Author : Joao Boavida da Cruz

Summary : The Integrated Pest Management Field Farmer School (IPM-FFS) is a training activity of farmers group with main objective to enable farmers to make own decision based on IPM principles. The research aimed to evaluate the process, outcomes, and impacts of IPM-FFS to change farmer's behavior on IPM implementation. The research object was IPM-FFS that was held in Pare III Sub Village, Sidorejo Village, Godean District at Sleman Regency during September up to December 2006. The research program consisted of four steps namely baseline survey, evaluation of IPM-FFS activity, survey of post IPM-FFS, survey of rice production and farmer income. Data was obtained by interviewing 10 respondents out of 25 farmers that participated in IPM-FFS. Survey was carried out before and after they participated in IPM-FFS. The questionnaire was made referring to IPM National Program Bappenas standard and criteria. Evaluation for IPM-FFS activities comprised of preparation and execution of IPM-FFS. It was conducted by following and recording all IPM-FFS activities during one planting season. Evaluation result of IPM-FFS activities showed that the IPM-FFS which held in Pare III did not proceed according to IPM-FFS standard in preparation phase as well as in execution phase. It was less time and introduction process for the IPM-FFS preparation. Some standard activities of IPM-FFS were not conducted; number of field guide was only one at which it must be two persons, the weekly meetings were only conducted as many as 10 times out of 12 times, and there were no labels for the IPM and non IPM plots where the labels must be given. According to the farmers, the positive impacts of the IPM-FFS were it directly tended to increase their knowledge and skill on observation of paddy ecosystem i.e. against paddy pests and their natural enemies, and on the pesticides and culture of healthy crops. Beside that, with IPM-FFS the severity of rat attack, pesticide usage, and production cost decreased.