STU411RY


      hiultiple product systems for small avd medium traditional and subsistence fan;,xrs involve the production of several different crops eace,, yeor with Lwo or more. usviclL- occupying the lc jd a-t the same timo. The social and economic  oai of these for.vors, many of whom historically h.ive utilized multi-le cropping systems, are ,'ifforont from t aoe of cornmi.rciea f rmers and may b(; difficult for ogSricultural t-chnicioxis to undorstan,. As a result of h:so factors, the usual measures by-Jhich e-ic judgc. crop technology, arc not Laways applic-Ibi. In or"-er to determine who  social, cultural an-d -conomic factors are impozrtaut i'. th( croppin.5 systems of. the fanmnrs for whom technology is bcin! Tenrated, a spcia-lized mcthodologj mu t be croct d. The Guatemalan Institute of Science and Teocnology (ICTA) has dovelopol such a methodoloGy in which the farmers themselves playr a important and integrated role. TLe mse of this methodolog- has led to the creation of multiple cro)ping systems designed for the conditions of farmers with site-specific agro-socioeconomic conditions.

      Perhaps the key concept presented in this paper is that for thc small and medium, traditional and subsistence famer, inclusion of social, cultural and economic factors can be as important in designin[; successful multiple cropping systems as the agro-clim tic factors, which too frequently .re the only ones considered.