HERBICIDES in Asian rice - IRRI books - International Rice ...

1. To reduce grass weed infestations in direct-seeded ricefields by 70%.
2. To reduce rice crop losses due to weeds by 25%.
Designing the campaign
The effectiveness of a strategic campaign depends on the relevance, validity, and practicality
of the messages communicated to the farmers. The messages must be clearly
understood and accurately perceived.
To facilitate effective packaging and positioning of the campaign messages in the
farmers’ minds, several workshops were organized to train the core group of extension
personnel on planning the campaign, on designing messages, and on pretesting
and formative evaluation of prototype campaign materials. The materials were revised
prior to mass reproduction and distribution.
The core group who spearheaded the IWM campaign also participated in the
workshop on campaign management. The objective of that workshop included preparation
of a detailed framework to be used as a guide in implementing the campaign.
Orientation and training of all extension personnel was conducted to equip them with
knowledge on the proper handling of the campaign materials. Altogether, 12 types of
campaign materials were prepared—audiovisual materials, radio broadcasts, motivational
and instructional posters, leaflets, pamphlets, pictorial cards, guide books, mini
flip charts, and flyers.
IMPACT OF THE IWM EXTENSION STRATEGY
Systematic summative evaluation is an integral component of the IWM extension
program. It is a valuable tool for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of an extension
campaign. The feedback identifies areas needing followup and helps determine
allocation of resources for future action (Adhikarya 1994).
Shortly after launching the IWM campaign, MADA commissioned a survey to
determine whether the inputs necessary for the multimedia campaign had been distributed
as planned, and whether the intended beneficiaries had received the campaign
materials. Another evaluation study assessed crop loss due to weed infestation;
weed coverage and other pest incidences were investigated in both campaign and
noncampaign areas. This study and a crop cutting survey were conducted in subsequent
seasons to analyze yield performance (Ho et al 1990).
When the campaign was over, MADA commissioned the Science University of
Malaysia to conduct two more evaluation studies, an information recall and impact
survey and followup focus group interviews, to assess whether the campaign had
resulted in changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the farmers.
In 1988, one year before the strategic extension campaign began, 14.4% of the
ricefields were seriously infested by weeds. The dominant weed group included grasses
(72.4%), sedges (15.4%), and broadleaf weeds (12.2%) (Ho et al 1990). The strategic
campaign on IWM significantly minimized weed infestation. In 1989, although grasses
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