Participatory varietal selection (PVS) involves varieties already bred and is based on the self-evident concept that the users of varieties are their best judges, not plant breeders or other ‘experts’.

In PVS, the users of plant varieties (gardeners, households, smallholders, organic farmers, chefs etc) ideally grow the varieties of a crop, flower or fruit under test in their own plots. They also harvest and consume or sell the yields as they would normally do. The users may also analyse any numerical results themselves but this often is done by specialists, may be the original plant breeder but more often someone with a statistical and organisational training – who then provides feedback to the users and to sellers or suppliers.

PVS thus comes at the end of the plant breeding cycle. By that the time, the money to breed the variety has already been spent but at least as much money has still to be spent, multiplying and promoting it. So it is still worthwhile preventing waste of further money on an unsuitable variety or unsuitable targeting of a variety. And involving end users in the trials is not wasted anyway as PVS also serves as advertising for successful varieties.

The better choices PVS achieves benefits the users, the plant breeders and the owners of the varieties because it can ensure decisions are based on the appropriate data rather than data collected at a plant breeding institute. In my own work, some half dozen varieties of sweet potato had been bred on-station and released but PVS trials identified only one, NASPOT 1, as being suitable for smallholders.

Farmers in developed countries often like to trial new varieties on their farms for plant breeding companies, in order to gain an early first-view of a new variety. PVS is also often used by non-plant breeding organisations such as charities wanting to select varieties that are suited for their niche clients, perhaps organic growers. Again, on-location trials also provide a very useful form of demonstration.

The following webpage explains how PVS has been widely used in developing countries.