The key principles of farmer field schools (Polam badi )

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Farmers Field School (Polam badi) Programme in
Andhra Pradesh Concept and Implementation
M. Sachin Dutt ADA (Farms) WALAMTARI
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FARMERS FIELD SCHOOL A group of farmers meet
regularly in a field at weekly intervals during
a crop season. After observation of the crop
dynamics, they discuss and take economical
decisions about the best crop management
practices for that week , under the guidance of
trained facilitators. These decisions will
empower farmers for adopting best agricultural
practices and improve their productivity and
their standard of living.
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• NEED for FFS
• Declining soil productivity and inappropriate /
• imbalanced nutrient use.
• Indiscriminate use of pesticides leading to
  increased
• cost of cultivation
• Poor water management resulting in low Water Use
  
• Efficiency (WUE), soil salinity and alkalinity
  problems.
• Inadequate research and extension support to
  Small
• Marginal farmers

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• Thus, FFS intends to
• Increase the income of Wet / Dry land Small and
  Marginal Farmers thereby increasing their
  standard of life.
• Increase the WUE of farmers / WUA members under
  Major and Medium irrigation projects.
• Thrust the role of WUAs in increasing the
  productivity and WUE.
• To achieve the above, the approach to improved
  management techniques (Integrated Crop
  Management techniques) has to be demonstrated
  through organizing FFS at field level involving
  Farmers/ WUA members.

ICM INM IPM Water Management Agronomic
practices including farm mechanization
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• OBJECTIVES of FFS
• Increasing the productivity of crops receiving
  irrigation through Field demonstrations and
  training programmes.
• Growing of crops as per the prevailing market
  trend / need.
• Reducing cost of cultivation by adopting
  improved management practices and procuring the
  critical inputs in time community based
  approach.
• Increasing the WUE by selecting crop / varieties
  which require less water.
• Finally making farmer an Expert in decision
  making.

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• APPROACH
• In FFS the primary learning material is the crop
  field. The training is fully field oriented,
  participatory and discovery based Learning by
  doing.
• FFS aims at teaching Science to farmer in his
  field.
• FFS is done from seed to seed so that the farmers
  can observe and analyze the dynamics of crop
  ecology across the season.
• The training curriculum is based on local needs.
• Changes in the curriculum / topics can be made
  depending upon the prevailing situation and to be
  done in consultation with farmers / participants.

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Education of Farmers Through

• Farmers Training Centers (FTC)
• On Farm Demonstration (OFD)
• Polam badi (FFS) Programmes

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Difference Among 3 Major Approaches for Educating
the Farmers
Sl.No Area Conventional Method (FTC) Demonstrations (OFED) FFS (Polam badi)
1 Involvement of Farmers Less Less More
2 Group approach Nil less Working in small groups for sharing of ideas, knowledge, skills
3 University recommendations/ Technology Create awareness Disseminate knowledge Validate recommendations through field studies
4 Learning Create awareness knowledge learning by doing
5 Farm Management Decisions Create dependence on external agencies Create dependence on external agencies Empowering farmers as decision makers
6 Development of Skills Less Less More Technical, attitudinal skills
7 Provide technology or science Provide technology Provide technology Transfer of science Technology
8 Adoptability of Technology by S.F M.F Less Less High
9 Ecological approach Regional specific Regional specific Individual field specific
10 Cost of technical input or wisdom High borrowed High borrowed Less Synthesized local (traditional) external wisdom
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Essential Elements of Polam badi
Empowerment
5.Ecological approach

2.Field
4.Weekly meetings

3.Facilitator
1. Farmers-group
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Steps in Agro-Eco System Analysis
1.OBSERVATION
2.RECORDING
3.DISCUSSIONS IN SMALLGROUPS
4. DRAWING
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Farmers involvement in FFS
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Presentation on Agro Eco System Analysis by
Farmers
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Implementation of FFS

1. Keeping in view of the objectives, FFS is being
   implemented in phased manner under all the
   irrigation projects.
2. From the year 2007, FFS has been organized by I
   CAD Dept in consultation with ANGRAU and NGO
   organizations. As such 15 KVKs are involved in
   implementation of FFS.
3. Every KVK shall organize 25-50 FFS every season.
4. AEEs under OM of ICAD are involved in
   organizing FFS with KVKs in their areas.

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• Guidelines for implementation of FFS
• FFS is to be organized (one/village) in those
  villages under Major and Medium commands in
  consultation with WUA members and not under well
  irrigation.
• Every FFS is organized with 120 farmers. The
  fields of all the 20 farmers must be contiguous
  and adjacent holdings having one major crop only.
• The basic data of village (Village map, Village
  profile population, families, gender,
  education/literacy, caste, occupation etc) has to
  be taken in advance for effective conduct of FFS.
• Target the areas with low productivity in each
  WUA to achieve yield enhancement.
• Identify the production constraints and yield
  gaps and include them in FFS Baseline survey.

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• 6. The areas of all the farmers shall be covered
  with technological interventions as decided by
  all the members.
• 7. FFS should be organized on ICM theme to
  achieve the contemplated results.
• 8. Discuss the framework of FFS with WUA
  presidents and form the groups of active farmers.
  This is to be done in a pre-seasonal orientation
  meeting for 120 members.
• 9. The KVKs shall select farmers for FFS and
  train them accordingly with the methodology.
• 10. The first thing to be done is collection of
  Soil samples from each of the fields of 120
  farmers where technological interventions are
  being taken up. Based on the soil test results,
  the fertilizer quantities actually needed will be
  decided. Excess use is discouraged.

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Collection of Soil Samples
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Demonstrating new Technologies
SEED TREATMENT
SEED GERMINATION TEST
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11. Adoption of recommended technological
interventions by input tie-up arrangements
for supply of critical inputs in time has
to be scrupulously implemented in FFS. 12.
Wherever FFS is planned to be organized, the
farmers along with facilitators will
discuss in advance about the problems of
village primarily reasons for low
productivity. Possible interventions are planned
to improve the productivity. 13. The
Scientists from KVK shall visit the FFS field for
scientific evaluation and recommendations.
14. One such recommendation is implementation of
rotational irrigation or Warabandi to
increase the WUE. 15. Green manure crops are also
encouraged to increase the organic matter
content and also increase the availability
of nutrients supplied to the crop.
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16. Some of the Agronomic interventions are -
Transplanting Paddy seedlings at early stage (20
days) - SRI method of Rice cultivation, Dry
seeding of Rice - Transplanting in upper 2-3 cm
layer of soil than deep planting
for more productive tillers. - Alley formation
for every 2 mtr distance. - Application of
fertilizers in a thin film of water and allow
water to seep in and irrigate later
(not to apply fertilizers in
running water). - Application of P fertilizers
as top dress to be
discouraged. 17. Ensure uniform adoption of
Technological intervention by all
farmers. 18. Facilitate procurement of inputs
and marketing the produce collectively by
farmers on group basis.
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• SCHEDULE OF FFS
• Farmers must meet every week (week end) in
  presence of the Facilitator and review the
  progress of implementation of FFS and record the
  deliberations and follow up the actions.
• - Recap and briefing
• - Field observations
• - Tea break
• - Group dynamics
• - Processing of observation
• - Presentation by farmers
• - Decision to be taken
• - Follow up action.
• b. Involve other Department officials as far as
  possible for gaining expertise.

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c. Initiatives on Agribusiness and
Agro-processing may be encouraged. d.
Comprehensive record keeping is an important
activity. All important activities should be
documented using photographs. Records must be
updated regularly. e. Analyze the results of
FFS (adoption and implementation) and disseminate
through press for benefit of other farmers. f.
Conduct Field Day before harvest of the crop.
Invite PC Chairmans, DC presidents for the Field
Day. g. Upscale the results of FFS over larger
areas.
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• QUALITY INDICATORS OF SUCCESSFUL FFS
• Difference in productivity is easily observed and
  reasons for such increase.
• Causes for high yields identified.
• Problems in Water management addressed and
  probable solutions achieved.
• All the Solutions for effective management be
  published through pamphlets, press, media,
  tom-tom etc.
• Higher yields and higher returns.
• Reduction in cost of cultivation.
• Increase in WUE.
• Increase in Science of farmers and making farmer
  Expert in scientific information and making the
  farmer as a role model.
• Planning cropping pattern as per the market needs.

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