Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is adopted for safe and sustainable agriculture.

1. FARMER’S FIELD SCHOOL ON IPMDR. JASVIR SINGH, Central Integrated Pest Management Centre, Bhawani Estate, Tanda Road, Jalandhar (Punjab)

2. *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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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 agro-ecosystem analysis and identify the pests and defenders.

8. BASIC ELEMENTS OF FFS

9. 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) (14-15 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).

10. 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 non-formal education. • The FFS group is guided by at least one facilitator offering experimental learning opportunities, rather than delivering top-down instruction.

11. METHOD OF EDUCATION

12. The method of education in FFS is mainly based on non-formal education. • There are many differences between formal and non-formal education.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.”

17. STEPS FOR ORGANIZING FFS: • 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.

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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).

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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:

24. 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 Agro-Ecosystem 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) • Closing with the planning of next week programme.

25. 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

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. Funding/Financing of FFS: The Union Department of Agriculture & Cooperation is financing the FFS, IPM demo-cum 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).

30. LIST OF IPM KIT : SPECIFICATIONS

31. THANKS