Farmers' Experimentation
This article asks "what actually is farmer experimentation?" Examples are given of farmers in Sanando, a semi-arid region of Mali. Farmers' understandings of 'experimentation' were elicited through interviews. They were also asked why they experimented and how. Experimentation was found to mainly concern new varieties and soil fertility. The farmers' process of testing, rejecting and reframing hypotheses is documented. Persistent observation is noted as a key component.