The role of culture in farmer learning and technology adoption: A case study of farmer field schools among rice farmers in central Luzon, Philippines

Palis, Florencia G.

doi:10.1007/s10460-006-9012-6

Cited by 67 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is clear that barriers to and motivations for less-pesticide-intensive forms of agriculture are multifarious and may vary regionally (43). A few of the explanations found in the literature suggest IPM adoption decisions can be explained in part by farmers' personality traits (6), their goals and management disposition (4), and cultural factors (41). Economic factors influencing adoption may include economic lock-in (10), avoidance of risk (15,48), lack of efficacy to market demands (42), and more generally, a lack of fit to context (27,60).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Concepts of Sustainability, Motivations for Pest Management Approaches, and Implications for Communicating Change

Sherman

Gent

2014

Plant Disease

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Impact and relevance are valued by both plant pathologists and the supporters of research and extension. Impact has been characterized as the “So what?” of research results, and in applied research in agriculture typically involves some change in human behavior. This might involve, for instance, avoidance of broad spectrum pesticides, use of economic thresholds, or adoption of a new cultural practice in disease management. Changes in human behavior often are slow and difficult, even when the potential benefits of change seem clear. Research and extension personnel working with farmers have discussed for decades the apparent slow pace of adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) and other less-pesticide-intensive management practices. The reasons why change is slow are numerous, but one aspect that warrants consideration is how changes in farm practices are communicated to farmers. Effectively communicating changes in pest management practices at the farm level requires a system of research and extension management that differs from that to which most biological scientists are accustomed. What is the motivation for farmers to deviate from historical practices? How persuasive are concepts of environmental sustainability, integrated pest management, risk management, and economic gain in communicating the needs for change? In addressing these questions, it is useful to understand some of the basic determinants of farmers' decision processes and motivations to adopt practices. This article discusses these issues.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Concepts of Sustainability, Motivations for Pest Management Approaches, and Implications for Communicating Change

Sherman

Gent

2014

Plant Disease

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As Honduran subsistence farmers cultivate relatively small fields embedded in a (semi-)natural environment, they may understand certain agroecological processes, such as biological control. Farmer knowledge is also constructed through social processes that are an integral aspect of rural livelihoods (Jansen 1998;Berkes et al 2003;Palis 2006). More specifically, interpersonal ties frequently determine farmers' decision-making (Röling and Wagemakers 1998;Castillo et al 2005), and person-to-person 'transfers' of information could enhance levels of IPM diffusion (Palis et al 2002;Rola et al 2002, S. Fujisaka, personal communication).…”

Section: Social and Ecological Aspects Of Honduran Subsistence Farmingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social and ecological facets of pest management in Honduran subsistence agriculture: implications for IPM extension and natural resource management

Wyckhuys

O’Neil

2009

Environ Dev Sustain

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In subsistence farming systems of the developing world, adoption of resourceconserving practices such as integrated pest management (IPM) is often strikingly low. This has partially been ascribed to researchers' limited understanding of how technologies develop at the interface of the systems' social and ecological components. In Honduras (Central America), there exists concern about limited adoption and diffusion of IPM technologies in certain smallholder production systems. In this study, we determine social and ecological drivers of IPM adoption in subsistence maize production in the country's hillside environment. Honduran small-scale maize production is typified by a key insect pest (the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda) being partly kept at bay through action of a diverse natural enemy complex, including ants, social wasps, carabid beetles, and spiders. Local agricultural landscapes, primarily shaped through shifting cultivation, provide key resources to maintain this natural enemy diversity. These local ecological conditions and related natural enemy abundance strongly influence farmers' agroecological knowledge and pest management practices. In the meantime, farmer practices are also affected by local communication networks, which help validate and spread IPM concepts and technologies. Based on our findings, we advocate a holistic approach to improve IPM extension through mapping of agroecological opportunities, visualization of regional patterns in farmer knowledge, and associated priority setting. Local IPM capacity could be built through institutional strengthening and adaptive comanagement, while IPM training should be linked with natural resource management initiatives. These approaches may eventually improve the way IPM is delivered to small-scale farmers who operate in the ecologically diverse environments of the tropics.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.

show abstract

“…This is because the approach emphasises learning by practice and sharing of farm experiences. In addition, the FFS use discoverybased learning methods to improve the farmer's agricultural knowledge and their capacity to make onfarm and off-farm decisions (Thiele et al, 2001;Quizon et al, 2001) believed to improve productivity (Palis, 2006;Mancini and Jiggins, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the farmer field schools diffusion of knowledge and adaptation to climate change by smallholder farmers in Kiboga District, Uganda

Mfitumukiza¹,

Barasa²,

Nankya³

et al. 2017

J. Agric. Ext. Rural Dev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Farmer Field Schools (FFS) can empower farmers through meetings at demonstration sites to promote agricultural production because of discovery learning. This study empirically investigated the FFS's diffusion of knowledge and its impact on the smallholder farmer's adaptation to climate change in Kiboga district characterised by low rainfall pattern. A cross-sectional research design was adopted where a total of 120 FFS-members and 60 non-FFS-members were randomly selected and interview using a validated household survey questionnaire. Data was analysed through descriptive statistics and Chi-test ( 2 ) to the relationship between the FFS and the member's adaptation to climate change. The findings revealed that drought, hailstorms, changes in onset and cessation of seasons were the main seasonal manifestations of climate change experienced in the district. The FFS majorly diffused adaptation knowledge and skills through establishment of comparative studies (28%); establishment of commercial enterprises (21%) and training of the members (18%); distribution of inputs to the FFS (10), examination of performances of distributed inputs (8%), FFS exchange-visits (6%), graduation of FFS members (4%), field days (3%) and integration of village savings into FFS (2%) throughout the seasonal calendar.The FFS-members aggressively adapted to the manifestations of climate change through the application of micro-irrigation, early planting, mulching, seed multiplication, the sale of livestock, construction of barns and planting of drought-tolerant crop and pasture varieties during the eventualities on their farmlands. The FFS significantly contributed to the adaptation to climate change (drought and shifts in seasons) by the smallholder farmers (p<0.05) throughout the season in the study area.The FFS enabled the farmers to validate and adopt new technologies in their fields that were a success. The FFS-members increased their innovations and use of local resources in adaptation to climate change. The FFS's promotion of adaptation options to climate change improves the farmer's seasonal food security status.

show abstract

The role of culture in farmer learning and technology adoption: A case study of farmer field schools among rice farmers in central Luzon, Philippines

Cited by 67 publications

References 7 publications

Concepts of Sustainability, Motivations for Pest Management Approaches, and Implications for Communicating Change

Concepts of Sustainability, Motivations for Pest Management Approaches, and Implications for Communicating Change

Social and ecological facets of pest management in Honduran subsistence agriculture: implications for IPM extension and natural resource management

Assessing the farmer field schools diffusion of knowledge and adaptation to climate change by smallholder farmers in Kiboga District, Uganda

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About