Perspectives from SolACE farmer participatory trials presented at the “Farmer-centric On-Farm Experimentation” conference

The first conference on farmer-centric on-farm experimentation, a hybrid event - virtually and in-person, took place from 13-15 October in Montpellier, France. SolACE partners in work package 5 (“Co-assessment of novel crop genotypes and management innovations in farmers networks“) contributed a conference paper and e-presentation. Titled On-farm networks in an H2020 multi-actor project: what works and what doesn’t, the paper discusses the successes and challenges of the multi-actor innovation diffusion approach employed in the on-farm experiments included in SolACE.

The farmer-participatory trials in SolACE took place over three cropping seasons from 2018-2021 in seven countries (Hungary, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). Potato, durum wheat and bread wheat were trialled in organic and conventional systems with 3 to 6 farmers participating in most countries. Each of the farmer networks was led by SolACE partners to trial sustainable farming innovations short-listed by the SolACE consortia to improve Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) and Water Use Efficiency (WUE).

Notable challenges in establishing on-farm experiments were recruitment, innovation selection and meeting both practical and scientific requirements. Identifying and confirming farmers willing to participate was difficult for some farmer networks that did not have existing networks to tap into from the start of the project. The top-down approach of innovation selection determined by SolACE researchers also limited engagement as farmers weren’t always interested in the agricultural innovations available to trial through the project. Additionally, the compromise between the desire for statistically robust experiments and farm-scale feasibility was challenging to navigate. Giving farmers the ability to select and adapt innovations to best fit their management practices encouraged engagement but complicated data analysis across farms in multiple countries.

Despite these challenges, the on-farm experiments also successfully engaged with a total of 33 farms across seven different European countries, trialling agricultural practices of interest to farmers and fostering collaboration between farmers and researchers. Participants in the SolACE on-farm experiments were able to trial techniques and materials they would not otherwise have access to outside of the project. The farmer networks also encouraged communication and knowledge exchange between farmers and researchers, both through the data collection process but also through the experience of trialling and troubleshooting innovations on farms.

Nearing completion of the SolACE project, work package 5 partners recommend that future use of multi-actor on-farm experiments be further improved by integrating farmers in project design and embedding farmer engagement throughout more of the project. The four-minute presentation prepared for the conference On-farm networks in an H2020 multi-actor project: what works and what doesn’t is available by following the link below. The conference website will have full conference proceedings once they are available.

Further information

ofe2021.com: Farmer-centric On-Farm Experimentation

prezi.com: SolACE OFE presentation