Impact network analysis

From Garrett (2016): A seed management concept or disease management concept or technology may work well in an experiment, but when it comes to regional management, or management throughout a seed system, there are several other considerations. How well does the management component perform in different environments of the region? Will a critical mass of people learn about it and adopt it? Will the "management landscape" slow epidemics enough to protect production? And will system-wide management continue to be adequate if climate change or a new pathogen type alter the system dynamics? These system-wide questions depend on how two main components of the system are interlinked: the socioeconomic networks related to management decision-making, and the ecological network of seed movement and pathogen movement.

Systems analysis provides a tool for evaluating how these two networks interact, and how regional management is likely to play out. This understanding can be used in management scenario analysis, and potentially to identify priorities for regional management policies and strategies. Globally, a survey of constraints on use of integrated pest management found that lack of knowledge of options was often a limiting factor (Parsa et al. 2014). Thus, simply making people aware of management packages can be an important factor in improving regional outcomes. Communication networks are a key component of regional networks determining seed system management success.

Tool description: Here

User guide:

• Buddenhagen, Christopher E., Kelsey F. Andersen, James C. Fulton, and Karen A. Garrett. 2017. “Survey Methods for Seed System Network Analysis.” PeerJ Preprints 5:e2806v1. PDF

• Garrett, K. 2016. Impact network analysis (INA) for seed systems. Updated Version. Here

Examples:

• Andersen, Kelsey, Christopher Buddenhagen, Paul Rachkara, Richard Gibson, Stephen Kalule, David Phillips, and Karen Garrett. 2017. “Analyzing Key Nodes and Epidemic Risk in Seed Networks: Sweetpotato in Northern Uganda.” bioRxiv, 107359. LINK

• Buddenhagen, C. E., J. F. Hernandez Nopsa, K. F. Andersen, J. Andrade-Piedra, G. A. Forbes, P. Kromann, S. Thomas-Sharma, P. Useche, and K. A. Garrett. 2017. “Epidemic Network Analysis for Mitigation of Invasive Pathogens in Seed Systems: Potato in Ecuador.” Phytopathology. LINK

• Garrett, K. A., K. F. Andersen, F. Asche, R. L. Bowden, G. A. Forbes, P. A. Kulakow, and B. Zhou. 2017. “Resistance Genes in Global Crop Breeding Networks.” Phytopathology, August, PHYTO-03-17-008. LINK.

Contact: Karen Garrett karengarrett@ufl.edu