Soil Health for Paddy Rice: A Manual for Farmer Field School Facilitators

Some of the exercises presented in this manual were adapted from existing manuals, some were developed during a series of workshops on soil health for FFS facilitators, and some were developed based on activities carried out with farmers during pilot soil health-FFSs in the Philippines. The content and relevant exercises can also be adapted for use in other crops and farming systems such as other cereals, pulses or vegetables, with or without livestock. The Manual contains basic concepts on soil health with related exercises pertaining to the following areas that are usual components of a FFS:

● Baseline survey
● Participatory technology development (PTD)/field studies
● Agroecosystem analysis (AESA)
● Special topics.

As the Manual was developed together with FFS facilitators and trainers, it demonstrates the ability of trainers to adapt to the local situation and develop methods and materials accordingly. It is hoped that this output will encourage further experimentation in the field on the topic of soils, soil health and nutrient management, and for FFSs to document their experiences and exchange learnings with other FFSs, farmers and colleagues working in the field of soil health and sustainable intensification of crop production.