Table 1 Topics and learning objectives pursued during the participatory workshops and practical field sessions during the study
Category | Workshop/topic | Learning objective | |
|---|---|---|---|
Basic knowledge and skills on malaria mosquitoes, breeding sites, and control approaches | 1 | Known associations between agricultural practices and mosquitoes | • Participants should be able to identify potential aquatic habitats for mosquitoes in or near their farms • Participants should understand the effects of agricultural practices on mosquitoes |
2 | Sampling and identification of mosquito larvae and pupae | • Participants should be able to sample larvae and pupae from habitats • Participants should be able to identify and distinguish Anopheles from other larvae • Participants should be able to distinguish between male and female mosquitoes • Participants should be able to identify adult Anopheles and non-Anopheles mosquitoes | |
3 | Larval source management through improved agricultural practices | Farmers should be able to identify and destruct (clearing of ditches, soil filling, and draining) of suitable aquatic mosquito breeding sites linked to agricultural practices | |
Agricultural pesticides, public health pesticides, and malaria mosquitoes | 4 | Exploring the linkage between public health insecticides and agricultural insecticides | • Encourage farmers to share their farming experiences, including demonstrating the use of agricultural pesticides • Experts to share the experiences with the farmers on the performance of various agricultural pesticides • Researchers to demonstrate to the farmers and experts on insecticides used in public health against malaria and its link to agricultural insecticides • Farmers to be able to read labels, understand agricultural pesticides and its chemical ingredients before spraying |
Demonstrating the effects of agricultural pesticides on malaria vectors | Farmers should be able to understand the possible link of agricultural pesticides sprayed in the farms and their consequences, such as insecticide resistance in mosquito vectors | ||
Management of crop pests and diseases | 5 | Collection and identification of common crop pests at the field | • Farmers should be able to identify individual common crop pests and diseases • Farmers should understand appropriate insecticides to spray against particular pests and diseases |
Other options for crop pests management | 6 | Alternative crop pests and diseases management practices other than using agricultural pesticides | • Farmers should be able to suggest alternative pest-, disease-, and weed-control in crops other than using pesticides • Agricultural pesticides as the last option in controlling pests and diseases in crops |
Good agricultural practices for pesticide management | 7 | Proper storage and disposals of agricultural pesticides | Experts and farmers should demonstrate good and safe agricultural practices for handling, keeping, or disposing of leftover pesticides, and empting containers |