Farmers’ Attitude towards a Participatory Research Method Used to Evaluate Weed Management Strategies in Bananas

Ganpat, Wayne; Isaac, Wendy-Ann P.; Brathwaite, R. A. I.; Bekele, Isaac

doi:10.1080/13892240903069728

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Nevertheless, little academic attention has been paid to the drivers that urge farmers to seek AEES and/or to participate in agricultural extension education activities. Jan et al (2008) have found that the size of the cultivated area has a significant positive effect on the possibility for a farmer to participate in extension education activities, whereas Ganpat et al (2009) demonstrated that younger producers are more likely to repeat their decision to participate in such activities. From a relatively different standpoint, a recent study confirmed that decisionmaking process to attend extension education programmes or to choose among International Journal of Rural Management, 7, 1&2 (2011): 83-102 AEES available depends on the level of farmers' involvement in AEES, which is affected by service variability, the intensity of the needs that guide the process and the peasants' lifestyle dimensions (Lioutas et al 2011c).…”

Section: International Journal Of Ruralmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who is the Customer of Public Agricultural Extension/Education Services?

Lioutas

Charatsari

2011

International Journal of Rural Management

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Agricultural extension education services (AEES) have three major characteristics that complicate their marketing: first, these are 'rural services' that are heavily influenced by the 'rurality' of their field of action; second, their aim is to promote intangible behavioural changes which inevitably are considered by the potential customers as risky; third, their orientation is usually non-profit. However, there is a surprising lack of studies regarding the marketing of AEES. The aim of this research is to segment rural population based on the usage rate of public AEES and to depict the relative influence of the importance assigned on both services relationship attributes and motivational drivers to this classification. After a random sampling procedure, 202 peasants from the region of Thessaly, Greece participated in the study. Our findings revealed three segments: the 'Conveniencers', who are the heavy users of public AEES; the 'Analysts', who, although are regular users of AEES, are light users of public services and assign higher importance to the service delivery attributes; and the grey segment of 'Objective Hunters', who are occasional seekers of AEES and are primarily motivated by their expectation to gain benefits related to their farm enterprise. Our findings also demonstrate that public rural services have failed to build sustainable relationships with the rural population.

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Section: International Journal Of Ruralmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who is the Customer of Public Agricultural Extension/Education Services?

Lioutas

Charatsari

2011

International Journal of Rural Management

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“…In the current ethos of rural extension a participatory approach is almost mandatory, participants' commitment being boosted by an extension process which encourages people to take responsibility for their learning (Franzel & Scherr 2002, Ganpat et al 2009. This approach is in accord with Knowles' (1984) principles of adult or 'self-directed' learning that adults' past experience is the basis of their learning, they are most interested in learning which is applicable to their lives and learning is problem centred rather than content centred.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Directed Learners or Not? Delivering Agroforestry Technology to Farmers in the Philippines

Baynes¹,

Herbohn²

2011

OJF

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This paper presents an evaluation of the usefulness of a participatory approach and adult learning principles for agroforestry extension in the Philippines. Visual observations and analysis of interviews with farmers during an extension program found that their ability to act as self-directed adult learners changed according to the situations with which they were faced. Farmers used a self-directed approach to their selection of inputs for the establishment of woodlots. However, when propagating seedlings, lack of technical knowledge caused them to shift to a state of dependency on 'top-down' didactic instruction. Farmers' familiarity with agricultural crops, e.g. rice and coconuts, did not provide them with the skills to raise tree seedlings. A consequence of farmers applying their own interpretation of woodlot establishment procedures was that some sites were destroyed and seedling growth on other sites was poor. These failed woodlots are likely to present a negative image of the program in the future. Contributing influences to farmers' limited uptake of technology may have been a lack of other sources of support and information and the difficulty of interacting and sharing ideas with their peers. The practical implications of this research are that farmers in developing countries may lack the education, support services and peer-to-peer interaction to behave similarly to self-directed learners in developed countries. A totally participatory approach to program delivery may maintain participants' enthusiasm and commitment but may result in unforseen outcomes. Hence, a flexible approach to the use of adult learning principles may be necessary.

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“…As a follow-up, a Participatory Approach which involved farmers in the design, conduct and evaluation of three potential cover crops (Mucuna pruriens, Desmodium heterocarpon var ovalifolium and Arachis pintoi) was conducted (Ganpat et al, 2009). Thirty six (36) participating farmers applied treatments using the paired-treatment design with three replicates.…”

Section: Alternative Strategies For Weed Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%