DANIDA

Strengthening Farmers’ IPM in Pesticide-Intensive Areas

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Farmer Field School in Chinese kale

8th FFS session

During the eighth FFS session (27-11-2003) the crop is now already so big that it is time for the first harvest. It is in fact a thinning of the crop, but the plants are big enough to be sold. As we have several different plots with different management, this opportunity was used to measure differences in yield. From each of the plots we sampled one square meter and then we measured the weight of the harvested produce.

After taking the yield data the farmers did another AESA to decide on how to manage the crop in the coming week. Then there was a special topic on the use of bio-extracts. 

A frame of 1 square meter was used to measure yield in the different experimental plots 

 
Farmers practice the making of bio-extracts, which will be used as bio-fertilizers.

9th FFS session

Today (4-12-2003) we discussed the results of last week harvest. There were no big yield differences between the various plots. 

A special topic of discussion was the problems caused by pesticides. During their work farmers can often observe the harmful effects of pesticides, for example when fish get killed. Another issue which we discussed was the disposal of empty pesticide containers.

Discussing the differences in yield between the IPM plot and the Farmers' practice plot.

Near a recently sprayed field we observed dead fish floating in the water.

Disposal of empty pesticide containers. Often they are just left behind in places where children can pick them up.

Every week offers more opportunities of learning about IPM. In the beginning of the cropping season the farmers were most worried about flea beetles. But now the crop is bigger, also other insects are found. On the leaves we regularly find egg masses of armyworm and also the larvae of the Diamond Back Moth are becoming more abundant. We started to use yellow sticky traps to see if we can trap adult Diamond Back Moth and soon realized that sticky traps could have been used earlier in the season to trap flea beetles.

Larvae of the Diamond Back Moth are found feeding on the leaves

 
The caterpillars of Diamond Back Moth pupate in a small cocoon of silk

Flea beetles attacking the crop

Experimenting with sticky traps

Sticky traps catch flea beetles but also many other insects, including some natural enemies

Sometimes we find natural enemies in the field

11th FFS session

Harvesting of the crop started on 18 December, during the 11th FFS session. Again we measured the yield to be able to observe differences between IPM plot and Farmers' practice plot. During this session we now could summarize the differences in management between the IPM plot and the Farmers' Practice plot.

The crop now ready for harvesting

Measuring the harvest

Discussing the differences between IPM plot and Farmers' practice plot

During our last FFS session a group of agriculture students visited the FFS