What a disappointing summary of this meeting!! So may things were discussed that had positive thoughts but were not mentioned in this biased report. I find it very frustrating that there are scientists who want to negate all the hard work that has gone in to developing with farmers technologies that can help them intensify their food production in a responsible way whether they are subsistence or market oriented farmers. It is so easy to contest, but I don't see any alternatives suggested by these negative people who only think their work is worth anything. We have been very successful in South Asia with no-till and mulch technologies with higher yields because of more timely planting, less costs, better soil health, less labor and in fact less weeds in the rice-wheat systems of South Asia. Weeds are an issue in the present farmer systems and unless the scientists are promoting the drudgery of hand weeding that they probably have never had to do, then use of integrated weed management with herbicides available if needed is a reasonable solution. Small landholders are also using this technology by using service providers since they obviously cannot own a tractor but can utilize the technology and thus free up time for other productive purposes. It is pity the person who wrote this piece could not be less biased.
What a disappointing summary of this meeting!! So may things were discussed that had positive thoughts but were not mentioned in this biased report. I find it very frustrating that there are scientists who want to negate all the hard work that has gone in to developing with farmers technologies that can help them intensify their food production in a responsible way whether they are subsistence or market oriented farmers. It is so easy to contest, but I don't see any alternatives suggested by these negative people who only think their work is worth anything. We have been very successful in South Asia with no-till and mulch technologies with higher yields because of more timely planting, less costs, better soil health, less labor and in fact less weeds in the rice-wheat systems of South Asia. Weeds are an issue in the present farmer systems and unless the scientists are promoting the drudgery of hand weeding that they probably have never had to do, then use of integrated weed management with herbicides available if needed is a reasonable solution. Small landholders are also using this technology by using service providers since they obviously cannot own a tractor but can utilize the technology and thus free up time for other productive purposes. It is pity the person who wrote this piece could not be less biased.