Nghiên cứu khoa học nông nghiệp " Implementation of the IPM program using weaver ants as a major component for cashew growers in Vietnam " ppt

Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development 029/05VIE Project Completion Report Including Sixth Six-monthly Report Renkang Peng, Keith Christian, La Pham Lan and Nguyen Thanh Binh September 2009 Table of Contents Institute Information _ 2 Project Abstract _ 3 Executive Summary Project objectives and methods _ Progress to Date _ 5.1 Sixth 6-monthly activities _ 5.2 Project achievenments against the project objectives 5.3 Smallholder benefits 16 5.4 capacity building _ 18 5.5 Project Management 18 Report on Cross-Cutting Issues 18 6.1 Environment 19 6.2 Gender and Social Issues 19 Implementation & Sustainability Issues _ 19 7.1 Implementation 19 7.2 Sustanability 19 7.3 other issues _ 20 Next Critical Steps 20 Conclusion 20 11 Tables and Figures _25 12 References _ 31 1 Institute Information Project Name 029/05VIE_Implementation of the IPM program using weaver ants as a major component for cashew growers in Vietnam Vietnamese Institution Institute of Agricultural Science of South Vietnam Vietnamese Project Team Leader Mr La Pham Lan Australian Organisation Charles Darwin University Australian Personnel Prof Keith Christian and Dr Renkang Peng Date commenced February 2006 Completion date (original) January 2009 Completion date (revised) April 2009 Reporting period Sep 08 – Apr 09 (6th 6-monthly report) Feb 2006 – Apr 2009 (completion report) Contact Officer(s) In Australia: Team Leader Keith Christian Name: Position: Professor Organisation Charles Darwin University Telephone: Fax: Email: 61 89466706 61 89466847 keith.christian@cdu.edu.au In Australia: Administrative contact Jenny Carter Name: Research Manager Position: Organisation Charles Darwin University Telephone: Fax: Email: 61 08 89466708 61 89467199 jenny.carter@cdu.edu.au In Vietnam La Pham Lan Head of Plant Protection Department Organisation Institute of Agricultural Science of South Vietnam Name: Position: Telephone: Fax: 84 0913829560 84 8297650 Email: lphlan@yahoo.com 2 Project Abstract Cashew is a very important crop in Vietnam, and the government has designated cashew development as a national priority Productivity of cashew has increased since 2002, but the extensive use of pesticides has caused health problems to farmers, their animals and the environment The cashew IPM programs using weaver ants as a key element developed at Charles Darwin University (CDU) not involve highly toxic insecticides, but result in high yield and nut quality This project is to use the CDU cashew IPM to develop and implement an integrated cashew improvement (ICI) program that will work under Vietnamese conditions The project objectives have been achieved An ICI manual and an ICI photo book have been developed for Viet Nam and those were used in the TOT and FFS training The comments we received on the materials were positive The project has produced 113 TOT trainers who have successfully conducted 98 FFSs, resulting in 2,448 knowledgeable farmers Demonstration orchards produced 13% more net profit in the ICI plots than in the farmers’ plots Over 95% of farmers were pleased with the FFS training contents, methods and the results from demonstration orchards The project has produced benefits for smallholders and aspects of capacity building and improved farm environment, farm health and crop sustainability There is a high demand of FFS training Executive Summary Because this completion report includes the 6th 6-monthly report, the executive summary consists of the summery of the 6th 6-monthly activities and the summary of the project achievements against the project objectives, outputs and activities 3.1 Sixth six-monthly activities In the last six-months of this project, the following activities proposed have been successfully completed • Conduct and complete the second year FFS training in ten cashew growing provinces • Complete all the field experiments in the demonstration orchards, • Complete the cashew IPM curriculum, • Complete the cashew IPM photo book, and • Conduct the second baseline survey, and compare the results with those of the first baseline survey A total of 70 FFSs in cashew producing provinces, with strong support from provincial Sub-PPDs, have been completed jointly by the first- and second-year TOT trainers Each FFS covered three most important periods: pre-flowering flush, flowering and nut setting and harvest, and had – 10 training periods (2 days /period) A total of 1750 farmers have graduated from the 70 FFSs FFS farmers were very pleased with the ICI training contents, methods and the results from the FFS demonstration orchards The majority of FFS farmers were willing to use weaver ants in their orchards in the next cashew season Due to the positive influence of the current FFSs, there was high demand by local cashew farmers to have the ICI program training Having finished two years of field experiments in collaboration with two years of TOT training, operation of the demonstration orchard in Binh Phuoc province was stopped in September 2008 because the orchard owner wanted to cut down cashew trees for other crops However, the field experiments at the two demonstration orchards in Dong Nai province continued and have been successfully completed The main results are: (1) the ghost ant problem in Mr Bi’s orchard was successfully resolved, (2) weaver ants were kept at high and stable levels throughout the year, (3) The main insect pests in this orchard were tea mosquito bugs, the shoot borer, leaf rollers, leaf miners, mealy bugs and aphids In general, the mean damage level on cashew flowers or young nuts by each of these pests was similar between the farmer’s plot and the IPM plot, (4) The average yield of cashew nuts per tree was either similar or higher in the IPM plot than in the farmer’s plot, and the nuts were cleaner and shinier in the IPM plot than in the farmer’s plot, and (5) Compared to the farmer’s plots, 13% more net profit was achieved in the ICI plots A manual about the integrated cashew improvement (ICI) program using weaver ants as a major component has been developed for ICI program trainers and extension officers in Vietnam, and was used in the TOT training The ICI photo book for cashew growers in Vietnam has also been developed and used in FFS training Positive comments on these two documents were received The second baseline survey was conducted between November and December 2008 using a standard questionnaire A total of 220 questionnaires were sent to farmers who graduated from our first year FFSs, which were completed between April – May 2008, in 10 cashew growing districts of five major cashew growing provinces A total of 197 questionnaires were collected After the FFS training, farmers’ knowledge and farming skills have been greatly improved in terms of (1) general cashew farming, (2) farmers’ health and farm environment, (3) cashew insect pests, diseases and their natural enemies, and (4) farmers’ opinion of using weaver ants with particular reference to cashew yield and nut quality Over 95% of farmers were happy with the FFS training programs, with the training methods, and with the results of FFS demonstration orchards Our ICI program training was successful and very welcomed by cashew farmers 3.2 Project achievements against the project objectives, outputs and activities The project achievements are compared against the project objectives and outputs The project objectives were (1) to conduct TOT training in cashew ICI for TOT trainers to be able to conduct FFSs in their local region, (2) to develop an IPM cashew curriculum and an ICI cashew photo book that will work in Vietnamese conditions based on the cashew IPM programs developed in Australia, and (3) to assess the effectiveness of the FFS model in increasing farmer knowledge and reducing pesticide use in cashew production These objectives have been successfully achieved A total of 113 TOT trainers have graduated from our TOT training, and they are very competent in the FFS training These TOT trainers have successfully conducted 98 FFSs in their local regions, resulting in 2,448 knowledgeable cashew farmers The cashew curriculum “The integrated cashew improvement (ICI) program using weaver ants as a major component - Manual for ICI program trainers and extension officers in Vietnam” has been developed The manual includes • cashew botany, • breeding, • culture practice, • diseases and their control, • insect pests and their damage, • natural enemies, • integrated pest control, • role of weaver ants, • weaver ant keeping, • cashew harvest, • a checklist of the ICI program at different cashew growing periods, and • four appendices of the guidelines for TOT and FFS trainings and for the monitoring of pest damage and weaver ant abundance An ICI photo book “The integrated cashew improvement (ICI) program using weaver ants as a major component – photo book for cashew growers in Vietnam” has also been developed It covers • cashew variety selection, • advanced farming practice, • major diseases, • insect pests, • natural enemies, • integrated pest control, • role of weaver ants, • weaver ant keeping techniques, and • Summarisation of the ICI programm We have obtained positive comments on these two documents from some master TOT trainers, TOT trainers and Heads of provincial Sub-PPDs The effectiveness of the FFS training on farmers’ knowledge and farming skills has been assessed against our baseline data Over 95% of farmers were happy with the FFS training contents, with the training methods, and with the results of FFS demonstration orchards More that 80% of the farmers were sure that weaver ants could control the main cashew insect pests and would improve cashew yield and nut quality Over 80% of farmers knew how to use weaver ants, and would use weaver ants and tell their friends and other farmers to use the ants Farmers’ knowledge about insect pests, diseases and their natural enemies as well as general farming skills has been significantly improved After the FFS training, 24% of farmers stopped using insecticides because insect pest damage was greatly reduced by weaver ants When farmers get more and more experience using weaver ants, the current level (24%) will be greatly increased In addition to this, 92% of the farmers demonstrated a full understanding of when and how to properly use insecticides Smallholder Benefits Based on the results of our survey of 197 cashew farmers who graduated from the first-year FFSs, the cashew smallholders’ benefits from this project are: • Improved knowledge about cashew farming practice, • Improved knowledge about insect pests, diseases and the role of the natural enemies, • Cost-effective pest control system using weaver ants as a major component, • Considerable reduction of insecticide use while maintaining high yield, • Greatly improved cashew nut quality, • Opportunity to produce ‘organic’ cashew nuts, • Improvement of the environment in which farmers are living, and • Improved farmers’ health Demonstration orchards suggested that, compared to the net profit under the conventional management, smallholders can get 13% more net profit when they use the ICI program Capacity Building The following aspects of capacity building have been created: • An ICI manual for TOT trainers and extension officers in Vietnam has been developed and used in our TOT training • An ICI photo book for cashew growers in Vietnam has been developed and used by our TOT trainers in the FFS training • A total of staff at the Institute of Agricultural Science (IAS) for South Vietnam have been intensively trained with the weaver ant technology Now, IAS staff can operate and teach the ant technology successfully • A total of 113 TOT trainers have graduated from our two TOT training centres with full knowledge about the ICI program, and they are competent in their local FFS training • A total of 2448 cashew farmers have graduated from our FFS training with improved knowledge about farming tactics, cashew insect pests, diseases and their natural enemies, benefits from weaver ants and reduced costs, etc • Charles Darwin University has awarded a Ph.D scholarship to a member of the IAS staff for a period of three years to work on a project related to the cashew ICI program • Two people from a national animal conservation centre in northern Vietnam have been extensively trained with the weaver ant technology Project Management Since the start of this project, the project leaders and the principal researcher have managed the project smoothly They have successfully collaborated with each other to run demonstration orchards and TOT and FFS training, and to develop an ICI manual and an ICI photo book Environment The farming environment has been positively improved with the implementation of this project In the farmers’ survey after the FFS training, 89% of the farmers believed that there would be a significant improvement in their farm environments, and 95% of the farmers believed that their health would be greatly improved Gender and Social Issues In our FFS training, women and minority people have been strongly encouraged to participate In each FFS, we have included 20-30% women Apart from this, we also get minority people involved in the demonstration orchard management Our recent survey showed that there was no difference in women’s role before and after the FFS training This is because time (only months after the completion of the FFSs) has been too short to show any changes in family labour participation, but, in the long run, we expect that women’s participation in smallholder’s cashew production will be promoted because this ICI program using weaver ants as a major component is not physically strenuous and it does not involve toxic insecticide sprays Implementation The implementation of the developed ICI program has been successfully conducted and completed Over 95% of farmers were happy with the FFS training programs, with the training methods, and with the results of demonstration orchards, indicating that the ICI program has been successfully accepted Importantly, there was high demand for the FFS training of the ICI program by cashew smallholders who have not been trained This is because of the positive impact of the graduated FFS farmers This high demand for cashew FFS training will stimulate provincial sub-PPDs under the local Government support to continue implementing the ICI program after this project is finished Sustainability Sustainability of cashew production in Vietnam is the focus of this project All the objectives, approaches, implementation methods and the training program have been linked with this issue The project has shown that using weaver ants as a major component to manage cashew insect pests is profitable and effective Most FFS farmers commented that this ICI program would achieve sustainable cashew production because the farming techniques used in this ICI program would improve soil structure and fertility Also, the great reduction of toxic insecticides will help cashew orchards recover from the currently unbalanced relationship between pests and their natural enemies Other issues Master TOT trainers, TOT trainers, plant protectionists in cashew growing provinces, and farmers that have graduated from our FFSs are keen to have a hard copy of the ICI photo book and the ICI manual for their reference and for teaching other farmers Based on a quotation from the Agricultural Publishing House in HCM City, in addition to the funds set aside for this purpose, we apply for an additional Au$3200 from the CARD Office to print 3000 copies of the ICI photo book and 500 copies of the ICI manual book Project objectives and methods The aims of this project are to increase cashew yield and nut quality and improve the environment by using weaver ants and by using non toxic insecticides Specific objectives are (1) to conduct TOT training in cashew IPM for TOT trainers to conduct FFSs in their local region, (2) to develop an IPM cashew curriculum and an IPM cashew photo book that will work in Vietnamese conditions based on the cashew IPM programs developed in Australia, and (3) to assess the effectiveness of the FFS model in increasing farmer knowledge and reducing pesticide use in cashew production The project expects to result in 120 TOT cashew IPM trainers from eight major cashew growing provinces and 3750 cashew farmers educated in cashew FFSs A practical guide for cashew IPM and an IPM cashew photo book will be developed The effectiveness of FFS in enhancing farmer knowledge in cashew cultivation will be assessed The project will concentrate on (1) the use of the farmer participatory training and research program, involving TOT and FFSs and (2) the development of a cashew IPM curriculum and an illustrative photo book based on field monitoring, observations and experiments by field experimentalists, TOT trainees and FFS participants The implementation methods include establishment of demonstration orchards for TOT courses, the TOT and FFS training, the development of a cashew IPM curriculum and an IPM photo book, and the community baseline surveys A total of major cashew-growing provinces, which have 300,700 of cashew (accounting for 86% of the total cashew areas in Vietnam) will be targeted Progress to Date Based on our logframe, this report will cover two aspects: (1) the sixth six-monthly activities and (2) the project achievements against the project objectives, outputs and activities 5.1 Sixth six-monthly activities In the last six months of this project, the following activities were planned, and they have been successfully conducted and completed Conduct and complete the second year FFS training in ten cashew growing provinces Complete all the field experiments in the demonstration orchards, Complete the cashew ICI curriculum, Complete the cashew ICI photo book, and Conduct the second baseline survey, and compare the results with those of the first baseline survey The following is the progress against each of the proposed activities 5.1.1 The second year FFS training in ten cashew growing provinces Of 81 FFSs in 10 cashew producing provinces that were planed (Peng et al 2008f), 70 FFS, with strong support from provincial Sub-PPDs, have been successfully completed by the first- and second-year TOT graduates (Table 1) The shortfall of 11 FFSs was due to (1) Sub-PPD in Binh Duong province wishes to conduct 10 FFSs, but the paper work was too complicated for them to complete, resulting in the fail of making a contract with the IAS (for Sub-PPDs to conduct FFSs, each Sub-PPD has to make a contract with the IAS To this, they have to fill in a complicated paper work as required by IAS administration) (Table 1), and (2) TOT trainers in the Sub-PPDs of Ba Ria –Vung Rau and Tra Vinh were too busy for rice pest control (top priority of the provinces) to conduct the same numbers of FFSs as planed (Table 1) The FFSs started between October 2008 or February 2009, and completed in April 2009 based on the variation of local cashew growing conditions (Table 1) The training period for each FFS covered three most important periods: pre-flowering flush, flowering and nut setting and harvest Each FFS had – 10 training periods, and each period lasted two days A total of 1750 farmers have graduated from the 70 FFSs (Table 1) The main results and comments from the FFS farmers are summarized below: (1) FFS farmers were pleased to accept this ICI program because it does not need many inputs, but maintains high yield and nut quality The farmers particularly mentioned that weaver ant technology is very useful to the orchards that are on the sloping hills, on which it is very difficult for pesticide sprays (2) Currently, cashew growers can only earn small profits because of high costs of pesticides, fertilizers and fungicides, and because of the unstable cashew nut price This has resulted in a considerable shift from cashew to rubber due to the high price of the rubber Because the costs of using this ICI program are low, most farmers will not cut down cashew trees, but continue cashew production (also see Tables and for detailed economical analyses) (3) Local governments and Farmers’ Associations have welcomed this ICI program, and they provided strong support to the FFSs, such as organisation of farmers, selection of classrooms and demonstration orchards, provision of favourable conditions for farmers to travel from and to their villages, etc (4) FFS farmers were very happy with the ICI training contents, methods and the results from the FFS demonstration orchards (2) to develop an IPM cashew curriculum and an IPM cashew photo book that will work in Vietnamese conditions based on the cashew IPM programs developed in Australia, and (3) to assess the effectiveness of the FFS model in increasing farmer knowledge and reducing pesticide use in cashew production These objectives have been successfully achieved A total of 113 TOT trainers have graduated from our TOT training, and they are very competent in FFS training These TOT trainers have successfully conducted 98 FFSs in their local regions, resulting in a total of 2,448 ICI program farmers with improved knowledge and farming skills The reasons why these numbers are lower than originally proposed have been discussed The cashew curriculum “The integrated cashew improvement (ICI) program using weaver ants as a major component - Manual for ICI program trainers and extension officers in Vietnam” has been developed as planned The manual includes cashew botany, • breeding, • culture practice, • diseases and their control, • insect pests and their damage, • natural enemies, • integrated pest control, • the role of weaver ants, • weaver ant keeping, • cashew harvest, and • a checklist of the things to be done at different growing periods An ICI photo book has also been developed as planned It covers • cashew variety selection, • advanced farming practice, • major diseases, • insect pests, • natural enemies, • integrated pest control, • the role of weaver ants, and • weaver ant keeping techniques We have obtained positive comments on these two documents from master TOT trainers, TOT trainers and Heads of provincial Sub-PPDs The English version of the ICI manual and the ICI photo book have been accepted by the CARD Office with very positive comments The Vietnamese version of the ICI photo book has been submitted, and the Vietnamese version of the ICI manual will be submitted in September 2009 The effectiveness of the FFS training on farmers’ knowledge and farming skills has been assessed against our baseline data Over 95% of farmers were happy with the FFS training contents, with the training methods, and with the results of demonstration orchards More than 80% of the farmers were sure that weaver ants could control the main cashew insect pests and would improve cashew yield and nut 22 quality Over 80% of farmers knew how to use weaver ants, would use weaver ants and would tell their friends and other farmers to use the ants Farmers’ knowledge about insect pests, diseases and their natural enemies as well as general farming skills has been significantly improved Before the FFS training, 91% of farmers used insecticides, and 80% of the farmers experienced various kinds of poison symptoms during or after the insecticide operations However, after the FFS training, 67% of farmers used insecticides, resulting in a 24% reduction This was because insect pest damage was greatly reduced after using weaver ants in their orchards However, with the application of the ICI program, we expect that the current level (67%) of farmers using insecticides will decrease further when farmers get more and more experience using weaver ants In addition to this, 92% of the farmers demonstrated a full understanding of when and how to properly use insecticides in their orchards Smallholder Benefits Based on the results of our survey of 197 cashew farmers who graduated from the first-year FFSs, the cashew smallholders’ benefits are: • Improved knowledge about cashew farming practice, • Improved knowledge about insect pests, diseases and the role of the natural enemies, • Cost-effective pest control system using weaver ants as a major component, • Considerable reduction of insecticide use while maintaining high yield, • Greatly improved cashew nut quality, • Potential of ‘organic’ nut production, • Improvement of the environment in which farmers are living, and • Improved farmers’ health Demonstration orchards suggested that, compared to the net profit under the conventional management, smallholders can get 13% more net profit when they use the ICI program Capacity Building The details of this project in the training and field experiments have been given in our 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th 6-monthly reports, and the following is a summary of our achievements in capacity building • An ICI manual for TOT trainers and extension officers in Vietnam has been developed and used in our TOT training • An ICI photo book for cashew growers in Vietnam has been developed and used by our TOT trainers in the FFS training • A total of staff at the Institute of Agricultural Science (IAS) for South Vietnam have been intensively trained with the weaver ant technology Now, IAS staff can operate and teach the ant technology successfully • A total of 113 TOT trainers have graduated from our two TOT training centres with full knowledge about the ICI program, and they are competent in their local FFS training • A total of 2448 cashew farmers have graduated from our FFS training with improved knowledge of farming tactics, cashew insect pests, diseases and their natural enemies, benefits from weaver ants and reduced costs, etc 23 • • Charles Darwin University has awarded a Ph.D scholarship to a member of the IAS staff for a period of three years to work on a project related to the cashew ICI program Two people from a national animal conservation centre in northern Vietnam have been extensively trained with the weaver ant technology Project Management Since the start of this project, the project leaders and the principal researcher have managed the project smoothly They have successfully collaborated with each other to run demonstration orchards and TOT and FFS training, and to develop and implement the ICI manual and the photo book Environment The farming environment has been positively improved with the implementation of this project In the farmers’ survey after the FFS training, 89% of the farmers believed that there would be a significant improvement in their farm environments and 95% of the farmers believed that their health would be greatly improved Gender and Social Issues In our FFS training, women and minority people have been strongly encouraged to participate In each FFS, we have included about 20-30% women We also had minority people involved in the demonstration orchard management Although our survey showed that there was no difference in women’s role before and after the FFS training, which may be because time (only months after the completion of the FFSs) has been too short to show any changes in family labour participation, in the long run, we expect that women’s participation in smallholder’s cashew production will be promoted because this integrated cashew improvement (ICI) program using weaver ants as a major component is not physically strenuous and it does not involve toxic insecticide sprays Implementation The implementation of the developed ICI program has been successfully conducted and completed Over 95% of farmers were happy with the FFS training programs, with the training methods, and with the results of demonstration orchards, indicating that the ICI program has been successfully implemented Importantly, there was high demand for the FFS training of the ICI program by cashew smallholders who have not been trained because of the positive impact of the FFS farmers This high demand for cashew FFS training will stimulate provincial sub-PPDs under the local Government support to continue implementing the ICI program after this project is finished Sustainability Sustainability of cashew production in Vietnam is the focus of this project All the objectives, approaches, implementation methods and the training program have been linked with this issue The project has showed that using weaver ants as a major component to manage cashew insect pests is effective and profitable Most FFS farmers commented that this IPM program would achieve sustainable cashew 24 production because the farming techniques used in this ICI program would improve soil structure and fertility Also, a great reduction of the use of toxic insecticides will help cashew orchards recover from the currently unbalanced relationship between pests and their natural enemies Other issues Master TOT trainers, TOT trainers, plant protectionists in cashew growing provinces and farmers that have graduated from our FFSs are keen to have a hard copy of the ICI photo book and the ICI manual for their reference and for teaching other farmers Based on a quotation from the Agricultural Publishing House in HCM City, in addition to the funds set aside for this purpose, we apply for an additional Au$3200 from the CARD Office to print 3000 copies of the ICI photo book and 500 copies of the ICI manual book 11 Tables and Figures Table The number of the second-year FFSs and the number of cashew farmers participating in FFS training between October 2008 and April 2009 Province Binh Phuoc Binh Duong Dak Lak Dak Nông Dong Nai Ba Ria–Vung Tau2 Binh Thuan Ninh Thuan Tay Ninh Tra Vinh Total Planed No of FFSs 15 10 15 Completed No of FFSs 20 10 15 Number of Farmers Commence time Completion time 500 250 150 375 Oct 2008 Apr 2009 Nov 2008 Nov 2008 Oct 2008 Apr 2009 Apr 2009 Apr 2009 15 125 Feb 2009 Apr 2009 2 81 4 70 150 100 100 1750 Nov 2008 Nov 2008 Feb 2009 Apr 2009 Apr 2009 Apr 2009 , For Sub-PPDs to conduct FFSs, each Sub-PPD has to make a contract with the IAS To this, they have to complete complicated paper work Sub-PPD in Binh Duong province wanted to conduct 10 FFSs, but the paper work was too complicated for them to complete, so they did not make a contract with the IAS , TOT trainers in the Sub-PPDs of Ba Ria –Vung Rau and Tra Vinh were too busy with rice pest control to conduct 10 more FFSs as planned 25 Table The average number of flushing shoots per tree in the farmer’s plot and the IPM plot of the demonstration orchard at Mr Bi’s orchard, Dong Nai province, Vietnam Plot (Treatment) Farmer (use insecticides) IPM (use weaver ants only) Mean number of shoots /tree + SD 25.8 + 16.7 27.6 + 18.7 Friedman two–way ANOVA Rank sum Xr2 = 1.000; df = 1; P = 0.371 16 17 Table The mean % shoots damaged by insect pests in the farmer’s plot and the IPM plot of the demonstration orchard at Mr Bi’s orchard, 10 November 2008 – 10 April 2009, Dong Nai province, Vietnam Pest name Tea mosquito bugs The shoot borer Leaf rollers The leaf miner Mealy bugs Aphids Treatment Farmer IPM Farmer IPM Farmer IPM Farmer IPM Farmer IPM Farmer IPM Mean % shoots damaged /tree + SD Friedman two–way ANOVA Rank sum Statistic 3.70 + 6.09 2.42 + 3.97 1.37 + 4.07 0.89 + 2.63 5.35 + 8.40 5.12 + 7.82 1.75 + 4.33 1.46 + 3.39 0.01 + 0.15 0.09 + 0.55 0.07 + 1.00 1.68 + 6.30 18.0 15.0 16.5 16.5 16.0 17.0 16.5 16.5 15.5 17.5 11.5 21.5 Xr2 = 3.000; df = 1; P = 0.083 Xr2 = 1.000; df = 1; P = 0.999 Xr2 = 1.000; df = 1; P = 0.317 Xr2 = 1.000; df = 1; P = 0.999 Xr2 = 2.000; df = 1; P = 0.157 Xr2 = 10.000; df = 1; P = 0.002 Table The average yield of cashew nuts per tree in the farmer’s plot and the IPM plot of the demonstration orchard at Mr Bi’s orchard, 2009 Dong Nai, Vietnam Plot (Treatment) Farmer (use insecticides) IPM (use weaver ants only) Yield /tree (kg) + SD 13.3 + 2.2 14.3 + 2.0 Group t test t = -2.068; df = 75; P = 0.042 26 Table Expenditure, income and net profit in the farmer’s plot and the ICI plot of Dong Nai demonstration orchard (Mr Bi’s orchard), July 2008 – April 2009, Dong Nai province, Vietnam Treatment Farmer’s plot Expenses Income Expenses Income Net Profit ICI plot or Item Costs* (VND/ha × 1000 Pruning 700.00 Application of herbicides 1264.00 Application of fertilizers 2560.00 Application of insecticides, 3210.00 fungicides, growth regulators Manual weeding 420.00 Harvesting 2100.00 Total 10254.00 2129.9 kg/ha x 10,300 21938.00 VND/kg Income - Expenses 11684.00 Expenses Weaver ant management Hedgerow management Pruning Application of fertilizers Manual weeding Application of fungicides and growth regulators Harvesting Total Income 2285.3 kg/ha x 10,300 VND/kg Net profit Income - Expenses *, Costs include the costs of materials, labour and machines 520.00 420.00 700.00 2180.00 2000.00 1920.00 2100.00 9840.00 23538.00 13698.60 Table The average number of shoots per tree in the farmer’s plot and the IPM plot of the demonstration orchard at Hong Loc Centre, IAS, Dong Nai province, Vietnam Plot (Treatment) Farmer (use insecticides) IPM (use weaver ants only) Mean number of shoots /tree + SD 14.4 + 9.0 14.6 + 9.8 Friedman two–way ANOVA Xr2 = 0.800; df = 1; P = 0.371 Rank sum 29.5 33.5 27 Table The mean % shoots damaged by insect pests in the farmer’s plot and the IPM plot of the demonstration orchard at Hong Loc Centre, February 2008 –May 2009, Dong Nai province, Vietnam Pest name Tea mosquito bugs The shoot borer Leaf rollers The leaf miner Mealy bugs Aphids Treatment Farmer IPM Farmer IPM Farmer IPM Farmer IPM Farmer IPM Farmer IPM Mean % shoots damaged /tree + SD Friedman two–way ANOVA Rank sum Statistic 2.89 + 5.22 4.28 + 5.82 1.51 + 3.84 1.95 + 4.72 3.25 + 7.19 4.08 + 7.47 1.31 + 3.39 2.10 + 4.88 0.08 + 0.92 0.34 + 2.37 0.18 + 1.17 1.75 + 4.36 19.5 25.5 18.5 20.5 19.0 20.0 22.0 23.0 17.5 21.5 17.5 30.5 Xr2 = 4.500; df = 1; P = 0.034 Xr2 = 1.000; df = 1; P = 0.317 Xr2 = 0.333; df = 1; P = 0.564 Xr2 = 1.000; df = 1; P = 0.317 Xr2 = 4.000; df = 1; P = 0.046 Xr2 = 13.000; df = 1; P < 0.001 Table The average yield of cashew nuts per tree in the farmer’s plot and the IPM plot of the demonstration orchard at Hong Loc Centre, 2009 Dong Nai, Vietnam Plot (Treatment) Farmer (use insecticides) IPM (use weaver ants only) kg /tree + SD 3.8 + 1.4 3.7 + 1.7 Friedman two–way ANOVA Xr2 = 0.111; df = 1; P = 0.739 Rank sum 15.5 14.5 28 Table Expenditure, income and net profit in the farmer’s plot and the ICI plot of the demonstration orchard at Hong Loc Centre of IAS, July 2008 – April 2009, Dong Nai province, Vietnam Treatment Expenses or Item Costs* (VND/ha × Income 1000 Farmer’s plot Expenses Pruning 280.00 Application of herbicides 1464.00 Application of fertilizers 1990.00 Application of insecticides, 2190.00 fungicides, growth regulators Manual weeding 480.00 Harvesting 1750.00 Total 8154.00 Income 1192.1 kg/ha x 10,200 12159.00 VND/kg Net Profit Income - Expenses 4005.40 ICI plot Expenses Weaver ant management Pruning Application of fertilizers Manual weeding Application of fungicides and growth regulators Harvesting Total Income 1114.4 kg/ha x 10,200 VND/kg Net profit Income - Expenses *, Costs include the costs of materials, labour and machines 520.00 280.00 1990.00 960.00 1490.00 1750.00 6990.00 11366.00 4376.60 Table 10 The distribution of the number of the integrated cashew improvement (ICI) trainers, FFSs and cashew farmers participated in the FFS training for each of the ten cashew growing provinces in Vietnam Province No of ICI trainers No of FFS Binh Phuoc Binh Duong Dak Lak Dak Nông Dong Nai Ba Ria – Vung Tau Binh Thuan Ninh Thuan Tay Ninh Tra Vinh Total 19 19 12 20 16 4 113 25 13 20 10 98 Number of graduated FFS farmers 625 125 325 200 498 250 200 125 100 2448 29 100 80 60 40 20 25-May-09 11-May-09 27-Apr-09 13-Apr-09 30-Mar-09 16-Mar-09 02-Mar-09 16-Feb-09 02-Feb-09 19-Jan-09 05-Jan-09 22-Dec-08 08-Dec-08 24-Nov-08 10-Nov-08 % weaver ant abundance /tree 120 Monitoring date 100 80 60 40 20 29-Apr-09 28-Feb-09 29-Dec-08 29-Oct-08 29-Aug-08 29-Jun-08 29-Apr-08 29-Feb-08 % weaver ant abundance /tree Fig Average abundance of weaver ants in the IPM plot at Mr Bi’s orchard, Dong Nai province, Vietnam Monitoring date Fig Average abundance of weaver ants in the IPM plot at Hong Loc Centre, Dong Nai province, Vietnam 30 12 References Peng, R.K., Christian, K and Gibb, K (1997) Control threshold analysis for the tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis pernicialis (Hemiptera: Miridae) and preliminary results of the control efficiency by the green ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in northern Australia International Journal of Pest Management, 43, 233-237 Peng, R.K., Christian, K., Bien, P.V and Lan, L.P (2006a) Baseline survey report to CARD Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam, 28 August 2006, pp12 Peng, R.K., Christian, K and Lan, L.P (2006b) First 6-monthly report to CARD Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam, 28 August 2006, pp23 Peng, R.K., Christian, K and Lan, L.P (2007a) Second 6-monthly report to CARD Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam, 20 April 2007, pp28 Peng, R.K., Christian, K and Lan, L.P (2007b) Third 6-monthly report to CARD Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam, September 2007, pp30 Peng, R.K., Christian, K., Lan, L.P and Binh, N.T (2008a) Cashew nut ICI curriculum I “Integrated cashew improvement program using weaver ants as a major component - Manual for ICI program trainers and extension officers in Vietnam” Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam October 2008, pp89 Peng, R.K., Christian, K., Lan, L.P and Binh, N.T (2008b) Cashew nut ICI curriculum II “Integrated cashew improvement program using weaver ants as a major component – ICI Photo Book for cashew growers in Vietnam” Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam October 2008, pp69 Peng, R.K., Christian, K and Lan, L.P (2008c) Competency evaluation report to CARD Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam, December 2008, pp11 Peng, R.K., Christian, K., Lan, L.P and Binh, N.T (2008d) Research and technical report to CARD Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam, 31 July 2008, pp28 Peng, R.K., Christian, K and Lan, L.P (2008e) Fourth 6-monthly report to CARD Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam, 28 February 2008, pp22 Peng, R.K., Christian, K and Lan, L.P (2008f) Fifth 6-monthly report to CARD Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam, November 2008, pp28 Peng, R.K., Christian, K and Lan, L.P (2009) Project validation report to CARD Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute of Agricultural Science for South Vietnam, Vietnam, April 2009, pp16 31 Project Progress Against Proposed Objectives, Outputs, Activities and Inputs Project Title: Implementation of the IPM program using weaver ants as a major component for cashew growers in Vietnam Vietnamese Implementing Institution: Institute Narrative OBJECTIVES of Agricultural Science of South Vietnam Information Required I Conduct TOT courses in cashew IPM II TOT trainers conduct FFS in their local region III Develop cashew IPM curriculum IV Make a series of illustrative cashew IPM posters V Assess the effectiveness of the FFS in cashew IPM PROPOSAL Performance Measures I IPM trainers attend TOT training program in cashew IPM II Farmers from all stakeholder groups (including women, ethnic minorities) in the region participate in FFS in cashew IPM III The cashew IPM curriculum includes cashew botany, breeding, culture practice, diseases and their control, insect pests and their damage, natural enemies, integrated pest control, role of weaver ants, weaver ant keeping, cashew harvest and checklist of IPM at different growing periods IV The IPM photo book is proposed, and it covers cashew breeding, culture practice, major diseases, insect pests, natural enemies, integrated pest control, role of Assumptions Risks are minimal Project staff from the MARD’s PPD and eight provincial sub-PPD are highly skilled in TOT and FFS training with proven track records, staff from IAS have extensive skills in cashew cultivation, staff from CDU are highly skilled in the development of cashew IPM curriculum and illustrative posters and the implementation of weaver ant technology, and staff from SOFRI have extensive experience in the management of weaver ant colonies These project staff will use their complimentary skills and work together to ensure practical curriculum development, the production of ‘IPM’ trainers, and the real empowerment of farmers In the site visit, there was a very high level of interest from provincial sub-PPD staff and cashew farmers Monitoring, experimental and evaluation techniques have been used in COMPLETION REPORT Information Required I This target has been achieved TOT training in two years at the two training centres has been successfully completed as planned II This target has been achieved The TOT trainers have successfully conducted FFSs in their local region III This target has been achieved The cashew curriculum has been developed as proposed It is entitled “The integrated cashew improvement (ICI) program using weaver ants as a major component - a manual for ICI program trainers and extension officers in Vietnam As planned, the manual includes cashew botany, breeding, culture practice, diseases and their control, insect pests and their damage, natural enemies, integrated pest control, the role of weaver ants, weaver ant keeping, cashew harvest and checklist of the ICI at different growing periods IV This target has been achieved As proposed, an ICI photo book for cashew growers in Vietnam has been developed It covers cashew variety selection, advanced farming practice, major diseases, insect pests, natural enemies, integrated pest control, the role of weaver ants and weaver ant keeping techniques V This target has been achieved The effectiveness of the FFSs on farmers’ knowledge and farming skills has been assessed against our baseline data Over 95% of farmers were happy with the FFS training programs, the training methods, and the results of demonstration orchards, respectively Their knowledge and farming skills have been greatly improved (see Project Validation Report) 32 weaver ants and weaver ant keeping technique OUTPUTS I 120 competent TOT trainers V Farmers from all stakeholder groups in the region take part in interviews I Trainers successfully facilitate FFS in year and II 3750 farmers with improved experimental capacities in relation to cashew IPM II Farmers successfully graduate from FFS III Publication of cashew IPM curriculum “Practical guide of cashew IPM” III Draft cashew IPM curriculum is produced in year 2, and the publication of the curriculum is in year IV Production of cashew IPM photo book IV Draft photo book is produced in year 2, and the final version is produced in year other crops in Vietnam, and master trainers are very aware of gender and other social issues Risks are considered to be low because the farmer participatory training and development of IPM curriculum have been widely and successfully used in rice, vegetable cotton, tea, soybeans, peanuts and sweet potato in Vietnam Methods for a range of monitoring and evaluation techniques have been published in the international literature I This target has been achieved A total of 113 TOT trainers have graduated from our TOT training, and they are very competent in FFS training (see Project Competency Evaluation Report) Compared to the proposed number of 120 TOT trainers, are in shortfall due to the availability of sub-PPDs’ staff with IPM and/or FFS experience II This target has been mostly achieved A total of 2,448 farmers have successfully graduated from our FFS training with improved knowledge and farming skills in relation to cashew ICI program, compared to the proposed numbers of 3750 This shortfall is mainly due to (1) the unexpected outbreak periods of rice brown leafhoppers that overlapped our FFS training periods in 2007 and 2008 (rice is the top priority in Vietnam) As a result, our cashew TOT trainers were too busy to conduct as many FFSs as we had planned, (2) a shortfall of funding due to high inflation rates in Vietnam Thus, the costs of materials related to FFS training could not cover the costs of training 3750 farmers, and (3) FFS contracts were so complicated that sub-PPD of Binh Duong refused to so III This target has been achieved An ICI manual for ICI program trainers and extension officers in Vietnam has been developed The English version has been accepted by the CARD Office The Vietnamese version will be submitted to the CARD Office in September 2009 IV This target has been achieved The ICI photo book for cashew growers in Vietnam has been developed Its English version has been accepted by the CARD Office, and the Vietnamese version has been submitted 33 V Quantitative information on the beneficiaries of the project and the effectiveness of the FFS in increasing farmer knowledge in cashew IPM ACTIVITIES V Report the findings on the beneficiaries of the project and the effectiveness of the FFS in increasing farmer knowledge in cashew IPM V This target has been achieved The beneficiaries of the project and the effectiveness of the FFS in increasing farmer knowledge in cashew production have been assessed, and the full results have been given in our Project Validation Report Demonstration orchards showed that, compared to the farmer’s plot, 13% more net profit was achieved in the ICI plot I (i) Identification of regions within each of the participating provinces to be targeted for the program I(i) This activity has been successfully completed We have identified more than 30 cashew-growing regions, each of which consists of several villages, in 10 provinces (4 more provinces than we initially proposed) for the FFS training I (ii) Selection of IPM trainers from each targeted region to undertake TOT training in cashew IPM I(ii) This activity has been successfully completed A total of 113 ICI trainers from 10 provinces have graduated from our two TOT training centres I (iii) TOT training in cashew IPM undertaken I(iii) The TOT training has been successfully completed II (i) Representative proportion of farmers from all stakeholder groups within each region invited to participate in FFS II(i) This activity has been successfully completed II(ii) FFS training has been successfully completed II (ii) FFS undertaken III(i) Data collected from field surveys, monitoring, observations and experiments conducted on TOT training orchards in cashew monsoon flush period Data analyses and writing up III(i) This activity has been successfully completed III(ii) Data collected from field surveys, monitoring, observations III(ii) This activity has been successfully completed 34 and experiments conducted on TOT training orchards in cashew pre-flowering, nut setting periods Data analyses and writing up III(iii) Data collected from field surveys, monitoring, observations and experiments conducted on TOT training orchards in cashew harvest period Data analyses and writing up III(iii) This activity has been successfully completed IV(i) Photos, diagrams and graphs from field surveys, monitoring, observations and experiments conducted on TOT training orchards in cashew monsoon flush IV (i) This activity has been completed IV(ii) Photos, diagrams and graphs from field surveys, monitoring, observations and experiments conducted on TOT training orchards in cashew pre-flowering & nut setting periods IV(ii) This activity has been completed IV(iii) This activity has been completed IV(iii) Photos, diagrams and graphs from field surveys, monitoring, observations and experiments conducted on TOT training orchards in cashew harvest period V (i) Interviews with a randomly selected sub-set of farmers to assess pre-intervention knowledge conducted V(i) This activity has been completed A total of 212 farmers were interviewed in the baseline survey in eight main cashew growing provinces using a standard questionnaire (see Baseline Survey Report for detail) 35 V (ii) Interviews with a randomly selected sub-set of farmers to assess post-intervention knowledge conducted V (iii) Analysis of beneficiary and knowledge data INPUTS V (iv) Writing report detailing findings on the beneficiaries of the project and the effectiveness of the FFS in IPM cashew Input categories are shown in the project implementation schedule V(ii) This activity has been completed The results have been given in our Project Validation Report V(iii) This activity has been completed V(iv) This activity has been completed Total inputs of the project have been given in page 25 in this report Inputs of project staff time for Principal Researcher, Renkang Peng, are 73% per year, which is 23% more than the CARD Office budgeted (50%) The other inputs of the project kept in line with the project implementation schedule as proposed 36 ... pest damage and weaver ant abundance An ICI photo book ? ?The integrated cashew improvement (ICI) program using weaver ants as a major component – photo book for cashew growers in Vietnam? ?? has also... entitled ? ?The integrated cashew improvement (ICI) program using weaver ants as a major component - Manual for ICI program trainers and extension officers in Vietnam? ?? As planned, the manual includes... I “Integrated cashew improvement program using weaver ants as a major component - Manual for ICI program trainers and extension officers in Vietnam? ?? Charles Darwin University, Australia and Institute