Click on the link below to view the webinar by Gospel Edughaen from IITA on 21 Jan 2025, presenting her talk
“Social Dynamics associated with Implementing Mother-baby and Tricot Participatory Trials on Selected Cassava Varieties in Nigeria”
Summary : During my MSc programme at the University of Ibadan, I carried out research on the impact of Mother-Baby and Tricot trials, two types of on-farm participatory trials, that were implemented between 2017 and 2022, by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the National Root Crops Research Institute NRCRI) to study variety trait preferences and evaluate newly bred cassava varieties with farmers and processors.
This study was conducted in Osun and Imo States, Nigeria. The research highlighted that these trials strengthened community interactions, enhanced participants’ social status and influence and livelihoods. Social network analysis revealed that the cassava varieties diffused actively within and between communities driven mainly by traits such as early maturity and good food product qualities apart from high yield. Other reasons were market demand, food availability and preservation of varietal diversity. Varieties diffused to secondary and tertiary beneficiaries within and outside the study area.
