Farmer Field Schools

A new approach to rural development

By

Allah Dad Khan

A Lecture To Student OF M Phil at AUP Peshawar

Putting it in Perspective The Target Group- FarmersThe Target Group- Farmers

• Resource deficient, Illiterate, Traditional, inward lookingResource deficient, Illiterate, Traditional, inward looking

ObjectivesObjectives Poverty alleviation.Poverty alleviation.

• Enhanced ProductivityEnhanced Productivity

• Reduced CostsReduced Costs

Social OrganizationSocial Organization• Group formation (pressure Groups)Group formation (pressure Groups)

• Conflict Resolution (Debate and consensus building)Conflict Resolution (Debate and consensus building)

Empowerment and removing dependencyEmpowerment and removing dependency

• Setting Research AgendasSetting Research Agendas

• To do own researchTo do own research

•Natural Resource Management

•Freshwater use•Soil Conservation•Environment protection

•Health consciousness

•Livelihood improvement through Technology Use.

Putting it in Perspective

Technology Transfer

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

Salient Differences in T&V, and FFS

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

Why FFS for Farmers

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

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

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

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

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

Farmer Field School Approach

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.

Basic Aims of Farmer Field School

1. Skill Development

2. Empowerment

3. Will power

4. Capacity of Decision Making

Basic Principles of Farmer Field School

1. Grow a healthy crop

2. Conserve natural enemies

3. Conduct regular f ield observations

4. Farmers understand ecology and become experts in their own fields

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

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

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/night19o

rH should not sink below 40-50%preferred temperature: day 20o/night16o

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

day 27o/night27°

keep tunnels closed forgermination only

ventilate tunnels, particularly after sunrise to avoid water on the leaves at any timekeep 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

MicroelementsProtection 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

Agronomic Data

Weekly

� Plant Height

� # of leaves/plant

� # of flowers/plants

� # of fruits/plants

� Weight 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 (AESA)Agro-ecosystem Analysis (AESA)

Farmer Field 

Schools Give a man a fish

…...and feed him for a day

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