A Participatory Framework for Integrating Farmer-Led Research into Bean Breeding Programmes: Evidence from Varietal Selection Trials in Rwanda

{ "background": "Participatory approaches in agricultural research are advocated to enhance the relevance and adoption of new crop varieties. However, a persistent gap exists in formalising mechanisms for integrating farmer-derived knowledge and preferences systematically into breeding programmes, particularly for stress-tolerant crops in sub-Saharan Africa.", "purpose and objectives": "This article proposes a novel theoretical framework for structuring farmer-led research committees (FLRCs) to generate actionable selection criteria for plant breeders. It aims to theorise the pathways through which FLRCs influence varietal evaluation and prioritisation.", "methodology": "The framework is developed and illustrated using evidence from a participatory varietal selection (PVS) trial for drought-tolerant beans. Farmer evaluations were modelled using a mixed-effects logistic regression: \(pij) = \β0 + \β Xij + ui + \εij, where pij is the probability of variety j being preferred by farmer i, X represents observed traits, and uᵢ are farmer-specific random effects. Robust standard errors were used for inference.", "key insights": "Analysis indicates that FLRCs shifted priority criteria significantly, with a marked increase in the weighting given to culinary quality and marketability (approximately 40% of total preference weight) relative to breeder-focused agronomic traits. The model shows that the effect of yield on preference was positive but less pronounced among FLRC members (95% CI for coefficient: 0.15 to 0.41).", "conclusion": "The proposed framework provides a structured, replicable model for transforming subjective farmer feedback into quantifiable breeding priorities, thereby strengthening the link between participatory research and formal breeding pipelines.", "recommendations": "Bean breeding programmes should institutionalise structured FLRCs at the trial design stage. National agricultural research systems need protocols to formally document and weight farmer-derived selection criteria for use in breeding decision matrices.", "key words": "participatory plant breeding, theoretical framework, farmer-led research