Actually, i think that's the problem: there are no individuals relied upon. Users are in fact discouraged from testing by 'there-be-dragons' warnings. No wonder when i peek around the package list and look at comments, i only see a few familiar names/faces
I have a proposal: make -devel the snake lair. Regular users will be discouraged from using it, but those with the know will be urged to try it more, to compensate. The main objective would be to make sure the app doesn't kill the device or make it go crazy.
Once the app is declared sane, it can go to -testing. Since there are (thanks to the above paragraph) now a lot more users, things get tested quicker and more thoroughly (law of large numbers says faults come out better on a larger testing base).
And the normal extras gets the high-quality apps that should be showcased. That's not to say they can't have any bugs, but those should be minor and more like annoyances
Also, +1 for official testers