Farmer participatory varietal selection (PVS) was used to identify farmer-acceptable cultivars of rice and chickpea. Farmers' requirements in new crop cultivars (varieties) were determined, a search was carried out for released and non-released cultivars that matched these needs, and they were tested in farmer-managed, participatory trials. Farmer-acceptable cultivars were found amongst released material, but not among the recommended material for the area. Lack of adoption is, therefore, because resource-poor farmers have not been recommended or exposed to the most appropriate cultivars under the existing system of varietal identification and popularization. Adoption rates of cultivars would be improved by increased farmer participation, the systematic testing in zonal trials of locally popular cultivars to define their domains properly, a more liberal release system, and a more open system of providing seeds of new cultivars to farmers.