FARMER’S FIELD
SCHOOL ON IPM
DR. JASVIR SINGH,
Central Integrated Pest Management
Centre,
Bhawani Estate, Tanda Road, Jalandhar
(Punjab)
*Indiscriminate
and excessive use of
pesticides resulted into several
adverse effects like pest resistance to
pesticides,
pest
resurgence,
destruction of natural enemies,
ecological
imbalance
and
environmental
pollution,
besides
increased cost of crop production.
• Integrated
Pest Management
(IPM) is adopted for safe and
sustainable agriculture.
• Farmer’s Field Schools- cum-
demonstrations are effective for
transfer of IPM technology to the
farmers.
• This strengthens the role of farmers in the
•
•
•
researcher-extensionist-farmer chain.
The school provides farmers with tools
which enable them to analyse their own
production practices.
Farmer’s Field School is a season long
programme which is organized in farmer’s
field by meeting once in a week.
It is season long so that it covers all the
different developmental stages of the crop
and their related management practices.
• The training strategy, having its
foundation
in
non-formal
education principles, emphasizes
“Learning by doing” and
empowering farmers to take
adequate decision on pest
management measures needed.
possible solutions.
COMPONENT OF IPM
• Grow a healthy crop: varietal selection, soil
preparation, plant nutrition and physiology,
water and weed management.
• Conserve natural enemies: Recognizing
beneficials in the field, learning insect
population dynamics etc.
• Observe the field Weekly: Including
recognition of damage symptoms, changes in
insect populations, evaluation of plant growth
and physiology, relationships between plant
stages and insect populations, effects of
weather conditions and water and nutrient
management.
• Farmers as IPM experts: Farmers become
expert in decision making based on agroecosystem analysis and identify the pests and
defenders.
BASIC ELEMENTS OF FFS
• The FFS consists of a group of 30 farmers and
5 agriculture extension officers.
• The FFS is field based and lasts for at least
one cropping season (seeding to harvest) (1415 weeks).
• The FFS farmers have regular weekly meeting
during the cropping season.
• In the FFS, farmers conduct a study
comparing IPM strategy with common
farmer’s practices. They have an IPM and a
Farmer’s Practice plot (Non-IPM).
• The FFS includes special topics that deal with
specific issues selected by the farmers.
• Each meeting includes at least an Agro-ecosystem
Analysis (AESA) conducted in the field ending with a
discussion of crop management decision.
• FFS
educational methods are experimental,
participatory, learner-centered and based on nonformal education.
• The FFS group is guided by at least one facilitator
offering experimental learning opportunities, rather
than delivering top-down instruction.
METHOD OF EDUCATION
• The method of education in
FFS is mainly based on nonformal education.
• There are many differences
between formal and
formal education.
non-
FORMAL EDUCATION
•* Teacher
•* Teacher is the centre of instruction
•* Information push (teacher decides
what
trainees are being taught).
•* Teacher has to prepare all sessions.
•* Trainees are passive receivers of
information.
NON-FORMAL EDUCATION
• Facilitator
• Participants can give inputs
• Information pull (focus on actual information
•
•
needs)
Facilitator ensures that participants learn basic
contents and involves participants to determine
additional learning goals.
Informal, open exchange, equal chance to
participants.
• Facilitator is a group member.
• Facilitator can use inputs of the group.
• Questions from the group can be answered
by
the
group
(discussion/sharing
of
experiences, setting up experiments, inviting
resource persons etc.)
• Working in small groups.
The basic principle of FFS is:
• “If I hear it, I forget it.
•
If I see it, I remember it.
•
If I do it, I believe it for life.”
STEPS FOR ORGANIZING FFS:
1. Selection of demonstration site:
-All weather approachable locations/ sites/
villages are selected. The plot size in each
site should be preferably 40 ha for rice and
10 ha for cotton and other crops. Intensively
cultivated and irrigated areas should be
given preferences as these are pest prone
areas.
-The demonstration sites/locations should
have the history of having one or two major
pest problems.
2. Bench Mark Survey:
A bench mark survey should be conducted in the
villages selected for FFS before commencement of
the programme so as to assess the pest
problems, level of pesticide usage, varieties
grown, size of holding and the social and
economic level of the farmers.
3. Meeting with farmers:
• To start a FFS, the first step is to organize
the introductory meeting with the farmers
and collect basic information about the crop
and their problems.
• Introduce the concept of IPM
• Explain the training process
– Participatory
– Practical
– Learning by doing
– Experimenting
• Selection of Trainees:
For each FFS, 30 farmers along with 5
progressive
farmers/NGOs/Extension
functionaries are selected as trainee. The
farmers should be selected from all income
groups and preference should be given to
SC/STs and women farmers. All the trainees
should be provided with IPM Kit (Annexure-I).
• Preparation of action plan:
The facilitator (trainer) should be well
conversant with the local problems and
able to convince the farmers. Timing of the
FFS may be as the convenient of the
trainees
and
facilitator.
Tentative
programme for 14 consecutive weeks
should be chalked out including all the
curriculum activities of IPM.
• 6. Ballot Box Test:
To test farmers at the beginning of an
FFS use “Ballot Box Test”. It is not really
about testing the farmer’s knowledge,
but rather a way of showing them the
gaps in their knowledge as a way of
preparing them for what they can expect
to learn during the FFS.
• 7. One day schedule of FFS:
The IPM Field Schools meets throughout the
cropping season once in a week in order that
participants can observe and analyse the
dynamics of the field ecology across a full
season. Each meeting consists of a set
pattern of activities; agro-ecosystem field
observation, analysis and presentation;
special topics and group dynamics. The
tentative one day schedule of the FFS may be
as followed:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Opening
Introduction
Attendance
Day’s briefing of activities
9.00 Visit of field in small groups
Make observations that are noted by the facilitator
and one other person in the group. Facilitators points
out interesting new developments.
10.00
Return to the shade. Begin making AgroEcosystem Analysis, drawing
and discuss management decision.
– Each team presents results and group arrives at a
consensus on management needs for the coming
week.
– Tea Break
– Group Dynamics (Energiser)
– Special study topic related to farmers problem
(rodent control, micro-nutrient deficiency, health
and safety, water and fertilizer management)
• Preparation of tentative IPM Package/
Practices:
Keeping in view the past history of the crop
sequence, agronomic practices and the
varieties grown and pest problems, a
tentative package of IPM outlines for specific
area should tentatively describe the likely
steps to be adopted right from the field
preparation, selection of seeds to the harvest
and evaluation of the harvest
• Information of Non-IPM field:
Farmer’s practices on the same crop
should be observed as Non-IPM field records
for comparing the field data for evaluation.
• Documentation and records:
At each demonstration site, the facilitator
should maintain a record of all the
activities including yield undertaken in the
register and it should be shown to the
visiting officers for their comments and
advise. The data will be used to work out
cost benefit ration to compare IPM and
Non-IPM field.
• Farmer’s Field Day:
The Farmer’s Field Day is to be organized
after 14 weeks of training wherein detailed
discussions among the trainee farmers and
the trainer takes place on various aspects
including the success story as well as on the
points of failures. On the farmer’s field day,
other farmers, local officers and other
important persons from NGOs, Agriculture
and Co-operatives etc. should be invited.
Crop cutting experiment should also be
organized so as to compare the yield in the
IPM and Non-IPM plots.
• Funding/Financing of FFS:
The Union Department of Agriculture &
Cooperation is financing the FFS, IPM democum training programme. The fund will be
channelised
through the Central IPM
Centers located in the States/UTs. The
expenditure as approved by the Govt. @
Rs.17,000 for one FFS for various items of
expenditure (Annexure-II).
LIST OF IPM KIT : SPECIFICATIONS
Sl.
No.
Item
Quantity
Specifications
1.
Insect Sweep Net
1
Steel ring 5mm thickness 37.5 cm diameter with 37.5 cm flap & 60
cm long conical bag made of markin cloth and a sturdy 1 meter long
handle of 2.5 cm diameter. Ring cover flap made of jean cloth
2.
Hand Lens (10x)
1
Steel framed box (folded)
3.
Brush
1
Camel hair 3 No.
4.
Watch glass
1
7.5 cm diameter
5.
Plastic vials
5
7.5x2.5 cm with lid
6.
Dissecting needle
2
With plastic handle
7.
Poly bags
10
30x20 cm
8.
Rubber bands
20
2.5 cm
9.
Note book
1
20x13 cm, 40 pages
10.
Ball Pen
1
15 Cm with cap
11.
Cello Tape
1
1.5 cm x 9 meter
12.
Drawing Pen
2
Blue & Red
13.
IPM Cap
1
Front cover 7.5 cm length, 16.5 cm diameter 17.5 cm elastic trap &
tight and loose system with national IPM emblem embossing
14.
IPM Kit Bag
1
Made of jean cloth 35 cmx30 cm having 5 cm depth with 90 cm
shoulder sling national IPM emblem embossing.
2
Full size (75 x 55 cm)
15.
Drawing sheet
THANKS