Peanut farmers experience with FARMSCAPE in peninsular India

Researchers and extension officers collaborated with farmers in addressing peanut cropping and sowing decisions using on-farm experiments and cropping systems simulation in the Pollachi region of Tamil Nadu, India. The most influential variable affecting the peanut productivity in this irrigated region regard sowing date. During the 1998-1999 rabi (post rainy) season, three farmers fields in villages in Pollachi region were selected and monitored. The APSIM model was used to simulate the effect of sowing date. The APSIM-Peanut module simulation demonstrated close correspondence with the field observation in predicting yield. The model predicted that December sowing resulted in higher yield than January sowing due to longer pod filling period, and this was confirmed by farmer experience. The farmers and extension officers became comfortable with their role as owners of the collaborative experiments and custodians of the learning environment.