Impact of Vegetable Integrated Pest Management Farmer Field School Programme in Sub-Tropical Region of Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

Afield study was conducted to evaluate the impact of vegetable Integrated Pest Management- farmer Field School (IPM FFS) Programme in the sub-tropical Jammu region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Ex-post facto with-without  research design was employed to for conducting the impact evaluation. A sample of 80 IPM-trained and 60 non-IPM  farmers were selected for the study. IPM practices namely raised nursery beds in cabbage (p=0.026), timely  transplantation of cauliflower (p=0.034), collection of eggs and egg masses of insect pests (p=0.048) were adopted by  significant proportion of IPM trained farmers. A logistic regression model was fitted which showed IPM training  programme impacted adoption of IPM practices namely deep ploughing and collection of insect pest eggs and egg  masses. IPM training did not influence adoption of other cultural and mechanical practices. IPM trained farmers decision  of pesticide use was not influenced by IPM training.