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ABSTRACT
Purpose: Complex rice systems (CRSs) are polycultures of plants and animals that enhance ecological processes contributing to sustainable and profitable farming systems. However, the contextual management complexity can hamper adoption, despite the large long-term benefits that CRSs offer. This paper aimed to provide a method that encourages active farmer involvement and integrates farmer’s feedback to deliver timely adaptations to CRS management.
Design/methodology/approach: FFSs that are commonly used in guiding rural development processes involve a long process of preparation, weekly meetings and dissemination of new technologies with a greater knowledge flows from researchers or institutions to farmers than contrariwise. We have simplified FFS components and modified its curriculum focusing on extracting and integrating farmers’ feedback into adaptation measures. Surveys were conducted and their results were validated through focus group discussions, which provided an adequate database to simplify the steps in the FFS approach.
Findings: Only four meetings for agroecosystems analysis that emphasised an analytical and reflective learning cycle generated suitable adaptation measures selected from farmers’ feedback. Repetition of the shortened FFS over several rice cropping cycles proved more effective than the frequent meetings within one cropping cycle.
Practical implications: The modified FFS could be considered as a promising approach to training farmers, whilst simultaneously identifying and discovering adaptations of agricultural innovations and monitoring the evolution of complex polycultures like CRSs, under diverse conditions.
Theoretical implications: The modified FFS provides participants additional time to reflect on the training topics, resulting in a significant improvement in their knowledge and the performance of the CRS.
Originality/value: The modified FFS approach is focused on reflexive learning cycles and adaptation of innovations. Therefore, it is highly suitable for management of complex polycultures such as CRSs.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on contributors
Dr. Uma Khumairoh, MSc. Dr Khumairoh is a researcher in the Agricultural Faculty, University of Brawijaya. She specialised in alternative farming, integrated farming systems, biocultural and traditional farming and farmer community development.
Dr. Egbert A. Lantinga. Dr Lantinga is an associate professor in the Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University. He specialised in agricultural systems, integrated farming systems, alternative farming, animal nutrition and feeding, biodiversity, crop husbandry, farm and captive animals, grasslands, soil fertility, beef and dairy cattle, nitrate leaching, nitrogen, animal manures, manure policy, farming systems, fertilisers and their applications, peat grasslands, legumes and grazing.
Dr. Didik Suprayogo, MSc. Dr Suprayogo is an associate professor in the Agricultural Faculty, University of Brawijaya. He specialised in soil science and water management as well as Industrial tree plantations and agroforestry.
Prof. Rogier P. O. Schulte. Prof Schulte is the chair holder of Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University. He specialised in agricultural sustainability, grassland, biodiversity, ecosystem services, farming systems analysis, soil science and ecological design of foodscape as well as policy formation. Prof Schulte worked on the interface between agricultural research and environmental policy at national and international level.
Dr.ir. Jeroen C. J. Groot. Dr Groot is an associate professor in the Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University. He specialised in farming systems analysis, model-based landscape planning and design, and participatory modeling and gaming. Currently, Dr Groot has a coordinating role in integrated farming systems analysis addressing multi-scale issues of productivity, natural resource management, human nutrition and gender equity for CGIAR Research Programs.