Tropicultura (Jan 2000)
Adoption of Research Recommendations by Rice Farmers : A Case Study on Bangkok Plain
Abstract
Farm survey and field experiments on farmers' fields and at Suphanburi Rice Experiment Station were conducted from April 1993 to January 1994 to gather information on crop management practices followed by farmers and to evaluate applied N response. Field experiments consisted of three treatments : i) control with no N but recommended P fertilizer applied ; ii) fertilizer dosage by the farmer oraverage dosage used by farmers in the survey ; and ni) fertilizer dosage recommended by the Department of Agriculture (DOA). Thirty-nine % of farmers used herbicide and pesticide dosages in excess of the DOA recommended dosage. 18 types of pesticides of class Moderate to Extremely Hazardous not recommended by DOA were used by farmers. Only 18 % of farmers were aware of the recommended herbicide and pesticide dosages. Not all farmers (only 65 %) were aware of proper handling and storage procedures for herbicides and pesticides. Only 11 % of farmers were aware of fertilizer recommendations. 84 % used fertilizer dosage higherthan the DOA recommended dosage. On average, 34 kg of N ha-1 and 5 kg of P ha-1 were used in excess ofthe DOA recommended dosage in one season. The excess dosage did not produce grain and straw yields higher than the recommended dosage on both farmers' fields and at the experimental station. Furthermore, N response (kg grain per kg N) was 60 % lower than at DOA recommended dosage. Farmers trusted results from their own field experiment more than results from the experimental station. They were willing to adopt DOA recommendations during the next growing season. However, a follow-up survey conducted in the next season showed that farmers had not adopted the DOA recommendations. Reason given was that they are used to applying high doses and that it gives high yields.
