Implementing IPM: policy and institutional revolution

IPM technology for tropical irrigated rice in Asia was developed almost 20 yr ago, but its extension has only recently made a significant impact. Initially, national extension systems were unable to deliver training of adequate quality by using conventional training methods. Recently, Indonesia's National IPM Training and Development Programme, with technical support from the FAO Inter-country Programme for IPM in Rice in South and Southeast Asia, developed a more effective training approach by using farmer-participatory nonformal education methods. This training paradigm is revolutionary in that it transforms the roles of trainer and farmer, and thereby transforms the training process. Farmer-participatory training has the potential to facilitate the large-scale extension of IPM and other elements of integrated crop management. However, wide application of this new approach probably would require radical change in agricultural development policy and institutions.