บทคัดย่องานวิจัย

หมวดหมู่ : ฐานข้อมูลงานวิจัย

How to make post-harvest research serve the needs of the farmer: the example of maize storage in Ghana.

Compton, J.;

GASGA Executive Seminar Series Year: 1997 Issue: No. 9 Pages: 45-57 Ref: 28 ref.

1997

บทคัดย่อ

How to make post-harvest research serve the needs of the farmer: the example of maize storage in Ghana.

This paper describes the integrated research and extension approach used in the Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA)/UK Overseas Development Administration Larger Grain Borer Project (1993-96). The aim of the project was to develop and disseminate appropriate techniques to minimize losses in on-farm maize storage in Ghana, in particular those due to the larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncatus (Horn)), a new and very destructive pest. The project developed an iterative research and extension cycle involving both farmers and maize traders. A rapid survey to identify research locations was followed by participatory meetings with farmers and participant observation of farmer harvest and storage practices. Research station trials were evaluated by farmers and maize traders. On-farm trials took place in farmer-managed stores with farmer-selected, researcher-managed, farmer-applied treatments. Researchers observed practical problems and technical difficulties on farm and tried to solve them

 together with farmers. New methods for helping extension workers advise farmers on the choice between technical options were developed and pre-tested with farmers, including decision trees, a board game to train in cost-benefit analysis and decision-making under risk, and a play. MoFA extension agents were trained using these new methods and fed back information to researchers. Maize traders were also successfully trained as informal post-harvest extension agents. The choice of research methods was a critical factor in achieving rapid and practical results. Many new technical methods were developed, including an emphasis on value loss in stored maize rather than the traditionally-studied weight loss, and the use of simple rapid methods for loss and insect assessment that could be performed on-farm and enabled rapid feedback to farmers.