4.6 As well as FSR programs being differentiated on the basis of the ratio
 of variables to parameters, they can also be classified as follows:

 (a) "Upstream" types of FSR programs have a developmental orientation
 and usually do not provide results for immediate adoption by
 farming families. Perhaps more aptly called resource management
 research, "upstream" FSR programs involve using a systems approach
 to provide prototype solutions on experiment stations to major
 constraints to crop or agricultural improvement, e.g., watershed
 management, intercropping, etc. Along with results from commodity
 research programs--reductionist research-they contribute to the
 body of knowledge (Figure 2) and are available for feeding into
 the "downstream" FSR programs.
 (b) "Downstream" types of FSR programs, which are the main concern of
 this paper, have an applied orientation and aim at developing and
 introducing strategies that will improve the productivity of
 farming systems for target groups of farming families now and in
 the short-run. This requires selectively drawing upon available
 information, i.e., body of knowledge in Figure 2, in the process
 of designing practices or recommendations for a particular farming
 system on the basis of an analysis of the constraints of that
 system. Therefore, recommendations are produced which are suited
 to a specific local situation. This involves working directly
 with farmers, i.e., on-farm research, and, as a result, reducing
 to a minimum work on the experiment station.

4.7 There are four stages in applied or "downstream" FSR (Figure 2):

 (a) The descriptive or diagnostic stage in which the actual farming
 system is examined in the context of the "total" environment-to
 identify constraints farmers face and to ascertain the potential
 flexibility in the farming system in terms of timing, slack
 resources, etc. An effort is also made to understand goals and
 motivation of farmers that may affect their efforts to improve
 the farming system.
 (b) The design stage in which a range of strategies is identified
 that is thought to be relevant in dealing with the constraints
 delineated in the descriptive or diagnostic stage. Heavy
 reliance at this stage is placed on obtaining information from
 the "body of knowledge."
 (c) The testing stage in which a few promising strategies arising
 from the design stage are examined and evaluated under farm
 conditions to ascertain their suitability for producing
 desirable and acceptable changes in the existing farming system.
 This stage consists of two parts: initial trials at the farm
 level with joint researcher and farmer participation (researcher
 managed), then farmer's testing with total control by farmers
 themselves (farmer managed).
 (d) The extension stage in which the strategies that were identified
 and screened during the design and testing stages are implemented.

 In practice, there are no clear boundaries between the various stages.
 Design activities, for.example, may begin before the descriptive and
 diagnostic stages end and may continue into the testing stage, as