TABLE VII-1. Maize yields from on-farm trials in Jutiapa,
 Guatemala.

Genotype 1978 1979 1980 Avg.

 tons/ha

B-5 4.56 2.80 3.72 3.69
H-3 3.68 2.61 3.69 3.33
Arriquin 3.15 2.48 3.17 2.93
Source: ICTA

 In 1981, there were 25 farmers collaborating in this
FMT (Samayoa, 1980). A preliminary survey to ascertain
farmers' passive evaluation was conducted before harvest.
Half the collaborators had planted second or third
generation H-3 and other hybrids from seed they had saved.
Six planted Arriquin, and the remaining collaborators
planted other local varieties. Results indicated that 71%
of the farmers said they intended to plant B-5 the
following year. More than one-third indicated that their
neighbors wanted B-5 seed. Those collaborators who did
not indicate that they would plant B-5 seed were waiting
for the harvest before deciding. (It can be seen that it
would have been better to conduct the survey after harvest
but other demands on the researchers at that time
prevented it.) In other results, 74% considered B-5 to be
resistant to drouth, 63% thought the height of the plant
was adequate (not too low, in this case), 75% liked the
size of the ear, and 83% agreed that the material was
earlier than the variety they planted. As a result of
this evaluation, it was recommended that B-5 seed be
multiplied so that sufficient amounts would be available
the following year for interested farmers.

Active evaluation

 In the year that farmers are participating in an FMT,
they are continuously making judgements about the
technologies being tested. When questioned about their
evaluations, they will respond according to how they are
thinking at that particular moment. But the real test of
the technology is its acceptability. This comes at the
time when farmers actually decide whether or not to use
the alternative. Even though they may previously have