Cambodian farmers" decisionmaking in the choice of traditional rainfed lowland rice varieties

Data collected through interviews with farmers in three Cambodian provinces and through crop cuts taken in their fields during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 wet-season rice harvests helped to identify these factors and clarified their relative influences on the farmers" choices. The factors highlighted are field elevation, varietal maturity, eating quality, and yield potential. Cambodian cultural practices -- particularly order of sowing, density of transplanting, and application of fertilizer -- are also examined. Composite reasons for farmers" use of varieties are discussed by varietal maturity. Constraints and requirements for farmers" preferred varieties are compared to stated breeding objectives of national breeding and varietal improvement programs. (Author abstract)