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(b) Support to Research Program*

3.18    Applied and Adaptlwe Research Programs. INRAN*s commodity and

systema teams would collaborate with the eztension aervice to carry out jolntly an adaptive reaearch program. Adeptive reaearch programa (farm trials) would be designed to test and, if necessary, adapt technical recommendations deriwed from applied reaearch (tested in the country or borrowed from outside) for different farm situationsi (a) yarious cropping 8equence8; (b) level of farmera* akillsj and (c) farmera* reaourcea and riak situation. Farm triala would be aimple. They would be planned by reaearch and eztension together; ezecuted either by reaearch Staff on the PADs or by farmers on thelr own fields under the superwiaion of eztenaion ataff with technical aupport from the PAD and regional research ataff. They would initially be analysed by research and then be jolntly evaluated by research and eztension, as well as by the regional research/development council (para. 4.08).

3.19 Farming Systems Research (SP). With the steady chan ges in the traditional farming patterns and Systems, it is import ant for 1NRAN to intensify its efforts in farming systems research during the Plan Quinquennal. Thematic scientists will support the SP research team in deepening the program. The proposed project will aasist INRAN to undertake three research sub-programs within this SP programt

(a)    economics of major agrlcultural commodltles (rice, millet, sorghum, cowpea, smali ruminants and onions) involving studies (with costs and returas) of the production and marketing chains;

(b)    analy8l8 of farming systems in the Niger &iver valley, agro-pastoral zonę (Maradi area), and pastorał zonę (Tahoua, Agadez, Diffa and Tillaberi); the project would detali the different Principal farming systems with Identification and diagnoses of their benefits and constraintst

(c) eyąluatlon of improved technology at farm level. The farming syrtems team would work with thematic scientists to establish and implement an effectiwe participatiwe OFR program with the farming community.

3.20 The SP program will be headquartered at Kolio to cover the western regions (Tillabery and Dosso). A secondary unit will be based at Tahoua for the central regions, and an another secondary unit at Tama for the eastem regions. Multidisciplinary teams will, in close cooperatlon with Staff of the commodity programs and the eztension serwices, study and describe ezisting farming systems, including liwestock production and agroforestry systems. The Information generated by the SP team would enable the thematic researchers to better prioritise and focus their applied research program. In addltion, technology deyeloped in the applied research program would be tested immediately within the SP program to identify the appropriateness to smallholder8* needs. This would be undertaken in fanners* fields. Constant feedback and close collaboration between farming systems research and commodity-oriented research programs will be essential and rotatlonal assignment of staff between SP and commodity oriented research would be encouraged. Similarly, closer cooperatlon between research, eztension and the