User guide to seed tracing. RTB User Guide

Seed tracing can be used to map seed flows in a seed system, and to gain insights about how actors
diffuse seeds and named varieties. Actors might include growers, seed multipliers and variety
developers. Seed tracing can also examine the flow of information, money, ideas, or pests and
diseases that might hitchhike on the exchanged seed. The data set can also form the basis of an Impact
Network Analysis (INA): it forms the minimum data set, which involves modelling about the flow of
seed, diseases, or information through the system. See RTB user guide to Impact Network Analysis
(INA) for further details. Network data usually consist of nodes and edges. In a seed network analysis,
the nodes represent actors who exchange seed or knowledge about it. The transactions between them
form the edges. Depending on the research question, a range of information on the nodes and edges
can be collected. Node information can be the types of actors, their location, demographic
information, etc. Edge information can be the varieties and quantities of seed shared, data of the
transaction, etc. Before collecting data, it is important to have a clear research design describing what
to trace, who to sample and within what timeframe. The collected data can be analyzed using various
software packages such as R and Excel.