Resource Allocation and Efficiency of the Varietal Testing System
Abstract
All of the AICCIP trials involve multi-stage testing over three years, and the number of testing sites and trial designs can vary across the years. This allocation of resources to each stage of testing is an important factor in determining trial efficiency but the topic has been much neglected. This chapter considers the following questions: • Does the selection strategy employed result in efficient resource allocation across the years of multilocational trials? • Does the selection strategy lead to avoidable delays in release and popularisation? • Does the selection strategy employed risk rejecting good genotypes? • How relevant to farmers are the criteria used to promote entries from one trial stage to the next? • How well do the trials allow the selection of specifically-adapted varieties?