2016 Integrated pest management (IPM)

programme SUMMARY

Partners: Helvetas Nepal; CEEN

Location: Mid-Hills; Sindhupalchowk & Rammechap districts

Problem: due to increased drought in recent years and uncoordinated use of pesticides, chemical fertilizer, hybrid seeds and monoculture, farmers are challenged by poor soil conditions and a variety of new pests and diseases.

Solution: in Rammechap and Sindhupalchok districts we worked with the INGO Helvetas and the local NGO, the Centre for Energy and Environment Nepal (CEEN) in a programme to introduce model farming methods and use of organic pesticides. Activities involve:

• Training of “lead farmers” in farmer field schools (FFS) and classroom teaching to motivate the community to start growing organic vegetables for market, using only natural fertiliser (improved farmyard manure and composts) and natural pesticides. This is a participatory learning process where farmers learn through experience, set up their ‘model farms’ from which the rest of the community learn.
• Communities have to find what works best for them and for their markets, so a series of trial plots have been set up with varying degrees of natural pesticide and fertiliser input together with a control plot. They are also experimenting with different crops.