Description

Abstract: The study collected baseline information on farmers who cultivated peanut and were involved in farmer field school activities in the study area. Three villages where farmer field school (FFS) had been organised were purposively chosen. In a total sample of 90 peanut farmers, selected at random from three villages, a formal survey with prepared questionnaires was administered. Majority of the farmers (92%) planted peanut as monocrop and cultivated one field at a time. Majority of the farmers planted old improved varieties. Thirtyfive percent of the farmers planted their peanut in rows. Sixteen percent of the farmers were found to be involved in FFS activities. Farmer field school has been recent as 11% of the farmers reported attending FFS in 2002 and 2003 coinciding with the year IPM farmer school began in the area. There were significant differences between FFS participants and non-participants in the testing of seeds before planting, row planting, ability to recognize foliar pests and diseases. Farmer field school participants were better informed than their non-participant counterparts. The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) FFS has the potential of helping farmers to increase the peanut production by transferring improved technologies to them. Although the IPM FFS began not long ago, it has begun to have some impact.