Research methods for multiple cropping

In farming systems research (FSR), this tendency is further complicated by the need to integrate cultural and socioeconomic factors related to the farm environment into agricultural research. This paper discusses at length the problems involved in designing multicrop experiments by: (1) describing the complexity of multicropping research questions (which involve genetic, cultural, and climatic factors); (2) discussing different strategies for identifying factors that most constrain production; (3) establishing research priorities (use of a matrix to organize information and quantify priorities is proposed and exemplified); (4) explaining various experiment design options for component research and evaluation; and (5) treating the role of interdisciplinary FSR in validating technologies. Examples are used from both monocrop and multicrop experiment designs. References (1967-85), seven tables, and seven figures are included.