Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for - Aseanipm ...

How long will this exercise take?
242
Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for Organic Vegetable Production
• Thirty minutes to one hour field walks, observations, and interaction with farmers; and
• Thirty minutes to one hour hands-on and brainstorming session.
learning objectives
• To create awareness and understanding among participants on how rodent population increases
in their organic vegetable fields; and
• To learn from other farmers how population dynamics information were used to design
management strategies against rodents in their organic vegetable fields as it relates to principles
that:
a) It does not matter how many rodents were killed, it only matters how many rodents remain
alive in vegetable fields; and
b) Continuous rodent management is important to keep rodent population always at low level.
materials
• Office supplies (e.g., Manila papers, notebooks, ball pens, marking pens, and crayons);
• Other supplies (e.g., at least 2,050 mungbean seeds [or any similar materials]) per group; and
• Organically-grown vegetable crops in learning and adjoining field showing early infestation
signs of rats.
methodology
• Field walks, simulation, and brainstorming
steps
1. Divide participants in small groups and ask them to conduct field walks and observe as many
organic vegetable crops with early infestation signs of rats in learning and adjoining fields. Take
note of the signs of gnawing, nibbling, cut seedlings, and damaged plant parts (e.g., flowers,
pods, fruits, roots, tubers, etc.) and presence of runways and burrows in field. Interview other
farmers, if necessary. List down all observations related to the following:
5 Crops grown and crop stand;
5 Signs of rat damages on plants and plant parts;