Farmers’ participatory evaluation of reducing pesticides, fertilizers and seed rates in rice farming in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

doi:10.1016/j.cropro.2004.09.013

Crop Protection

Volume 24, Issue 5, May 2005, Pages 457-464

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2004.09.013 Get rights and content

Abstract

The farmers’ participatory approach was used to evaluate the reduction of pesticide sprays, seed rates in crop establishment and nitrogen fertilizer in rice production. Nine hundred and fifty one (951) volunteer participants found that the reduced inputs had little effect on yields and gave them higher incomes—about US$58 per hectare in the winter–spring and US$35 in the summer–autumn seasons, respectively. The highest contribution to the increased gross margins was from pesticide reduction, constituting 80% of the increase. Pesticide spray reduction also meant reducing workdays used for spraying thus providing more incentives for the reduction of seeds and fertilizers. These results provided the basis for launching a national mass media campaign, locally called “Ba Giam Ba Tang” or “Three Reductions” to scale up the adoption of these practices in several provinces in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The analysis of variable differentials was a useful method in analyzing data obtained in farmer participatory experiments.

Introduction

Rice farmers in the Mekong Delta have been using high seed rates for direct seeding, high fertilizer rates and applying more pesticides than necessary. These practices might have stemmed from the perceptions that high inputs, particularly seed and fertilizer rates would result in higher yields. On the other hand, the use of high seed rates and fertilizer can lead to higher pest and disease infestations, thus prompting higher use of pesticides. Research has shown that crops with enriched nitrogen can make insect pests produce more eggs, survive better, live longer and become ecologically more fit (Lu et al., 2004). Similarly, dense crops sown from high seed rates enriched with fertilizers are more disease prone (Webster and Gunnell, 1992). These beliefs formed by researchers as well as farmers have also contributed to the higher use of pesticides whenever crops are highly fertilized. There is recent evidence to show that even in highly fertilized crops insecticide use can be reduced without incurring loss in production. A project that was started in Long An province in 1994, motivated farmers to reduce early season insecticide use (Escalada et al., 1999) had spread to about a million farmers in the Mekong Delta resulting in 53% reduction. The farmers’ yields had remained unchanged but their seed rates in crop establishment and fertilizer use had remained high. Some farmers are still spraying insecticides in the early season, perhaps due to discontinuance or because the campaign had not reached them. The campaign success prompted us to explore if farmers could be motivated to reduce seed and fertilizer rates so as to further reduce pesticide use and have higher gross margins.

Agronomic research has shown that farmers’ seed rates and the amount of nitrogen used are higher than required (Luat et al., 1998). In addition some farmers are spraying insecticides early in the season for leaf folder control. Research has shown that these insecticide sprays are generally unnecessary (Heong et al., 1998) and could be reduced with no consequence to yields. In this paper, we report results of applying Festinger's (1957) Theory of Cognitive Dissonance by presenting farmers with conflict information to motivate them to experiment with reduced insecticide sprays, seed and nitrogen rates. Information that contradicts existing attitudes, choices or behaviors can lead to a state of psychological dissonance and this state does not immediately disperse (Eiser, 1986). To resolve his or her dissonance, a person could resort to re-evaluation of the alternatives (Brehm and Cohen, 1962) and is motivated to re-evaluate if presented with a simple method to do so (De Bono, 1970). This approach successfully motivated farmers to reduce insecticides. (Heong and Escalada, 1997). When farmers were presented with conflict information that insecticides were not needed in the first 40 days after sowing and they can save money and work, they were motivated to try. Similarly, farmers may be motivated to reduce seeds, fertilzers and pesticides.

Section snippets

The Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta, covering ~2 million ha of fertile rice land is cultivated by ~2.3 million farmers producing ~17 million tons of rice annually or ~51% of Vietnam's annual production (Cuc, 2003). With the introduction of policy reforms in the late 1980s, rice production in Vietnam increased dramatically from 10.3 million tons in 1975 to 32.5 million tons in 2000 (Hoanh et al., 2002) and is now a net exporter. Farm sizes are generally less than 1 ha and the average income is less than $US 23 per

Inputs

The mean seed rates used by farmers in the experimental plots were significantly lower in both seasons in all provinces (Table 2). Farmers in provinces Kien Giang, Can Tho and Soc Trang reduced the most from about 250–125 kg nitrogen. Seed rates reduction varied from 260 to 40 kg ha⁻¹ and on average farmers use reduced ~80 kg which would reduce input cost by ~ $9.45 ha⁻¹. Nitrogen reductions varied from 2.0 to ~25.8 kg ha⁻¹ (Table 3A). On average farmers used ~13 kg N ha⁻¹ less in their experimental

Discussion

The farmers’ participatory experiments have demonstrated that seed, fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides can indeed be reduced resulting in higher gross margins. After participating in this evaluation most farmers modified their initial beliefs that reductions in seed and fertilizer rates would result in lower yields and gross margins. Increase in gross margins ranged from $US 17 to US$ 85 ha⁻¹ per season and the highest contributions were from reduction in insecticide use, followed by

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for supporting this research through the Rice IPM Network, the participating farmers for their trust and voluntary participations and to Dr M.M. Escalada and the two referees who provided valuable comments for improvements.

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Crop Protection

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

The Mekong Delta

Inputs

Discussion

Acknowledgments

References (14)

Use of communication media in changing rice farmers’ pest management in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Crop Prot.

Effects of plant nitrogen on fitness of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens Stal. in rice

J. Asia Pacific Entomol.

Explorations in Cognitive Dissonance

Vietnam Agriculture and Rural Area in the Renovation Period (1986–2002)

Lateral Thinking

Social PsychologyAttitudes, Cognition and Social Behaviour

Communication and behavior change in rice farmers’ pest management—the case of using mass media in Vietnam

J. Appl. Commun.

Cited by (48)

Opportunities for mitigating net system greenhouse gas emissions in Southeast Asian rice production: A systematic review

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A Bayesian Belief Network – Based approach to link ecosystem functions with rice provisioning ecosystem services

On-farm assessment of different rice crop management practices in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, using sustainability performance indicators

The application of best management practices increases the profitability and sustainability of rice farming in the central plains of Thailand