The first twelve papers of a groundbreaking special issue of the journal Experimental Agriculture on ‘’The options by context approach: a paradigm shift in agronomy’ came on line during 2016. This represents not only a major landmark in consolidating the approach to dealing with fine-scale variation in context to enable scaling up agroforestry, pioneered by the FTA Livelihood Systems flagship, but also shows cross-fertilisation with CCAFS and amongst CGIAR centres and partners including ICRAF, IITA, CIMMYT, Bioversity and CIRAD and draws contributions from a broad range of advanced research institutions including Cornell (US), Bangor (UK) and Wageningen (Netherlands) Universities. Some of these papers have already catalyzed a lively dialogue in the pages of the journal about how to approach research relevant to scaling up agricultural innovation.

1. The first twelve papers of a groundbreaking special issue of the journal Experimental
Agriculture on ‘’The options by context approach: a paradigm shift in agronomy’
came on line during 2016. This represents not only a major landmark in consolidating the
approach to dealing with fine-scale variation in context to enable scaling up agroforestry,
pioneered by the FTA Livelihood Systems flagship, but also shows cross-fertilisation with
CCAFS and amongst CGIAR centres and partners including ICRAF, IITA, CIMMYT, Bioversity
and CIRAD and draws contributions from a broad range of advanced research institutions
including Cornell (US), Bangor (UK) and Wageningen (Netherlands) Universities. Some of
these papers have already catalyzed a lively dialogue in the pages of the journal about how
to approach research relevant to scaling up agricultural innovation.
COE, R., NJOLOMA, J., & SINCLAIR, F. (2016). LOADING THE DICE IN FAVOUR OF THE
FARMER: REDUCING THE RISK OF ADOPTING AGRONOMIC INNOVATIONS. Experimental
Agriculture, 1-17.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000181
VANLAUWE, B., COE, R., & GILLER, K. (2016). BEYOND AVERAGES: NEW APPROACHES TO
UNDERSTAND HETEROGENEITY AND RISK OF TECHNOLOGY SUCCESS OR FAILURE IN
SMALLHOLDER FARMING. Experimental Agriculture, 1-23.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000193
NELSON, R., COE, R., & HAUSSMANN, B. (2016). FARMER RESEARCH NETWORKS AS A
STRATEGY FOR MATCHING DIVERSE OPTIONS AND CONTEXTS IN SMALLHOLDER
AGRICULTURE. Experimental Agriculture, 1-20.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000454
VAN ETTEN, J., BEZA, E., CALDERER, L., VAN DUIJVENDIJK, K., FADDA, C., FANTAHUN, B., . . .
ZIMMERER, K. (2016). FIRST EXPERIENCES WITH A NOVEL FARMER CITIZEN SCIENCE
APPROACH: CROWDSOURCING PARTICIPATORY VARIETY SELECTION THROUGH ON-FARM
TRIADIC COMPARISONS OF TECHNOLOGIES (TRICOT). Experimental Agriculture, 1-22.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000739
FARROW, A., RONNER, E., VAN DEN BRAND, G., BOAHEN, S., LEONARDO, W., WOLDE-
MESKEL, E., . . . GILLER, K. (2016). FROM BEST FIT TECHNOLOGIES TO BEST FIT SCALING:
INCORPORATING AND EVALUATING FACTORS AFFECTING THE ADOPTION OF GRAIN
LEGUMES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. Experimental Agriculture,1-26.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000764
LAMOND, G., SANDBROOK, L., GASSNER, A., & SINCLAIR, F. (2016). LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF
TREE ATTRIBUTES UNDERPINS SPECIES SELECTION ON COFFEE FARMS. Experimental
Agriculture, 1-15.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000168
VAN DER WOLF, J., JASSOGNE, L., GRAM, G., & VAAST, P. (2016). TURNING LOCAL
KNOWLEDGE ON AGROFORESTRY INTO AN ONLINE DECISION-SUPPORT TOOL FOR TREE
SELECTION IN SMALLHOLDERS’ FARMS. Experimental Agriculture, 1-17.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S001447971600017X

2. BERRE, D., BAUDRON, F., KASSIE, M., CRAUFURD, P., & LOPEZ-RIDAURA, S. (2016).
DIFFERENT WAYS TO CUT A CAKE: COMPARING EXPERT-BASED AND STATISTICAL
TYPOLOGIES TO TARGET SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES, A CASE-STUDY IN
SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA. Experimental Agriculture, 1-17.
doi:10.1017/S0014479716000727DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000727
VANEK, S., & DRINKWATER, L. (2016). INTEGRATING SCIENTIFIC AND LOCAL SOILS
KNOWLEDGE TO EXAMINE OPTIONS BY CONTEXT INTERACTIONS FOR PHOSPHORUS
ADDITION TO LEGUMES IN AN ANDEAN AGROECOSYSTEM. Experimental Agriculture, 1-24.
doi:10.1017/S0014479716000478
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000478
DESCHEEMAEKER, K., RONNER, E., OLLENBURGER, M., FRANKE, A., KLAPWIJK, C.,
FALCONNIER, G., . . . GILLER, K. (2016). WHICH OPTIONS FIT BEST? OPERATIONALIZING THE
SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL NICHE CONCEPT. Experimental Agriculture, 1-22.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S001447971600048X
MAZÓN, N., PERALTA, E., MURILLO, Á, RIVERA, M., GUZMÁN, A., PICHAZACA, N., & NICKLIN,
C. (2016). IT'S NOT JUST THE TECHNOLOGY, IT'S THE SURROUNDING SYSTEM: HOW
RESEARCHERS IN ECUADOR FOUND WAYS TO MAKE THEMSELVES USEFUL TO FARMERS
THROUGH QUINOA AND LUPIN SEED SYSTEMS. Experimental Agriculture, 1-18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000442
FRANKE, A., BAIJUKYA, F., KANTENGWA, S., RECKLING, M., VANLAUWE, B., & GILLER, K.
(2016). POOR FARMERS – POOR YIELDS: SOCIO-ECONOMIC, SOIL FERTILITY AND CROP
MANAGEMENT INDICATORS AFFECTING CLIMBING BEAN PRODUCTIVITY IN NORTHERN
RWANDA. Experimental Agriculture, 1-21.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479716000028