This manual was developed by the Crop Post-Harvest Management Branch of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kenya. The manual puts into reference format, some of the approaches which will be used in the training of agricultural extension officers, farmers, administrative officials and traders in the control of the Greater (Larger) Grain Borer (Prostephanus truncatus).
The manual provides the training material and possible training methodology to be followed by trainers. It is not intended that the manual should be followed to the letter; the trainer should feel free to develop and apply variations that may make the course as effective as possible under existing training situations and circumstances.
The entire course is divided into fourteen sessions.
TARGET GROUP
Various section of the course are intended for the training of:
* Subject Matter Specialists of the Ministry of Agriculture and NGO's;
* Technical Assistants of the Ministry of Agriculture and NGO's;
* Farmers in areas which are affected or which are at risk of attack by the Greater Grain Borer;
* Civil and administration police, customs officers and other security personnel;
* Individual traders and personnel of trading organizations;
* Local leaders, e.g. chiefs, sub-chiefs, etc.
MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE
The main aims of the course are to:
(i) Enable the target group to learn the basic biology and ecology of the Greater Grain Borer;(ii) Enable the target group to appreciate the extent of damage and loss that may be caused by the beetle;
(iii) Introduce each category of the target group to the various control methodologies which can be applied;
(iv) Motivate all target groups to get actively involved in the control of the beetle.
COURSE ORGANIZATION
It is recommended that each category of the target group should be trained separately. In the case of farmers, it is suggested that men and women should be trained separately and, if possible, in distinct age sets so as to enable participants to feel free and to ask questions. A learning group (class) should comprise of ten to twenty participants.
The role of the trainer is, in the first instance, to motivate as many members as possible of each target group to attend the prescribed section (s) of the course. Secondly, while conducting the course, it is particularly important that the trainer motivates the target group to learn as much as possible of the course content by Using appropriate examples, language and approach. Lastly but not least, the trainer has to follow Up course participants to ensure that they implement the control measures required of them.
An important aspect of motivation to attend the course and to learn is the place selected for training. It should go without saying that each category of the target group should be trained in an environment that is conducive to learning and which is relatively inexpensive.
