Farmers Field School (FFS) Case Study on Cotton Reddening Management in Kudlur Village in Yadagir Taluk

Farmer field schools are traditionally an adult education approach. a method to assist farmers to learn in an informal setting within their own environment. FFSs are schools without walls where groups of farmers meet weekly with facilitators. They are a participatory method of learning, technology development, and dissemination (FAO 2001) based on adult learning principles such as experiential learning (Davis and Place 2003). The Farmer Field School (FFS) approach is a form of adult education, aimed at building farmers ’decision making capacity through discovery learning. It is an innovative tool to facilitate interactive learning. A Department of Agriculture conducted Farmer Field Schools in cotton cultivation. In the present article, we use this experience to analyse the implementation of the FFS approach. How does it work in practice. The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of the FFS on adoption of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices for management of cotton reddening under Raita Samparka Kendra Saidapur Department of Agriculture was assessed. From the analysis we conclude that from a sustainability point of view, it is recommended that the farmer field school approach be continued as a means or platform for disseminating INM and IPM technology among farmers. This finding suggests that one of the ways policy makers can enhance equity and sustainability and ensure poverty reduction is through development and promotion of agricultural innovations that reduce production costs such as INM and IPM.