Participatory Farmers Research Articles

Development of Shallots Seedling Based on Farmer Groups in Pangandaran Regency, West Java Province

Shallot seed based on farmer groups was developed at the Situ Hyang Farmer Group, Pangkalan Village, Langkaplancar District, Pangandaran Regency, West Java Province, from July to December 2021. Activities consist of (1) a Demonstration of shallot seed production in an area of 1 ha involving 20 participatory farmers; (2) Technical guidance to increase farmer capacity; and (3) Initiation of a shallot production system based on farmer groups. The objectives of this assessment are: (1) To produce certified shallot seeds; (2) Increase farmer capacity in terms of shallot seed production technology; (3) Growing farmer groups as shallot seed breeders. The data collected consisted of (a) Characteristics of the research location, (b) Certified shallot seed yields, (c) Knowledge, attitudes, and skills of farmers before and after the implementation of technical guidance. Data on the characteristics of the research location and the yield of certified shallot seeds were analyzed descriptively and then tabulated to make them more informative and easier to understand. The results of the study showed that: (1) certified seeds of the Bima Brebes and Trisula varieties amounted to 3.79 tons and 0.57 tons, respectively; (2) Technical guidance with denfarm media is effective in increasing the ability of farmers in shallot seed production technology, (3) The development of shallot seeds is carried out using a systems approach and technological and institutional assistance by shallot breeders based on farmer groups.

What is the relationship between ecosystem services and farmers’ livelihoods? Based on measuring the contribution of ecosystem services to farmers’ livelihoods

The relationships between ecosystem services and farmers’ livelihoods are important for ecological and livelihood sustainability. In this paper, Chongqing was picked up as a case to elucidate the contribution of ecosystem services to farmers’ livelihoods. First, we constructed a DPSIR (driver, pressure, state, impact and response) framework of ecosystem services and farmers’ livelihoods through participatory farmers’ livelihoods surveys and empirical data from the literature. Then, a 48-node Bayesian network model were used to explore the explicit and implicit impacts of both ecosystem services and farmers’ livelihoods, and to determine the key factors. Finally, we analyzed the contribution of ecosystem services to different types of farmers’ livelihoods. The results showed that ecosystem services have a significant impact on the farmers’ livelihoods. The probabilities of high state for ecosystem services and livelihood outcomes were 17.6% and 30.7%, respectively. While the probabilities of medium state were 51.2% and 45.4%, respectively. Particularly for low-income farmers, the impact on them increased with the increasing of ecosystem services (such as esthetic landscapes and food production). For different types of farming households, the most important contributor of ecosystem services-related income were pure farming households, part-time farming households and nonfarming households, accounting for 77.3%, 36.3%, and 14.8% of the total average annual household income, respectively. Our findings suggested that in promoting sustainable management of ecosystems, the contribution of ecosystem services to farmers’ livelihoods and their impact on farm income and the ecosystem services value should be considered.

TRADITIONAL DAIRY HUSBANDRY PRACTICES VIS-A VIS ESTRUS SYNCHRONIZED AND ARTIFICIALLY INSEMINATION ON DAIRY CATTLE PERFORMANCES IN ETHIOPIA

The study was conducted with the objective to assess breeding and husbandry practices of dairy cattle and to evaluate estrus synchronization and artificial insemination (AI) services of dairy cattle. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, retrospective study, field monitoring and a participatory farmers’ group discussion. A total of 180 respondents were randomly selected from the two districts (90 from each). For retrospective study; data were collected on productive and reproductive performance of 911 dairy cattle from record books of the AI centers for the 2017 to 2018 period. Field monitoring was conducted for 3 months on 80 cows. The dairy cows or heifers were selected purposively from kebeles and households. The data obtained from the survey were analyzed using (SPSS version 20) and the data from the retrospective study and field monitoring were analyzed using (SAS version 9.1). For quantitative data obtained from the field monitoring general linear model procedure of the statistical analysis system (SAS version 9.1) was used. The Natural pasture was the dominant feed source in highlands whereas non-conventional feed was the dominant feed source in midl-altitude [1-3]. Farmers keeping Holstein Friesian and jersey breeds gave slightly higher priority to milk production for cash income, whereas those keeping local cattle breeds gave higher priority to milk production for own consumption. The average age at first calving for native and crossbred cows was 56.48±0.88 and 48.66±8.07 months respectively. AI was the dominant mating system (70.0%) followed by the natural mating system (21.7%). The main reasons for the presence of less satisfaction on AI service were heat detection problem followed by disease, absence of AI technician’s efficiency and distance of AI center [4-6]. Around half (48.3%) of the respondents have medium satisfaction with AI service and synchronization programs. The overall conception rate and number of service per conception were 77% and 1.3% respectively. For our findings, it can be concluded that selecting animals with appropriate age, body condition score (BCS) farmers’ awareness to detect heat and on-time insemination were important factors for improving the efficiency of synchronization program.

Impact of a Non-Formal Environmental Education Program on safe handling of pesticides among Mexican subsistence farmers: a participatory pilot study

Pesticides negatively impact human health and environment, resulting in a high number of deaths annually. The objective of the present study was to measure the impact of an educational intervention on safe handling of pesticides in subsistence farmers in rural communities in Mexico. In a participatory non-randomized controlled community trial subsistence farmers were surveyed on safe handling of pesticides at the beginning and end of the intervention. Two communities had the intervention which was a Non-Formal Environmental Education Program, while one community served as reference. We observed impact in knowledge and practices of safe handling of pesticides among farmers in the intervention communities. Perception of being trained by the program (OR:9.14 95%CI 2.4-35.3), knowledge of rubber boots as PPE and its use (OR:14 95%CI 3.1-64 and OR:7.1 95%CI 1.4-35.3); knowledge and correct final disposal of pesticide containers (OR:7.4 95%CI 1.8-30.2 and OR:6.6 95%CI 1.8-24.3); and washing hands with soap and water before eating food in the field (OR:10.5 95%CI 2.2-49.4) were positively associated with the intervention. Throwing and burning pesticide containers in the field was negatively associated with the intervention (OR:0.19 95%CI 0.05-0.68 and OR:0.07 95%CI 0.01-0.44). The Non-Formal Environmental Education Program had an impact on some indicators of safe handling of pesticides.

Utilization of Evolutionary and Participatory Plant Breeding Approaches for Rapid Adoption: The Case of Durum Wheat, Central Parts of Ethiopia

Wheat has been almost the first crop domesticated through evolution, natural selection, hybridization, and artificial selection; directly contributed to the adaptation and development of modern varieties. The role of participatory and evolutionary plant breeding in combination can be utilized as a new approach to cope with the complexity of wheat variety adoption and climate change. This method can be also curiously used to improve food security and nutritional value for the rapidly growing human population to reduce the dependence on inorganic agricultural inputs. The experiment was conducted with the objective; to evaluate different mixtures of durum wheat under local climate to improve the variety adoption process and enhance resilience to climate change. Field trials were conducted on 27 heterogeneous durum wheat populations (mixtures) over two locations for one year to test the use of evolutionary plant breeding combined with participatory farmers' selection for local climate adaptation, nutritional value, and grain yield. The result showed that gender preferences associated with important adaptation traits like spike color, head compactness, and plant height are effective for determining high-yielding wheat variety and founded with better adaptation to changing climate. During an evaluation by farmers; mixtures exhibited compact head (MTOPTI_UNS (25), M10_UNS (27), M10_MS (9), and MTIG_FS (12), white-colored head (M10_UNS (27), M10_MS (9), MTOPTI_UNS (9), MTIG_FS (12), M217_UNS (19), and mixtures with tall plants resistant to lodging (MTOPTI-UNS (25), were more preferred and selected by farmers. Broadly, according to the experiment, mixtures (evolutionary populations) have comparative advantages over modern varieties for enhancing resilience to climate change, nutrition, and better adaptation.

Agenda Setting in Water and IWRM: Discourse Analysis of Water Policy Debate in Pakistan

This article explores the water policy narrative in Pakistan, and identifies its historical trajectories and influences, as well as the impact of the global agenda setting of water for 2030. For this purpose, water sector reforms in Pakistan are examined as a case study. The National Water Policy (NWP) 2018 and Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) reforms are critically evaluated and loopholes identified, in terms of both theoretical aspects and constraints in their practical implementation. The overall analysis reveals that the engineering narrative is dominant in policy circles and large-scale infrastructure construction is seen as an exceptional measure to overcome the current loss of storage potential due to sedimentation. On the other hand, the adoption of the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) framework reflects the desire of state institutions to imbue water policy reform with international credibility. The IWRM framework has been adopted as isomorphic mimicry to appease international financing institutions and donors. PIM reform is thus far from delivering the desired results due to ideological battles among new (i.e., the Participatory Farmers Institution) and traditional bureaucratic irrigation institutions. As adopted, the global agenda setting of water, in the shape of IWRM, is a repackaging of existing activities, and prevents alternative thinking in the setting of water priorities according to developmental needs.

Dipping rice seedlings in P-enriched slurry increases grain yield and shortens days to heading on P-deficient lowlands in the central highlands of Madagascar

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major yield constraint for lowland rice production on highly weathered soil in Sub-Saharan Africa. To overcome this constraint, we examined the effect of dipping seedling roots into a P-enriched slurry before transplanting (P-dipping) on yield and P use efficiency in the typical P-deficient lowlands in the central highlands of Madagascar. Experiment 1 was conducted at a high-elevation site (Site1) and consisted of three levels of P treatments, 0 P (no P applied), 60BP (60 kg ha–1 of P2O5 broadcasted), and 30DP (30 kg ha–1 of P2O5 applied via P dipping), combined with two levels of N treatments, −N (no N applied) and +N (total of 60 kg ha–1 applied). Experiment 2 was conducted continuously at Site1 and additionally at middle-elevation site (Site 2) following the same design but adding the 30BP treatment (30 kg ha–1 of P2O5 broadcasted). The 30DP treatment significantly and consistently accelerated initial biomass production with high crop growth rate (CGR) and shortened days to heading by 14 days compared to 0 P and by 6 to 9 days compared to 30BP and 60BP. The 30DP treatment increased grain yields by 59–171% relative to 0 P and, more importantly, by 9–35% relative to 30BP and 60BP, with a significant site × P-treatment interaction. The effect of P-dipping was consistent between the N treatments. The effect of P-dipping was particularly significant at a high-elevation and cool climate site (Site 1), which was partly attributable to the improved grain fertility by avoiding cold stresses at the reproductive stage. Furthermore, P-dipping achieved remarkably high agronomic P use efficiency (increase in grain yield per kilogram of P applied): 85–198 kg kg–1 across the sites. A set of on-farm trials revealed that P-dipping can increase both grain yields and P use efficiency, even with shorter growth durations, than equivalent or doubled P application rates via broadcasting. Because lowland rice production in Sub-Saharan Africa is widely subjected to environmental stresses and to highly P-deficient soils, P-dipping could be an efficient P fertilization technique for resource-limited farmers in the region. Further participatory farmers’ trials are expected to assess the farmers’ appreciation and potential constraints for adopting this technique.

IPTEK Bagi Masyarakat (IbM) Melalui Peningkatan Panen Pedet dan Produksi Kompos Berkualitas Pada Kelompok Ternak Sapi Potong

Beef Cattle have a role as saving for farmers to continue their business, although not profitable based on business analysis. Therefore, the right strategy is needed according to the problems of both the culture and the resources of farmers. The community service activity was conducted in a beef cattle farmer groups as cattle breeding for calf production, namely, are Mergo Andini Makmur and Sumber Ayu in Sleman Regency. The beef cattle productivity in the two groups is not good, S/C is more than twice, even up to four times, postpartum estrus is more than one year, and calving interval is more than 2 years. The beef cattle farmer groups have already diversified their business, which is the processing of manure and waste product of cattle, but not yet optimal. Community service is carried out to improve reproductive performance of cattle through the providing of a superior bull for bull stimulation, counseling, assistance in the prevention of worm infections, and demonstrations of compost and feed quality production. The first stage is preparation, including consolidation with the member farmer groups, followed by the socialization of the activity program. The next stage of implementation, by conducting reproductive and breeding management counseling, cattle health management, feed processing and management, and compost production. The result of the implementation of a bull stimulation for one month is based on the emergence of estrus (more than 50%) following by a conception rate (33.33%) of the cows population, and the level of participatory farmers. The demonstration of the fermented straw feed and compost is also implemented as a supporting activity.

Assessment of Farmers’ Indigenous Knowledge and Preferences: A Tool for Sustainable Lablab Bean (Lablab purpureus. L. Sweet) Improvement and Utilization in Northern Tanzania

Participatory farmers’ selection of preferred lablab bean (Lablab purpureus L. Sweet) was conducted in Moshi Rural, Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania to identify farmers preferred traits and accessions. An experimental plot was laid down in augmented block design where a total of 41 accessions including the local check (Katumani) and improved variety (HA4) were sown in three blocks at the spacing of 75 cm x 40 cm. Semi-structured questionnaire and checklists were prepared to gather the farmers’ preferences and knowledge as well as factors for lablab crop abandonment. The factors for crop abandonment identified were unavailability of quality and improved varieties, low yield, the high cost of agro-chemicals, the presence of diseases and insect pests. In this study, farmers’ selection criteria of the accessions were resistance to diseases and insect pest, the number of pods per plant, early maturity, high yielding capacity, seed colourand size. The results showed that accessions D163 scored higher votes followed by D137, D88, D27, D85, D155, D7, D159, and D151 while the least preferred accession was D140 with Garrets’ mean score of 50.11, 50.06, 50.05, 50.02, 50.00, 49.88, 49.77, 49.59, 49.56 and 49.52, respectively. Farmers’ ranked traits to be incorporated for future bean breeding in order of importance as; high yielding, better taste, earliness and short cooking time. Therefore, successful selection of germplasm through participatory research can raise awareness, adoption, and utilization of the lablab crop which change the portfolio of varieties available in the area and open the new door for plant breeders.

EVALUASI TINGKAT PARTISIPASI MASYARAKAT DALAM PENGELOLAAN IRIGASI DAERAH RAWA ANJIR SERAPAT KABUPATEN KAPUAS

Salah satu desa yang berpotensi untuk pengembangan pertanian di Provinsi Kalimantan Tengah adalah desa Anjir Serapat I. Lokasi Daerah Rawa Anjir Serapat terletak disebelah kiri-kanan Anjir yang menghubungkan dua sungai yaitu Sungai Kapuas murung di Provinsi Kalimantan Tengah dengan Sungai Barito yang ada di Provinsi Kalimantan Selatan dengan Panjang 28 Km. Daerah rawa Anjir Serapat I berjarak lurus sekitar 160 km ke arah batas Provinsi Kalimantan Selatan melalui jalan trans Kalimantan. Dengan luas fungsional DIR Anjir Serapat Kabupaten Kapuas sebesar 3.248 Ha, dan memiliki potensi yang besar untuk meningkatkan produksi pertanian. Potensi itu dirasa masih belum optimal. Hal ini dapat dilihat dari hasil produksi padi yang masih belum maksimal. Untuk menanggulangi masalah tersebut diperlukan pendekatan kepada masyarakat tentang pentingnya pengelolaan tata air mikro yang merupakan tanggung jawab petani dan memberikan pemahaman tentang tata cara perawatan insfrastruktur yang sudah ada di lahan pertanian. Menurut Permen PUPR.29/PRT/M/2015 dalam pengembangan dan pengelolaan sistem irigsi rawa salah satunya adalah partisipasi masyarakat petani. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah menganalis tingkat partisipasi dan mengidentifikasi faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi partisipasi masyarakat dalam pengelolaan irigasi rawa di daerah Anjir Serapat I Kabupaten Kapuas. Metode penelitian ini adalah metode survei yang menggambarkan pengaruh antara variabel-variabel yang tergabung dalam variabel jaringan irigasi yang ada dengan partisifatif petani dalam pemeliharaan jaringan irigasi tersier. Berdasarkan data yang terkumpul setiap variabel, dan setelah dilakukan analisis dengan perhitungan, tidak ditemukan hubungan dan berpengaruh nyata secara bersama-sama antara Aspek Teknis (X1), Aspek Sosial Budaya (X2) dan Aspek Sosial Ekonomi (X3) terhadap partisipatif petani (Y). Dengan rata-rata nilai kuantitatif sebesar (22,37 < 25), petani masih tergolong belum partisipatif terhadap pemeliharaan jaringan irigasi yang ada.

Participatory farmers’ selection of common bean varieties (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under different production constraints

AbstractOn‐farm evaluation of 15 common bean varieties was undertaken with nine farmer groups under two fertilizer applications levels in four subcounties of Hoima and Rakai districts for two seasons to select farmers’ desired and undesired varieties. Farmers’ votes for acceptance and rejection of varieties at podding stage were converted to a preference index, and analysis of variance was conducted to examine differences in farmers’ preference indices among subcounties and combined across subcounties, seasons, management and gender. Management had no‐significant influence on the way farmers selected varieties in the subcounties. Choice of varieties varied significantly (p ≤ .001) between seasons and gender in the different subcounties. Variety Masindi Yellow Long and Farmers’ seed (Kaduli), and the introduced KATB1 were accepted by farmers due to their medium seed size, desired seed colour and potential of varietal adaptability to their farm conditions. Varieties NABE2, ROBA1 and RWR719 were deselected due to possession of traits less desired in the market. These results demonstrate the need for breeding programmes to involve diverse stakeholders in capturing the diverse traits preferences in varietal development process.

Soil fertility management for productivity enhancement of jute under some constrained acidic soils of West Bengal

Jute crop plays a pivotal role in the farming economy of number of eastern Indian states like West Bengal (Paschimbanga), Asom, Bihar and Odisha. In spite of available sound production technology, the main concern in jute fibre production system in India is the non-uniform productivity over 87 jute-growing districts located in varying agro- climatic regions of the country including 17 jute-growing districts of West Bengal having relatively higher productivity in South Bengal than in North Bengal. The major reasons of technical nature for low productivity in North Bengal are initially identified as soil acidity. The participatory farmers’ field experiments were conducted at Balurghat (pH 5.06, EC 0.024 dS/m, OC 0.59%, available N, P, K= 246, 29, 90 kg/ha) and Kumarganj (pH 4.45, EC 0.002 dSm-1, OC 0.51%, available N, P, K= 314, 15, 98 kg/ha) blocks of Dakshin Dinajpur district of North Bengal with an aim to enhance the productivity of jute through proper soil fertility management. The results of the field experiment revealed that application of lime (based on LR value) coupled with soil test-based balanced fertilization enhanced the productivity of olitorius jute [over farmers’ practice Balurghat [(2.42 tonnes/ha) and Kumarganj (1.52 tonnes/ha)] by 29.1% and 45.7% in the constrained acidic block of Balurghat and Kumarganj (of Dakshin Dinajpur district) respectively. The same treatments also improves the B:C ratio and reduced insect pests and disease incidence.

Participatory Farmers’ Consensus on Rural Development Project through GIS Mapping System

Participatory Farmers’ Consensus on Rural Development Project through GIS Mapping System

Application of remote sensing for estimating crop water requirements, yield and water productivity of wheat in the Gezira Scheme

An accurate estimate of the evapotranspiration (ET) and crop water productivity (WP) at the regional scale plays a significant role in managing water-saving irrigation in the dry region. Three sites in the Gezira scheme representing research field (Gezira Research Station, GRS), farmers' fields with participatory water management approach (Abdelhakam block) and ordinary farmers' fields (Madina block) were selected to estimate spatial ET, crop yield and WP of wheat using remote sensing data coupled with ground observations. The methodology is based on surface energy balance to estimate sensible and latent heat fluxes by combining remotely sensed data from Landsat 7 ETM+ and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) with common meteorological data. A comparison between Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) estimated ET and ET calculated based on reference evapotranspiration (ETo)-crop coefficient (k c) approach over the growing season exhibited a good agreement. The average SEBAL-based ET of wheat for the entire season at GRS was 396 mm. SEBAL estimated k c were 0.46, 1.07 and 0.3 at the initial, mid season and late season stages, respectively, whereas the k c values determined from water depletion measurements were 0.5, 1.15 and 0.5, respectively. The average crop yield at GRS, Abdelhakam block and Madina block were 2.4, 1.9 and 1.4 t ha−1, respectively. The mean values of WP for the three locations were 0.52 (coefficient of variation, CV = 0.31), 0.50 (CV = 0.33) and 0.43 (CV = 0.45) kg m−3, respectively. Achieving a coefficient of variation (CV = 0.15), water savings at the three locations could reach 21%, 42% and 53%, respectively.

Production objectives and trait preferences of village poultry producers of Ethiopia: implications for designing breeding schemes utilizing indigenous chicken genetic resources.

To generate information essential for the implementation of breeding schemes suitable for village poultry producers in Ethiopia, a survey was conducted aimed at defining the socioeconomic characteristics of the production environments in different geographic regions, understanding the important functions of chickens, identifying farmers’ choice of chicken breeds and the underlying factors that determine the choice of genetic stock used. The survey included both questionnaire survey and a participatory group discussion. A total of 225 households (45 households from each of five Woredas) were interviewed. The questionnaire was designed to collect data covering general information on village poultry production such as socio-management characteristics, production objectives, population structure, breed choice and trait preferences, market preferences of specific traits, and farmers’ selection practices. The participatory farmers’ discussions were designed to involve stakeholders in defining the breeding objective “traits” and deriving their relative importance in the production environment based on the different functions of chickens and “traits” identified in the interviews. The results showed that production of eggs for consumption is the principal function of chickens in most regions followed by the use as source of income and meat for home consumption. The production system in all geographic regions studied revealed similar features generally characterized by extensive scavenging management, absence of immunization programs, increased risk of exposure of birds to disease and predators, and reproduction entirely based on uncontrolled natural mating and hatching of eggs using broody hens. Farmers’ ratings of indigenous chickens with respect to modern breeds showed the highest significance of the adaptive traits in general, and the superior merits of indigenous chickens to high yielding exotic breeds in particular. Adaptation to the production environment was the most important attribute of chickens in all the study areas. The high significance attributed to reproduction traits indicates the need for maintaining broody behavior and high level of hatchability while breeding for improved productivity of indigenous chickens for village conditions. The market price of chickens is primarily dictated by weight, but farmers rated growth (males) and number of eggs followed by growth (females) as the production traits they would like the most to be improved. Therefore, the ultimate breeding goal should be to develop a dual-purpose breed based on indigenous chicken genetic resources with any of the comb types other than single for all the regions studied having the most preferred white body plumage for farmers in the Amhara region and red body plumage for those in Oromia, Benshangul-Gumuz, and Southern regions.

On-farm evaluation of promising groundnut varieties for adaptation and adoption in Tanzania

On-station and on-farm groundnut research was carried out in Sikonge district, Tanzania, to evaluate groundnut varieties for yield under researcher and farmer managed conditions and assess farmer preferences. On-station trial was laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Five varieties Johari, Pendo, Nyota, Sawia and Mamboleo were planted on 25 m2 plots at spacing of 0.9 x 0.15 m. Twelve farmers were involved in conducting on-farm trials with each farmer as a replicate. Participatory farmers evaluation and stability analysis were done. Both on-station and on-farm trials revealed high yield among varieties with Pendo (1444 kgha-1) and Johari (1163 kgha-1) out yielding other varieties which were also ranked by farmers and researchers as the most preferred genotypes. The genotypes and environments sum of squares accounted for the most of the variability by contributing 38.10 and 32.99% for genotypes and environments respectively. Mamboleo and Sawia varieties showed high G X E stability. Farmers and researchers ranked Pendo and Johari as the best varieties. Key words: Arachis hypogaea, participatory farmers’ evaluation, groundnuts, stability analysis.

Understanding postorganic fresh fruit and vegetable consumers at participatory farmers’ markets in Ireland: reflexivity, trust and social movements

AbstractThis paper examines how trusting relations between consumers and vendors of organic fresh fruits and vegetables (FFVs) in a particular type of farmers’ market (FM) in Ireland are established and maintained, and what the implications of this are. First, the food system is outlined, and then its attendant problems. These problems have led to various solutions, two of which are organic food and FMs. Then, the growth in these two areas is outlined, as is the accompanying growth in the academic literature on these two areas, some of which overlaps. Various pressures, including in particular the increasing distance food travels and disconnected stallholders and products at the FM, are suggested. In light of this, a need to apply an understanding of the reflexive consumer, trust and social movements is suggested. It is found that the consumers interviewed act reflexively by choosing to go to these FMs. They prioritize the trusting relationships built up through repeated personal contact at these FMs over and above organic certification. Along with and as part of this, they prioritize local, fresh, seasonal ‘chemical‐free’ FFVs over and above imported certified organic produce. Various aspects of collective identity formation, including modes of behaviour, objects and stories, and language, are involved in this process. These elements, to some extent, act as a buffer against the pressures of distance and disconnection. Along with this, the essential meaning of the word organic is, in this particular context, reconstructed to include various socio‐environmental values missing from some certified organic produce. The word postorganic is suggested. The main methodologies used are semistructured in‐depth interviews and participant observation.

Performance of participatory and non-participatory farmers of integrated crop management project at Pirganj upazila under Thakurgaon district

This study examines technical efficiency between Participatory & Non- Participatory farmers under Integrated Crop Management project (ICM) in the north-west region of Bangladesh. Sixty farmers of which 30 participatory & 30 non-participatory were selected following stratified random sampling technique from four villages under pirganj upazila in Thakurgaon district. ICM project participatory farmers received higher net returns than the non-participatory farmers from selected crop production. Participatory farmers were technically more efficient than non- participatory farmers. Getting membership status of non- participatory farmers was suggested to be an important factor in removing technical inefficiency. Keywords: Technical efficiency; Participatory; Non-participatory DOI: 10.3329/jbau.v7i2.4734 J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 7(2): 273-280, 2009