A new approach to rural development

ByAllah Dad Khan

Allahdad52@gmail.com03329221298

The Farmer Field School (FFS) is a group-based learning process that has been used by a number of governments, NGOs and international agencies to promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

By the end of the 1980s, a new approach to farmer training emerged in Indonesia called the 'Farmer Field School' (FFS). The broad problem which these field schools were designed to address was a lack of knowledge among Asian farmers relating to agroecology, particularly the relationship between insect pests and beneficial insects

Prophylactic, calendar- based spraying

Heavy subsidy on pesticides (80%)

History of Farmer Field School

Outbreak of BPH during 1970-1980s

The first IPM Farmer Field Schools were designed and managed in 1989 by experts working for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Indonesia. This was not, however, the first attempt made by FAO to extend IPM techniques to farmers in South East Asia.

FFS is is a group extension method based on adult education program that utilizes discovery learning and participatory techniques.

Composed of groups of 25-30 farmers who meet regularly during the course of the growing seasons.

FFS aims to increase the capacity of groups of farmers to carry out experiments in their own fields.

The facilitator is called a field leader (FL). The FLs are trained in both technology and facilitation skill in a program called a Training of Trainers (TOT).

History Farmer Field School

What is a Farmer Field School

Farmer Field School is a school without walls. Farmers and extension workers are students. The Farmers Field is the class room and the plant is the teacher. As the plant grows the students gain knowledge in the light of their observations. The get together at a fixed time every week once and make their own decisions based on observations and data analysis for the health of the plants.

1. Skill Development

2. Empowerment

3. Will power

4. Capacity of Decision Making

Grow a healthy crop

o Resistant varieties, proper fertilzers, water and soil management, etc

o Healthy crop can resist diseases and compensate for damage

Observe fields regularly

o To assess crop development, diseases, insect pest population, and natural enemies.

Conserve natural enemies of crop pests

o Abundance of natural enemies in the field

Avoid the use of pesticides that kill natural enemies

Farmers understand ecology and become experts in their own field

Make decisions based on observations and analysis of the field situation

The Target Group- Farmers

Resource deficient, Illiterate, Traditional, inward looking

Objectives Poverty alleviation.

Enhanced Productivity Reduced Costs

Social Organization Group formation (pressure Groups) Conflict Resolution (Debate and consensus

building)

Empowerment and removing dependencySetting Research AgendasTo do own research

•Natural Resource Management

•Freshwater use•Soil Conservation•Environment protection

•Health consciousness

•Livelihood improvement through Technology Use.

Putting it in Perspective

Products vs Knowledge based Technologies Knowledge vs Skill Development

Learning by doing vs by seeing Discovery based learning Decision making vs following advice Situation based vs Technology based development Participatory vs Empty barrel approach

Basic Philosophy

Role of Farmers

Role of Facilitators

Perception by Farmers

Approach

Instructions

Consume New Knowledge

Teach

Free Service

Top Down

Discovery

Decide

Facilitate

Invest time and farm facilities

Bottom-up

Features T & V FFS

What is IPM for a Farmer ?

Integrated Pest Managementor

Increased Profit Margins

Only farmer can make the “right” Farm Management decision based on his own perceptions of economics and technologies.

So farmer should be trained in decision-making There are too many farms (5.00 mill) and too few extension workers

to be able to service them all.

A self multiplying training programme for farmers need to be established.

Each farmer field is different in pest, beneficial fauna, soil and other eco-system elements and cannot be treated on a generalized technology package message.

Technologies requiring decision-making and management need skill transfer training.

IPM cannot be implemented simply by demonstration, field days, TV Ads, radio, publications etc.

TOF

25 Facilitators

10 FFS

3 days TOF per week

2 days FFS per week

Innovations

•Partial residence

•Single district participants

Pakistan Model

Non-Formal education Specialist/

Facilitators

Researchers/ Subject matter

Specialists

ToF 25 Facilitators

Facilitators are furtherdivided into 5 groups

each group comprises of 5 facilitators

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5

FFS FFS FFS FFS FFS FFS FFS FFS FFS FFS

Training of Facilitators

TOF: Training of Facilitators Activity guided by a facilitator who has been trained before hand CHARACTERISTICS

One complete growing season Learning by doing Growing own crop (regular observations on

plant development) Carry out FFS Group dynamics (serve as preparation for

trainees to conduct FFSs themselves and to gain facilitation skills)

Fostering corporate identity (provides joint spirit which is crucial factor for the success)

FFS: Farmer Field School

•Non formal adult education

 

•CHARACTERISTICS

     One complete growing season

     Discovery based learning in the field

 Conducting experiments (insect zoo, herbivore- predator trials in cages, defoliation experiments etc)

     Working in groups

•Horizontal learning by fellow farmers

TYPICAL SEQUENCE OF FFS

     Field observations

     Agro-eco-system analysis

       drawing (observations are assembled in large drawings showing plant, pests on one side and beneficial insects on the other side)

       presentation

       discussion

       crop management decision

       Group dynamics

•Special/Interesting topics or observations

Drawing Each subgroup presents

their observations and analysis in drawing.o planto weathero disease symptomo pestso natural enemieso water level

Process of Farmer Field School

Agroecosystem Analysis

Agro-Ecosystem Training

Cucumber Cropping CalendarIsmailia, Winter Season

October November December January FebruaryPreplant Seedling Growth Flower Fruit-Set Harvest

Climate protect young plantsfrom strong winds

preferred temperature: day 24o/night19

o

rH should not sink below 40-50%preferred temperature: day 20

o/night16

o

rH should not sink below 40-50%preferred temperature:

day 27o/night27°keep tunnels closed for

germination onlyventilate tunnels, particularly after sunrise to avoid water on the leaves at any time

keep tunnels closed at night

Soil use fine-structured, wellaerated organic soils

use 20-40m3 manure to

increase organic matter add 50-100 kg sulfur to

lower alkalinity

plant 2-3 cm deep keep soil warm to assist

germination

remove weeds

Water use well drained soilswith high water holdingcapacity

irrigate lightly and regularly, preferably in the morning hoursavoid water logging and periods of water stress

NutrientsN 50 kg Ammon. Sulfate

P 100 kg Super Phosphate

KCa 50 kg Calcium Nitrate

Microelements

Protection Favorable Conditions: Control Measures:

Downy Mildew 20-25oC90-95% rH

Protective:Cu-oxichlorideCurative: systemic

Powd. Mildew 20-25oC

75-85% rH Micronized Sulfur/water

Spider Mites warm and dryMicronized Sulfur

AphidsK-soap

CulturalPractices

do not grow cucumberrepeatedly in the samefield to avoid nematodes

use 1.5 kg seeds/fd6-8000plants/fd1-2 plants/m2

clip tips to encourageside shoots

cut out old, diseasedleaves

50 kg Potassium Sulfate 50 kg Potassium Sulfate

50-100 kg Super Phosphate

Use TX6 Nozzles for best coverage

Crop Calendar

Water

Beneficials

Cultural Practices

Nutrients

PestsWeather

Soil

Plant

Ecosystem Analysis

TOF/FFS Crop Cycle Activity ChartTOF/FFS Crop Cycle Activity Chart

L

Land Preparation/ Group formation

AESA

Insect Zoo

Special topic

AESA

Insect Zoo

Group Dynamics

AESA

Insect Zoo

Group Dynamics

S Topic

AESA

Insect Zoo

Group Dynamics

Data Analysis

Agronomic Data

WeeklyPlant Height# of leaves/plant# of flowers/plants# of fruits/plantsWeight of harvested fruits

Plant Protection

Data

Weekly

Counting insect pests

Counting natural enemies

Diseases incidence

General Data

Weekly

Variety

Days after planting

Weather conditions

Soil conditions

Agro-ecosystem Analysis Agro-ecosystem Analysis (AESA)(AESA)

Presentation and Discussion Each subgroup presents their

analysis Group discussion Decision about pest control

measure is made Facilitator will facilitate the

discussion

Process of Farmer Field School

IPM validation trials

IPM Practices vs Farmer Practices Conducted on 1000 m2

plot, each 500 m2

Process of Farmer Field School

Field cages

o To demonstrate how natural enemies keep pest population under control

Process of Farmer Field SchoolSupporting IPM Field Studies

Crop compensation

oTo demonstrate that crop plants can compensate for some damage by producing new leaves or shoots

Process of Farmer Field SchoolSupporting IPM Field Studies

Plastic bagging

o To demonstrate how enclosing cacao pod with the pastic bag can prevent attack from pod borer

Process of Farmer Field School

Supporting IPM Field Studies

Use of insect traps

o Farmers learn how to monitor insect population using traps

Process of Farmer Field SchoolSupporting IPM Field Studies

Insect zoo

o To study life cycle of insectso To study feeding behavior of

insectso To study predator and parasitoids

Process of Farmer Field SchoolSupporting IPM Field Studies

A variety of team building

games and exercises employed

during the training

Process of Farmer Field SchoolGroup Dynamics

To foster cooperation and togetherness within the group To sharpen farmer

communication and organizing skills

FFS starts with a ballot-box pretest of knowledge and ends with a

posttest A simple tool to measure the level of a farmer’s knowledge on an agroecosystem Questions focus on:

recognition of pests, natural enemies, diseases recognition of damage from pests and diseases management of pests and diseases etc

Process of Farmer Field SchoolBallot Box

At the end of FFS season

To show the results of FFS to other farmers, agricultural staff, local government officials.

o IPM plot vs Farmer Practice plot

o Other field experiments

o Insect zoo (pests and natural enemies)

Process of Farmer Field SchoolField Day

One-week training is conducted for farmer trainers prior to organize farmer-led FFS;

Curriculum of TOT includes facilitation and management skills for organizing an FFS, and review and discuss background of FFS topics, e.g. agro-ecosystem analysis.

Farmer-to-Farmer FFS are implemented in the same way, except the trainers are farmers.

Key elements in the development of IPM over large areas.

Follow-up Activities

Farmer IPM Field Studies

To develop farmer’s own knowledge and technologies;

To develop a capacity to find an answer/proof or to test a method;

To develop farmer’s capacity on research and its networking with research-related

institutions.

Follow-up Activities

Making plant extracts for botanical pesticides and testing the effectiveness

Farmer IPM Field Studies

Study on effects of plastic mulch Study on effects of bamboo staking in potatoes

Follow-up Activities

Farmer IPM Field Studies

Production and application of Trichoderma

Follow-up Activities

FFS - IPM Food crops Palawija crops Vegetable crops Fruit crops Industrial crops

• FFS-ICM Rice Soybean Maize Fand V Fruits

• FFS – GAP• FFS - Climate

Funding Sources Self financed FFS District government Pronvincial government Central government World Bank USAID ADB ACIAR etc

• Modified to train farmers of other crops

• The training methodology was not changed.

Development of FFS

Far

mer

Fie

ld

Sch

ools Give a man a fish

…...and feed him for a day

Teach him how to fish…..and feed him for life

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