers'
scarce resources. Because of this, it is well for the
researchers to act always in the best interest of the
farmers, treating them as equals in the research process
and considering them as desirable, not just necessary,
components in the technology generation, evaluation,
and dissemination procedure. Farmers understand exper-
imentation and are willing to participate if they
feel they will possibly benefit from it, and if they
understand what is happening. It is of utmost importance
for researchers to explain fully why they are there, what
they would like to do, what is going to be required of the
farmers, and what the farmers can expect from the results.
It is most important to explain why it will be of value
and of interest to the farmers to be participants in the
undertaking.

Listening to and working with farmers

 From the very first contact made with farmers in the
initial survey, or in looking for collaborators for
on-farm trials or enterprise records, it is extremely
important that the researchers begin by listening to and
working with the farmers. Farmers resent being told by
"government people" that they are doing things wrong, and
that the "outsiders" know how the farmers should do it
better. If the researchers convey this attitude to the
farmers from the beginning, the relationship will get off
to a slow start, if it gets started at all.
 Care must be exercised by the researchers to
ascertain which of the household members are the decision
makers and to talk with those who are responsible for
specific crops. A wife may know little about her
husband's cotton crop; he may know little about her
cassava or peanut crop.