Resources

The Indonesian Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programme aims to develop ôIPM Communitiesö, whereby farming communities are organised to expand and practice agriculture, using an ecosystems approach to pest management. Recognising the wealth of knowledge that local farmers have, the IPM Programme encourages farmers to conduct studies, which are defined as ôstudies that are conducted by farmers, to answer farmersÆ questions, based on problems farmers faceö. This document explains what is meant by farmer studies, how they are conducted and disseminated, while providing case study examples. The impacts of farmer studies are discussed, which include ecological impacts such as decreased pest attacks and increased natural predators, as well as decreased pesticide use. The process has also empowered farmers, who have developed critical analytical skills, heightened self-confidence and increased technological capacity.

This Resource Guide is based on extensive work done in several African countries. It is intended to provide user-friendly ways to gather, manage and analyse information and data by applying participatory learning and action research, and to suggest ways to use this knowledge to develop strategies for integrated soil fertility management. It can best be seen as a toolkit. It includes a textbook (Part 1), a collection of cases that explore field experiences with participatory learning and action research (Part 2), a set of 'all-weather' Field Tools on laminated cards (Part 3), a CD-ROM including a software package to assist in analysing data (Part 4), and a manual with detailed versions of the Field Tools plus a user's guide to the software (Part 5).