Dissemination pathways for drought-tolerant rice cultivars: A farmer-participatory evaluation in the Philippines

Abstract

The sustainability of agroecosystems in Asia is threatened by the impacts of climate change and decreasing rural population. This study sought to identify promising approaches to technology dissemination for smallholder farmers in unfavorable rice environments. We compared farmer-participatory methods for the dissemination of new stress-tolerant rice cultivars in drought-prone areas in the Philippines from 2016 to 2018. The study, involving 10,176 farmers, compared on-farm demonstration-cum-participatory varietal selection, farmer field schools, farmer-to-farmer extension through local farmer technicians, seed systems enhancement, and seed caravans. Responses were recorded from 386 farmers in a random sample to determine which approach best reflected their opinion on dissemination pathways. Socio-demographic characteristics influencing the farmers’ preferences for dissemination pathways were also assessed. Overall, technology demonstration was the preferred pathway, followed by farmer field schools and the farmer-to-farmer extension. Women favored farmer-to-farmer extension more than men did. Membership of a farmer association enhanced preference for farmer-to-farmer extension and seed caravans. These results can be used to guide the choice of appropriate pathways for the dissemination of new rice cultivars depending on the socio-demographic characteristics of the target farming communities