“Key Informant Survey” of Production, Value, Losses and ... - DfID

Gandevi.
#G008 DATE: 03/01/04 TEAM: ZPP/VSJ Village: Chari, Chikhali. He is small farmer with
0.8 ha. land. Seven members' family lives satisfactory on agricultural produce.
CROPS Growing Paddy- BG rotation crop pattern. After paddy, land was fallow and water
available for few months after rains so he thought to take BG small duration crops.
Taking advantage of available water. BG performing very well, low irrigation, crop
harvest before summer, Khergam-local market gives good price. Only disease, pests are
the main problem.
FRUIT FLY 25% damage to the fruits. Feed inside the fruit. He sprays insecticides
suggested by sellers & also installs ME traps, but also they never get good control.
He satisfied by watching fruit flies trapped. Unable to answer WHY?
WILT (Huharo) It is also major problem, solved with market chemicals.
PADDY & PEST He grows paddy in rainfed condition. Ear head bug & wilt are the
problems, managed by spraying insecticides.
#G009 DATE: 05/05/05 TEAM: ZPP/VSJ/JMS Meeting to evaluate the wide-area MAT in
mango. The farmers gathered are highly articulate and commercialised, and the
conversation takes place almost entirely in English. These farmers were already
familiar with MAT, but the wide-area use of the blocks has provided substantial
improvements, and they agree with JMS’s supposition that earlier methyl-eugenol
deployments were not sufficiently strong, widespread or coherent. They are most
interested in making this technology work. Their intention is to try to persuade the
cooperatives in the area to make a big investment in it; if unsuccessful they may try
it in the locality on their own initiative. They think that a 1sqkm deployment, while
pretty good, still permits flies to enter and losses to occur, and that use over an
even-larger area would be better. 10sqkm is suggested.
@~R - THRISSUR
#R001 DATE:08/03/03 TEAM: JT/CVV. He has 2.80 acres of land. There are four members
in his family. He is a full time agriculturist and his wife is a teacher.
CROPS Earlier all were paddy fields and started vegetable cultivation before 8 years.
All the vegetables for his family is cultivated in his own field.
CROPS The main cucurbit that he is cultivating is Bitter gourd. Grown twice in a
year. During March- April and September- October. The crop rotation is Bitter gourdcow
pea- Bitter gourd. Snake gourd, little gourd and Ridge gourd etc. are cultivating
in a few area. Cucumber, pumpkin and ash gourd are cultivated as border crops.
PESTS most serious problem in cucurbits is mosaic. Earlier stage of the crop is
heavily infested by Jassids, White flies, Leaf feeders, mites etc. After fruit set
fruit fly is the main problem followed by fruit borers. These pests were not that
serious when he started cultivation. Pest infestation was moderate before 6 years.
Uncontrollable pattern of pest incidence started just before 4 years. This year the
pest incidence was comparatively less in cowpea. The application of chemical
fertilizers was reduced which resulted in less pest incidence.
NATURAL ENEMIES He is using the insecticides to a less extent in last 2-3 years
compared to the neighbouring plots. He has noticed more spiders in his plots.
FRUIT FLIES Infestation is more in second crop than in first crop. First crop in this
year the infestation was more. He started cultivation earlier that others. So no
crops around for damage. So more fruit flies inhabited in his plots. This year 30%
IMFFI Semi-Structured Interview Survey - 27 of 66