Human and Technical Dimensions of Potato Integrated Pest Management Using Farmer Field Schools: International Potato Center and Partners’ Experience With Potato Late Blight Management

Abstract

In the 1990s, the integrated pest management (IPM) team for potato late blight (IPM-late blight) at the International Potato Center (CIP) began to address the management of this complex potato disease by combining crop protection with social and behavioral sciences. Since the early 2000s, the team has worked with research and development organizations in countries in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America to develop farmer discovery-based learning methods using farmer field schools (FFS). The principles of late blight control were more visible and understood by farmers when they could test options for managing late blight, particularly new potato clones with resistance to the disease, for themselves. CIP and partners have since adapted an approach combining FFS and participatory research to facilitate farmers’ access to information, knowledge, and technologies. Several manuals to implement FFS-IPM-late blight with farmers were subsequently developed. Results indicated that farmers using this approach learned new knowledge, assessed new potato clones, and changed crop management practices. Hence farmers realized a 32% average increase in potato productivity and income in Peru; similar changes occurred in other countries. The participatory research and training approach had a significant impact beyond IPM-late blight. In Peru and Bolivia, for example, more than 2,000 FFS were implemented between 2005 and 2012 on IPM for potato, other crops (coffee, cocoa, fruit trees), and livestock. In Uganda and Ethiopia, the experience expanded to potato seed management with the formation of seed cooperatives. Lessons have been drawn from this experience.

Combining experiential and social learning approaches for crop disease management in a smallholder context: a complex socio-ecological problem

“…This finding aligns with other studies that indicate that experiential learning improved the problem-solving capacity of farmers for integrated pest management in farmer field schools in Africa (Davis et al 2012;Ortiz et al 2019). Similar findings were also reported improvement of farmers' knowledge, perceptions, and practices in pest management in South America and Asia (Feder et al 2003;Ortiz et al 2019). Moreover, the importance of hands-on practical learning based on experiential learning principles has been reported earlier to improve the decision-making capacity of smallholder farmers in a complex farming system (Gallagher 2003;Ortiz et al 2019).…”

“…The study indicated that none of the farmers knew to recognize the causes of the disease and most did not identify any other control methods apart from roguing. This finding aligns with other studies that indicate that experiential learning improved the problem-solving capacity of farmers for integrated pest management in farmer field schools in Africa (Davis et al 2012;Ortiz et al 2019). Similar findings were also reported improvement of farmers' knowledge, perceptions, and practices in pest management in South America and Asia (Feder et al 2003;Ortiz et al 2019).…”

“…Similar findings were also reported improvement of farmers' knowledge, perceptions, and practices in pest management in South America and Asia (Feder et al 2003;Ortiz et al 2019). Moreover, the importance of hands-on practical learning based on experiential learning principles has been reported earlier to improve the decision-making capacity of smallholder farmers in a complex farming system (Gallagher 2003;Ortiz et al 2019).…”

“…Consequently, experiential learning has been widely applied as a theoretical basis for extension interventions in the context of adult learning (Leeuwis 2004;Roberts 2006). For instance, the theoretical perspective underlies farmer field school (FFS), an approach that focuses on discovery learning to help farmers become better decision-makers (Ortiz et al 2019;Suzanne Nederlof and Odonkor 2006). Over the last decades, FFS has been widely promoted in rural settings in many developing countries (Ortiz et al 2004;Palis 2006).…”

“…Using experiential learning as an underpinning theoretical perspective, the farmer field school (FFS) approach has been implemented in many developing countries. It has been shown that this approach has positive impacts on crop pest management, agricultural productivity, and income of smallholder farmers (Davis et al 2012;Ortiz et al 2004Ortiz et al , 2019Palis 2006). But since experiential learning largely focuses on learning through concrete experience when a learner interacts with a phenomenon or the environment, it is usually criticized for neglecting the social processes required to solve collective action problems (Fenwick 2000;Michelson 1999;Roberts 2006;Seaman 2008).…”