Development of
Forage Technologies with Ibrahim, Heriyanto, Tugiman
ABSTRACT Farmer participatory approach to forage technology development was used in Makroman and Sepaku II, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Initially (1995), there were 58 and 82 farmers involved in Makroman and Sepaku II, respectively. Farmers were involved in all stages of the development process from participatory diagnosis, planning, test of species and evaluation. There were 19 different forage species tested, 9 of which are planted in both sites. Majority of the farmers in these two sites have expanded their forage area. Some farmers and farmer groups have sold planting materials to other villages. INTRODUCTION The success in livestock production is influenced by many factors. These are: management system, forage for feeding and access to market. The cost of production in livestock raising is dominated by feeding cost which is estimated at 60% of the total cost. Therefore, there is a need to find ways on how to reduce feed cost. Forage as cattle feed is important. It is cheaper, easy to manage and palatable. Most farming systems have livestock either ruminant or non-ruminant which are raised in traditional system. Livestock is closely associated with cropping system. The integration of crops and animals in the system is the main avenue for increasing animal production with residues from crops used for feeding. Cultivation of forages is a new concept for smallhold farmers in East Kalimantan. Traditionally feed resources for ruminants are readily available and obtained from native vegetation.Introduction of forages is a new technology for farmers raising livestock in East Kalimantan and this was done using the participatory technology development approach. Participatory technology development (PTD) is a broad concept referring to development approaches focused on active farmerparticipation or involvement of the community in all stages of the development process such as prioritizing problems, identifying possible solutions up to test experimentation and evaluation. METHODOLOGY In selecting communities and farmer for on-farm agricultural technology development, the following key questions are asked:
a. Familiarization b. Resource inventories c. Problem identification d. Problem analysis e. Current management of problems f. Prioritization of problems g. Agreement on a plan of action Individual farmers or farmer groups would begin planting and evaluating forage varieties, many of which had been selected based on on-station research outcome. These farmers were encouraged to plant forages wherever and whatever way although the development workers collaborate with the FSP project and provide some suggestion and information on forage establishment and management. These development workers follow-up through participatory evaluation which forage varieties they prefer and reason for their preference. Follow-up on individual farmers who are willing to plant forages is very important to support on-farm development in all sites. Strategy for scaling-up The dissemination of information will run sporadically depending on the willingness of the farmers. Extension workers will facilitate the distribution of planting materials and farmers’ meeting and field day or cross visits. Multiplication systems will be farms that become small scale commercial enterprises producing seeds and the vegetative multiplication system of grasses managed by groups of individuals. RESULTS The participatory research in forage technology development was conducted in Makroman and Sepaku II, East Kalimantan with different soil conditions (Table 1). Initially (1995) there were 58 farmers involved in Makroman and 82 in Sepaku with 4 and 3 farmer groups, respectively. A total of nineteen forage species were planted, nine of which were planted in both sites Table 2). As of 1999, 50 out of the 58 and 70 out of the 82 farmers
in the sites expanded their forage areas. Some farmer groups and individual
farmers in the 2 sites have sold vegetative planting materials of grasses
to the other villages. In year 2001 the project has included 2 Table 1. The sites for participatory research in forage technology development, East Kalimantan.
Table 2. The species planted by farmers in the 2 sites.
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