Impact of Farmer Field School in Popularization of Ipm Practices in Tomato Cultivation

Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore conducted a Farmer Field School (FFS) programme in Agrahara village of Bangalore rural district to popularize the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) package in tomato. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) conducted in vegetable growing villages revealed that IPM package was not being adopted by majority of the farmers due to various reasons. To convince farmers on the effectiveness IPM package in the long run, FFS was initiated with the twin objectives of convincing the farmers on the philosophy of IPM; facilitating the identification and effective management of pests and diseases. The paper focuses on the impact of IPM in terms of reduction in pest and disease levels, effect on the level of usage of chemicals and reduction in the cost of cultivation compared to farmer's practice. The impact in terms of change in knowledge and attitude is also discussed.