Curry Helen Anne
History and Sociology Georgia Institute of Technology.
Agric Hist. 2023 Aug 1;97(3):414-447. doi: 10.1215/00021482-10474437.
The organization of sweet potato research across global regions began in earnest in the 1980s. Leading international institutions, notably CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) recognized the potential for science-driven development of a "neglected" crop. Sweet potato was second only to potato in root crop cultivation worldwide and the top tuber in Asia yet had not been subject to the internationally coordinated research that its importance merited. In this paper, I explore how scientists involved in sweet potato research attempted to respond to the call for new international research and development efforts while avoiding the limitations of predecessor programs associated with the Green Revolution. I highlight the challenges inherent in this work by focusing on ambitions for-and challenges to-providing standardized information about samples of varieties used in research and entered into genebank collections. As scientists and institutions grappled with critiques of the top-down model of development, many sought to address these through more inclusive research practices. As I show, accommodating diversity in crops and among cultivators and cultures entailed costs that ultimately limited the longevity and effectiveness of some enterprises that sought to maximize inclusivity.
20世纪80年代，全球各地区对甘薯研究的组织工作正式开始。主要的国际机构，尤其是国际农业研究磋商组织（CGIAR），认识到了对这种“被忽视”作物进行科学驱动型开发的潜力。甘薯在全球根茎类作物种植中仅次于马铃薯，在亚洲是首要块茎作物，但尚未受到与其重要性相称的国际协调研究。在本文中，我探讨了参与甘薯研究的科学家们如何试图响应开展新的国际研发工作的呼吁，同时避免与绿色革命相关的先前项目的局限性。我通过关注提供有关研究中使用并进入基因库收藏的品种样本的标准化信息的抱负和挑战，强调了这项工作中固有的挑战。随着科学家和机构努力应对对自上而下发展模式的批评，许多人试图通过更具包容性的研究实践来解决这些问题。正如我所表明的，适应作物以及种植者和文化之间的多样性带来了成本，最终限制了一些寻求最大限度提高包容性的企业的寿命和有效性。
