Impact of farmer field schools on knowledge and adoption of integrated pest management practices

Abstract:

Despite decades of promotion, integrated pest management adoption among Indian smallholders remains stubbornly low, rarely exceeding 30% for any single practice. This research assessed the impact of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) on knowledge gain and adoption of IPM practices among vegetable growers in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya, India, during 2022-2023. A quasi-experimental before-and-after design with a comparison group was used, covering 120 FFS participants and 80 non-participants across eight villages. Knowledge scores for six IPM domains were measured using structured tests before and after a season-long FFS programme. Overall knowledge increased from 29.8% to 73.5% among participants (43.8 percentage point gain), compared to 34.6% in non-participants. Cultural practices and chemical safety showed the highest adoption rates at 71.6% and 68.4%. FFS participants reduced pesticide sprays from an average of 6.8 to 3.2 per season while maintaining higher yields (18.4 vs. 16.7 q/ha) and net income (₹34,680 vs. ₹28,420 per hectare). These findings confirm that participatory, season-long FFS training is effective at building both knowledge and practice change in IPM among smallholder vegetable growers.