Adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) among Sweet Corn Farmers in San Diego, San Pablo City

Date

6-2019

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Normito R. Zapata, Jr.

Committee Member

Dia Noelle Velasco, Hanna Miranda-Quibot, Agnes, T. Banzon

Abstract

The Farmer Field School, which is an approach developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its partners nearly 25 years ago in Southeast Asia is still an approach used in the Philippines to strengthen and empower farmers. With its participatory approach, farmers are able to learn first-hand farm practices that include integrated pest management in their farms whether as an owner or as a tenant. The FFS approach also aims to improve the farmer’s decision-making skills in their farm practices. This study determined the effect of FFS to select farmers in San Pablo City, Laguna particularly the sweet corn farmers. This paper also studied the socio- demographic status of farmers adopting FFS, discussed the farm practices of the sweet corn farmers, determined the extent of their adoption of FFS, evaluated their farm performance after the FFS training, evaluated the issues and challenges under the FFS, and have also recommended solutions to the identified challenges.

This paper used the descriptive research design, inspired by the study of Kimati (2015) in Tanzania. It studied 30 farmers who are graduates of the 2017 FFS training from a population of 202 farmers provided by the San Pablo City Agricultural Office. Data was collected through a face-to-face interview to the chosen farmers in Brgy. San Diego, San Pablo City, Laguna using a semi-structured questionnaire.

The results showed that majority of the respondents are male and are already old with an average age of 58 years old who have some high school or elementary education. Majority of the respondents have adopted the technology taught in the FFS training. The training has instilled to majority of respondents the importance of AESA, land preparation, proper spacing, and even the use of better variety or corn. Although there were some who mentioned that they have discontinued what they have learned, majority have widely adopted the FFS technology. The FFS training brought awareness to farmers and has also created an interest among the farmers to learn more from experts. The training has also helped the farmers have better income from their sweet corn production due to the savings on farm costs and by getting bigger, larger-sized corns and having more harvest. Although the extent of the improvement in farm performance has not been measured, it will be worthwhile to study the improvements in their farm performance such as market, record-keeping, and labor-management.

Despite several challenges that include availability and accessibility of better variety and other farm inputs, the age of farmers, few farmers not experiencing increase in income, availability of laborers due to same planting season, and others, the FFS training can be said to be a successful approach the agricultural experts may use to teach famers improve their farm practices, have better produce, and eventually have better income and better quality of life.

Language

English

LC Subject

Corn industry, Pest control

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993 2019 M17 D58

Notes

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Document Type

Thesis

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