van de Fliert, E. and A.R. Braun. 1998. Farmer Field School for Integrated Crop Management of Sweetpotato: Field Guides and Technical Manual. CIP/UPWARD.Sweetpotato cultivation can be highly profitable for farmers. When market prices are high, farmers' profits double or triple compared to those from growing rice. The relatively high yield and low production costs contribute to this profitability, but unfortunately, in many places in the world sweetpotato prices fluctuate widely. The marketing system may also limit farmers' profits, particularly when middlemen are involved who make contracts with farmers to buy the standing crop. Because farmers rarely know how to estimate the yield of the unharvested crop and are not fully aware of the prevailing prices at wider distribution markets, they are at a disadvantage in price negotiations with the trader and usually accept the offer with little discussion. Most farmers believe that profit is determined more by their luck in making a sale agreement with the trader than by the yield of the crop. Highly fluctuating prices and a weak bargaining position influences farmers’ attitudes towards sweetpotato cultivation because it provides little incentive to produce high yields. Nevertheless, comparison of yields and profits obtained by farmers in Indonesia showed a tendency for farmers who produced higher yields to earn higher profits. This suggests that farmers can increase profits by increasing their yields through better crop management, and by learning to estimate what the yield is likely to be before entering into negotiations with a trader. How can farmers’ knowledge and skills be developed so that they can improve their crop management and business capacities? In the activities described in this guidebook, farmers analyze the relative importance of the sweetpotato enterprise and its constraints. Integrated Crop Management is presented as an alternative to tackle the constraints, and the Farner Field School as a way to learn about ICM.

Van Mele, P. & N.T.T. Cuc. 2003. Ants as Friends: Improving your Tree Crops with Weaver Ants. CABI Bioscience¸ pp. 67. (English, Bahasa Indonesia, and from 2005 also in Vietnamese)Contains practical tips on how to make best use of the weaver ant to protect your fruit and other tree crops. The authors have combined rich sources of scientific and farmers' knowledge to provide an attractive and colourful manual that will appeal to university students, NGO workers, extension staff and all engaged in communicating agricultural science to farmers. English versions can be ordered from Simon Lea at CABI Bioscience. The Bahasa Indonesia version can be ordered from Subekti Rahayu at ICRAF-Indonesia.

Carberry, P. and A. Whitbread. are members of the APSRU team that developed the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model and FARMSCAPE an action research project that set out to understand and change the use of Decision Support Systems in farmers’ management practice in Australia.