ABSTRACT
Since 1996, the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) and its partners have employed a participatory approach to rice breeding. The organization has been a pioneer within the CGIAR system of mainstreaming participatory plant breeding methods. Participatory varietal selection (PVS) trials have been central in developing and evaluating new, interspecific rice varieties bred by AfricaRice between higher-yielding Asian rice (Oryza sativa) and the locally adapted African rice (Oryza glaberrima). The interspecific varieties called NERICAs (‘New rice for Africa’) were evaluated with partners in national agricultural research and extension systems through the PVS approach; over 25 NERICAs have now been released and adopted in 17 African countries. This chapter presents AfricaRice’s PVS process, with case studies. Implementing PVS in AfricaRice’s breeding programmes has helped the organization to achieve its goal of empowering farmers by integrating them into the breeding process, and has provided substantial practical benefits, including reducing the time needed to develop and release a variety, and boosting adoption rates. PVS is likely to continue as a key element in the efforts of AfricaRice and its partners to develop and release new ARICA (Advanced Rice for Africa) varieties in the coming decade.
