Murre

FIELD UNIT
ORIENTATION SESSIONS

ECI FIELD UNITS:

On 19 March 2002, an IPM Orientation Session was held as the first session of the TOT and FFS series. In this session 15 members from different COs and 5 from NRSP team participated on project invitation. 15 Master Trainers were selected among these in addition to NRSP relevant staff. This selection was done according to a mutually prepared selection criteria by the ECI-NRSP Team. The basic objective of this session was to give an IPM orientation about programme goals, objectives, activities to be carried out and concepts, approaches and methodology of IPM. The participants were given a detailed overview of insect pests and their natural enemies as component part of an IPM Programme. A brochure on "Importance of Pruning in Integrated Pest Management (in Urdu)" was distributed among the participants and additional copies were provided to them for distribution to their neighboring COs and their own male and female members. This series was initiated with the first and most important step of expert pruning of apple trees being an integral part of IPM of Woolly apple aphid. Out of 1,000 copies of the brochure prepared, about 200 copies were sent to NRSP - Institute of Rural Management on their request.

On 14 April 2002, the second day-long session of TOT was conducted. In this session 16 Master Trainers along with the relevant staff of NRSP participated. The objective of this session was to enable the Master Trainers and NRSP staff for identification of harmful and useful insects of apple with particular reference to Woolly apple aphid and its natural enemies.

The participants were exposed with a lot of information and practical exercises to observe and then identify different stages of useful and harmful insects. They were also trained on how to use a binocular for observing the insects and deciding about their exact identification. This was further elaborated by viewing them a video on IPM of different insect pests in global perspectives and the way insecticides including Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) had become ineffective for control of insect pests because of creating resistance in them. In the afternoon, farmers were taken to an apple orchard for on-farm demonstration of pest-predator interaction and the methodology of IPM having direct relevance with agro-ecological system. The participants were able to view how pest infestation particularly of Woolly apple aphid starts and the role of natural enemies and cultural practices if applied for its management. Two Urdu brochures titled "Use of farmyard manures" and Identification of useful and harmful insects" were distributed among the participants. About 200 copies of each brochure was sent to NRSP - Institute of Rural Management on their request. Similarly, additional copies of these were also given to the Master Trainers for distribution among their CO members and neighboring COs.

The third training of its series was held on 12 May 2002. Besides NRSP staff, 15 Master Trainers participated in this event. In the first half, last two sessions were reviewed by distributing a questionnaire among the participants. As a result the participants presented 95% correct answers. Each of the Master Trainer also presented a report to other participants about his progress and dissemination of IPM related to the project. He described that how he / she had been able to communicate IPM message to his / her fellow community members. This session was mainly focussed on Community IPM for Woolly apple aphid. A detailed overview, identification and different stages of the pest and its natural, enemies were given to the participants. In the afternoon, participants were taken to the field for on-farm demonstration of the pest, nature of damage, role of predators and existing ecological conditions due to proximity of wheat cultivation in the apple orchards with a large number of coccinellid predators that were keeping the pest under control. The concerned farmers were specially advised to remove water sprouts and root suckers for effective control of the pest.