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Collaboration of Farmers and Scientists in Agri-Research

by Hussain Shah and Nisar Ali Shah, Social Sciences Institute, NARC Islamabad

Published in "The News"  Rawalpindi / Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi on May 16, 2005

Farmer participatory research has been defined as the collaboration of farmers and scientists in agricultural research and development. The need to improve our understanding of farmers’ conditions and incorporating their perspectives into the development and testing of new agricultural technology is not new. The current interest in farmers’ participation is related in large part to farming systems research (FSR). It is a systematic dialogue between farmers and scientists to solve problems related to agriculture, and ultimately increase the impact of agricultural research. By responding closely to farmers’ concerns and conditions, researchers can develop technologies that could be adopted more widely to respond to important social issues such as equity and sustainability.

Developing dialogue between farmers and scientists is not simple because farmers and scientists have different views, knowledge systems, methods, needs and tools. A successful dialogue between farmers and scientists can lead to a more productive, stable, equitable, and sustainable agricultural systems. It enhances their welfare and job efficiency. For society, it adds to the food supply and encourages the conservation of natural resources for future generations. For farmer participatory research two approaches are used. One is collaborative; under which scientists and farmers collaborate as partners and the other is collegiate; under which scientists work to strengthen farmers’ informal research and development systems in rural areas. In Pakistan efforts were made to involve farmers in the applied research. This process started with the concept of on-farm research, then to farming system research and lastly to participatory research. These concepts were tested under different projects.

For the uplifting of rural poor in the Barani areas of Punjab, a number of development projects have been implemented under the umbrella of Agency for Barani Area Development (ABAD). Barani Village Development Project (BVDP) is going on in the rainfed Pothwar region since 2000. This is originally a development project with a strong adaptive research and technology transfer base. It has become a classic example of a new style of ‘participatory research’. The approach involves farmers in the research process at the basic and decision-making levels. This would not only improve the lives of the farmers, but also equip them with a new understanding of the available natural resources in the otherwise uncertain rainfed environment.

Technologies generated from research system, particularly new varieties, can be adopted rapidly if delivered in a manner that is understood by the farmers. The experience over the years has shown that the best way for adoption of knowledge is through participatory approach and involvement of farmers in selecting need based technologies and other interventions. In this way the farmers can become more organised, vigilant, realistic, learn to work in community, make their own day to day decisions and start working like experts without depending on extension staff and input dealers for crop production process.

A number of research activities are going on at three different sites in the rainfed Pothwar by provincial research institutions. Numerous promising technologies are emerging through the participatory research along with empowerment of the farmers with latest research developments. These assessment studies have proved that the low cost structures to conserve soil and water, developed by Soil and Water Conservation Research Institute (SAWCRI), Chakwal (Punjab) are both cost effective and resource conserving. According to farmers’ estimates, the unit cost of these structures varies from Rs1500 to 2500 and is within the resource limits of small farmers. It is many times lower than the structures already being constructed by Soil Conservation Department.

To study the possibility of growing fruit plants in gullied/eroded areas without using bulldozers and monitoring the soil and water losses in these catchments. Thus a successful experiment is going on at farmers field. The host farmers are fully convinced with the performance and benefits of these interventions and they are planning to replicate them on other locations from their own resources. The development of new high-yielding and diseases resistant varieties of cereals, legumes and oil seeds is also in progress. Although crop improvement research faces more challenges in the dry areas, the host farmers’ views about the trials of the improved varieties of legumes, wheat and groundnut are encouraging. These varieties are giving higher yield than the farmers’ practices. The scientists of Barani Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), Chakwal are working on different field crops and sharing their knowledge through this participatory research.

The activities of Fodder Research Institute (FRI), Sargodha are highly acknowledged by the farming communities at all the sites. The farmers’ views on the productivity enhancement - both in terms of quantity and quality of the improved fodder varieties - are encouraging. The introduction of new summer and winter fodder varieties has significantly contributed to the food and fodder security in the rainfed areas. According to farmers’ assessment these varieties are giving 50-100 per cent higher yield than the local ones. The interest of farmers is so high that they have started informal seed production during the initial year of participatory research trials. For the productivity enhancement of livestock the Barani Livestock Production and Range Research Institute (BLPRI), Kharimurat, Punjab also made different interventions with farmers’ participation at the integrated research sites. Farmers are convinced with urea mineral molasses blocks and its impact on milk productivity along with the improved animal health. Productivity enhancement of livestock through genetic improvement and by providing breeding services would make livestock a more productive and economical enterprise in the rainfed Pothwar region.

With all the constraints and limitations to work with the farming communities, the participatory research trials are being implemented with best possible scientific accords. The demand driven research trials are planned and farmers are involved in the design and selection of commodity. The selection of farmers is also made in a participatory manner through the community organisations. However, there is always room for improvement. The results of the technology assessment studies call for more active involvement of farmers in all the practices, particularly in the use of different inputs and evaluation of crop yield. The results would be shared not only with the host farmer but with the community also. The results of the samples taken by the researchers would be shared with the farmers. This would increase the understanding of processes, components of new technology into the analysis under farmers’ biophysical conditions and their management.

Training, guidelines, technical support and published literature would be worthwhile for capacity building and empowerment. The department of extension and soil conservation involved as development components in the project will be regarded as partners and would be closely involved in the participatory research and technology development both at integrated research sites and for transfer of technology in the similar agro ecological environment. The knowledge gained both about the technologies produced by the research component, and farmers’ objectives and constraints, would support the wider dissemination of the results.

Conclusion
Access to technology including improved seeds, livestock, forestry, agricultural, animal husbandry and other farm techniques and information are the basic elements of any strategy to promote food security and eradicate poverty. The technology generated should be adapted to the requirements of small farmers in resource-poor areas, keeping in view their specific needs, survival strategies, and agro-ecological and cultural environments. This will only happen, if small farmers are much more closely involved in the generation and diffusion of technology. Thus, there is a need to rethink the structures, approach, and methods of agricultural research and extension systems in the country.

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