Integrated potato late blight management: experience of farmer field school (FFS) in Dendi District

Farmers Participatory Research (FPR) on Integrated Management of Potato Late Blight disease through Farmers' field School (FFS) approach was initiated in year 2000 (off and main season) in Dendi District. The purpose was to address the causes, sources and management of late blight and many aspects of potato production such as seed quality, varital resistance, cultural practices, and post harvest practices. The initiation was implemented in six countries including Ethiopia and is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The project involved partnerships among Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO), Self-Help Development International (SHDI), and the International Potato Center (CIP). Full time facilitators were hired and trained. The first FFS cycle was started with an average 23-farmer participant per field school and seven schools were implemented. In year 2001 ten schools are in progress. An experiment comprised of Fungicide X varieties and/or clones were the corner stones for the FFS field and session activities. The learning approach was participatory and farmer's experiences were utilized in quantifying and addressing potato production constraints in the area. Fourteen sessions that coincides with the phenology of the crop was delivered in the school cycle. Farmers fully participated in experimenting on late blight life cycle, diagnosis and symptom identification, varital evaluation, fungicide application and its safe use, seed quality and post harvest considerations that help to reduce the disease and contribute to get higher tuber yield. The assessment of farmers' knowledge and practices prior to sessions related to late blight indicated that all farmers (100%) have no knowledge of the causes and sources of late blight. However, some farmers had little knowledge on management (fungicide protection) of the disease. Based on the information obtained during internal self-monitoring and evaluation, the participating farmers recognized that the strategy of learning and exchange of experiences in groups was instrumental in enhancing their awareness and confidence in an integrated management of late blight. Though it is too early to conclude that the approach is best over previous extension approaches, it can help shift away from dependency on long term external support for late blight control technologies dissemination and adoption because the approach is based on learning by doing.