Forty-four farmers including 20 women from Phaxang, Nadao, Phatang and Soksay villages gathered at Phaxang village in Kasi district of Vientiane Province, Lao PDR on 6 December 2016 to see the effectiveness of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies based on biopesticides on yard-long bean and vegetable brassicas.

This farmers’ field day on IPM was organized by the Clean Agriculture Development Center (CADC), Department of Agriculture (DoA) in Lao PDR under WorldVeg’s Attraction in Action project, funded by BMZ. Khamsod Phetlavanh (Governor, Kasi district, Vientiane Province) was the chief guest for the field day. Soukhan Vongphachan (Deputy Director, CADC) who represented the Director General (Department of Agriculture) presided. Phouvong Bounsou (Director, Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office, PAFO, Vientiane Province) delivered keynote remarks.

Srinivasan Ramasamy (WorldVeg Entomologist) briefly explained the activities of the Attraction in Action project in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam. He presented a lecture on major pests of yard-long bean and brassicas and the newly developed IPM strategies to tackle these pests. The lecture was translated by Phimchai Vilaysone (Technical Officer, CADC). Finally, Soukhavong Khodsimouang briefed the group on various project activities in Vientiane province and peri-urban Vientiane City, and the way forward.

After the classroom sessions, the participants visited IPM field demonstration sites. Chansamone Phommachan (Technical Officer, CADC) explained the various IPM components in the field and the participants had an opportunity to compare IPM plots with farmers’ practice plots (which mainly use calendar-based pesticide spraying) as well as untreated plots. Representatives from the private sector, PAFO of Vientiane province, DAFO of Vang Vieng and Kasi districts, the Technical College of Vientiane province and the media also attended the event. The event was featured in the 16 December issue of Vientiane Province Newspaper, and telecast on the ‘Lao Today’ variety program on Lao Star TV on 17 December (available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiW9nvl0IXQ).

Story and photos: Srinivasan Ramasamy