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

learning objectives
334
Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for Organic Vegetable Production
• To make participants aware of and understand the role of overhead irrigation in management of
pests and diseases in organic vegetable production; and
• To learn the best experiences from other farmers on the use of overhead irrigation in minimizing
pest and disease occurrence in organic vegetable production.
materials
• Conventional and organic vegetable fields where different irrigation practices and equipment
can be observed; and
• Office supplies (e.g., Manila papers, notebooks, ball pens, and marking pens).
methodology
• Field walks and brainstorming
steps
1. Divide participants in small groups and ask them to conduct field walks and observe irrigation
practices and equipment used in as many conventional and organic vegetable fields. Interview
other farmers, if necessary. List down all observations related to irrigation practices and
equipment used, pest and disease occurrence, kind of crops planted, crop stand, weed growth,
etc.
2. Go back to processing area, brainstorm in small groups and present output to the big group.
Conduct participatory discussion to allow sharing of experiences among participants and
facilitators.
3. Synthesize and summarize output of small groups into one big group output. Draw up
conclusions and recommendations from this exercise.
some suggested questions for processing discussion
❏ What irrigation practices and equipment used did you observe in the field?
❏ Did you observe differences in crop stand, weed growth, pest and disease occurrence, etc?
❏ What is the most common irrigation practice used in an area? Why is this irrigation practice
preferred over others?