The stages of technological change in maize production in commercial and small-scale semisubsistence systems are discussed and variation in the use of improved varieties/hybrids and adoption of associated inputs are noted. The impacts of the new biotechnologies and the increasing emphasis on resource-conserving technologies are also discussed with respect to prospects for technological progress in maize production in developing countries. Finally, strategic decisions that must be made by national agricultural research systems in developing countries are reviewed, especially decisions related to the relative emphasis to give to development of improved open-pollinated or hybrid maize varieties; the participation of the public and private sectors in research to achieve technological progress in maize production; and the types of farmers on which the public research system should focus its efforts.

Study carried out in six major maize growing states in India.

The most comprehensive collection of papers in the field to date, this volume presents state-of-the-art research and commentary from more than fifty of the world's leading ethnobiologists. Covering a wide range of ecosystems and world regions, the papers center on global change and the relationships among traditional knowledge, biological diversity, and cultural diversity. Specific themes include the acquisition, persistence, and loss of traditional ecological knowledge; intellectual property rights and benefits sharing; ethnobiological classification; medical ethnobotany; ethnoentomology; ethnobiology and natural resource management; homegardens; and agriculture and traditional knowledge. The volume will be of interest to scholars in anthropology, ecology, and related fields and also to professionals in conservation and indigenous rights organizations.