AGRO ECO SYSTEM ANALYSIS (AESA)

AESA is an approach, which can be gainfully employed by extension functionaries and farmers to analyse field situations with regard to pests, defenders, soil conditions, plant health, the influence of climatic factors and their interrelationship for growing healthy crop. Such a critical analysis of the field situations will help in taking appropriate decision on management practices. The basic components of AESA are:-

1. Plants health at different stages.
2. Built in-compensation abilities of the plants.
3. Pest and defender population dynamics.
4. Soil conditions.
5. Climatic factors.
6. Farmers past experience.

AESA BY EXTENSION FUNCTIONARIES :

The extension functionaries during their regular visit to the village mobilise  the farmers, conduct AESA and critically analyse the various factors such as the pest population vis-à-vis defender population and their role in natural suppression of the pest, the influence of prevailing weather condition / soil conditions! on the likely build up of defender / pest population. They may also take the decision based on the AESA, which 1PM components like release of defenders, application of neem formulations/safe pesticides are to be used for specific pest situation. Such an exercise may be repeated by the extension functionaries during every visit to the village and motivate the farmers to adopt AESA in their fields.

AESA BY FARMERS:        

After a brief exposure during IPM demonstrations/ field trainings, farmers can practice AESA in their own fields. Wherever trained farmers are available their experiences could be utilized in training their fellow farmers in their own villages. Thus a large group of farmers could be made proficiently competent in undertaking weekly AESA thereby empowering themselves in decision making on any specific pest situations. Farmers - to- farmers training approach will go a long way in practicing IPM on a large area on sustainable basis