Jatropha, tepescintle and the irrational side of science

Today we went to visit the University of Chapingo which looks a bit like Wageningen University, as it is agricultural as well, but is even more of a small vilage on its own. It combines a agricultural highschool with university and most of the students live onsite. Its premises are an old hacienda and some of the buildings are really nice, one of the full of murals of Diego Rivera (you can see him paint them in Frida Kahlo'movie) about mother earth as a woman and the germinating seeds of the revolution. In between the buildings are the experimental fields and the little botanical gardens.

Afterwards I have my first interview at CIMMYT (improvement of maize and wheat) and i am a little nervous, but we end up chatting the three of us, noticing that the expert John Hellin does not have the answers either, that we are actually entering an ungoing debate.
So we talk about where science ends and development work begins; what should be the role of a research institute in development; about the many degrees of participation. About what experimentation is about, and about the clash between its scientific conceptualization and farmers reality. The scientist trying to keep all environmental factors under control, and trying through realize generizable data through repition and control versus the farmer who lives the reality of a highly diversified context where variability and lack of control has to be taken for granted.
We also speak about how the course of your research project is often not decided by rationale considerations, but that toeval-casualidad, intuiton and personal like or dislike and human relationships are often decisive. But that this usually does not show in official publications...

I was also shown the enormous collection of maize varieties that they store in CIMMYT{s seed bank, where Carolina excecuted her internship several years ago. I do realise who little I know of plant taxanomy (names) and breeding, I do feel a little stupid every now and then, but of course one cannot know all and I am here to learn. Carolina says we will revise plants from the humid tropics before we go to the communities. We already saw the most common maize varieties of the villages today, with the beautiful names of Tepescintle and Tuxpeno (if i do not immediately write down names here, I forget them, its so hard! By the way, Tepescintle is not to be confused wity Tepescuintle, a little swine like animal living in the Selva Lacandona...)

While in the research area, we will also be on the look out for a tree-arbustle for Wageningen University!! We will check the presence of Jatrophe and take leaves and seeds with us if we find it. WUR is interested in it, as the seeds may be used to extract oil for biodiesel.

As you all notice I am walking around like a sponge (spons-esponja) as Rafa would say, absorbing every piece of information around me. It is a little tyring, but I am enjoying it so much! And the discussions with Carolina are wonderful, it gives me a lot of motivation to continue with my studies in this field and at the same time, makes me long for gaining a lot of practical experience in working with farmers and facilitating processes.

Only in the mornings when I still wake up early, I feel a little out of place and am scared- nervous for the things a head, during the day i am to occupied to worry and have to admit I feel strangely at home already! Well don{t yous worry, I miss you too and won{t stay in Mexico!

kiss,
Jenneke