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new information collected during FSR work. Fourth, Pumdi Bhumdi was accessible
by road at all times of the year.
Farmer selection
Before monitoring, 18 representative farmers were selected principally on the basis
of their landholding (from 0.5 ha to 2.5 ha). The smallest farms (< 0.5 ha) and the
largest (>2.5 ha) were excluded to ensure that the farms best represented
conditions at Pumdi Bhumdi. Of the 18 farmers, 12 farmers were selected to
optimize resource use and focus on the crop-livestock activities on the farm. These
farmers were divided into two groups. The FSR activities were concentrated in six
farms and included detailed monitoring of existing farming activities. The remaining
six farms were only monitored for their existing farming activities and included no
intervention. The group of farms with FSR activities was the intervened group and
the group with no farming intervention was the control group.
The main criteria used to select representative farmers in each group were
representativeness of the farm-size class; representative percentage of lowlands and
uplands to be able to select farms with mixed land types (at least 20% of each land
type); presence of kllarbur-i (pasture land) on which to plant fodder trees;
representative number of milking animals (female buffaloes or cows);
representative number of family members involved in full-time agriculture; and
representative number of those willing to cooperate with the FSR program.
The differences between the intervened and control farmers were as follows:
B The intervened farmers participated and collaborated in the on-farm trials of
the FSR program at the site; whereas, the control farmers neither
participated nor collaborated in the on-farm trials;
B ?'he intervened farmers were provided with free inputs (e.g., improved seeds,
chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides) for the trials conducted by
the FSR program. The performance of these trials was closely monitored and
supervised by the FSR staff. These trials were mainly managed by the
researchers with the assistance of the intervened farmers. The control
farmers did not have access to free inputs from the FSR program and their
existing farming activities were monitored without any intervention.
B The intervened farmers were provided with technical services, training, and
advice on improved farming practices. The control farmers did not have
access to these inputs. They learned about improved methods of cultivation
and other FSR reco~nmended components (i.e., seeds and technical services)
from their neighbors.