Enabling cumulative learning in user-oriented research for root, tuber and banana crop breeding

Summary User-oriented research is important in breeding improved genotypes, for developing and validating product concepts (mostly involving trait prioritisation), as well as evaluating breeding products in use situations (mostly involving participatory variety evaluation). This paper examines key aspects that enable cumulative learning in user-oriented research for root, tuber and banana (RTB) crop breeding. We reviewed empirical user-oriented studies on RTB crops published between 1996 and 2020. We examined the ability of user-oriented research to foster cumulative learning by examining four key aspects: spatial and temporal coverage; gender aspects; the range of traits considered and publishing practices as evident in reports and datasets. We conclude that user-oriented studies have received attention in RTB breeding but fall short of enabling cumulative learning. Substantial investments in methodology development and capacity are needed to bring greater coherence to this field and enable cumulative learning about user perspectives to iteratively increase the fit between improved genotypes and user preferences.