The Philippines is the second-largest global exporter of Cavendish bananas. Banana farming provides direct employment for nearly half a million farmers, more than 50% of whom are smallholders. However, the sustainability of the industry is threatened by Fusarium wilt, also known as Panama disease (PD), which is causing a banana pandemic. To prevent further PD incursion, coordinated efforts among stakeholders are essential, particularly the adoption of government-prescribed management practices based on the principles of Avoidance, Exclusion, Eradication, Protection, Resistance, and Therapy (hereafter referred to as AEEPRT). Smallholders are the most vulnerable in combating the disease and have been identified as contributing to its continuous spread. Apart from smallholder vulnerability in PD management, there is limited farm-level evidence regarding farmers' insights, their adaptive capacity and the key factors that affect their adoption of PD management practices.
A farm-level survey was conducted among 421 randomly selected farmers from four provinces in the Davao Region, Philippines. Descriptive analysis was employed to determine the socio-demographic profile of the respondents, the farm characteristics, classification of adopters and non-adopters of AEEPRT, and pests and diseases that affect farm productivity. KAP scores were generated using Likert-scale responses and scores for the AEEPRT categories. The scores were indexed and converted to percentages for classification and interpretation. Pearson's correlation was used to assess the direction and strength of the relationships between AEEPRT and various contextual variables. Accordingly, exploratory factor analysis was used to cluster common factors of the LCs that influence the adoption of AEEPRT practices. Regression-based models were employed to establish the relationship between LCs and AEEPRT practices. Specifically, binary logistic regression (BLR) was used to examine the influence of LCs on the likelihood of choosing specific AEEPRTs, while ordinary least squares (OLS) was used to analyse the extent of adoption practices from the total number of practices adopted by farmers for each principle. Further, the Severity Index (SI) was used to measure the strength of respondents' perception of their adaptive capacity to manage PD while the Problem Confrontation Index (PCI) was used to identify the critical problems they face in practising AEEPRT.
The results revealed that farmers' knowledge of PD management is moderate, their attitudes range from moderate to good, and their practices are low to moderate. Overall, respondents were not compliant with the prescribed practices to manage PD, being either full or selective adopters. They were selective in adopting Avoidance, Exclusion, Eradication, and Protection practices. Low adoption was observed in the use of resistant varieties in PD-infected areas.
Women play an important role in crop protection, particularly in plant inspection, spraying chemicals, mulching, de-leafing, and assisting with corm removal. The results showed that social capital (both formal and informal institutions), financial, and natural factors (e.g., climate change) significantly influence respondents' decisions to practice AEEPRT. Social norms such as cohesive interrelationships highly influence decisions to adopt or not adopt a particular practice. To improve compliance, more certified tissue-culture laboratories are needed to assist local government units supplying GCTCV 218 and certified clean planting materials, which will help farmers mitigate the financial losses caused by PD. Moreover, the speedy release of land titles to the agrarian reform beneficiaries is vital to allow them to have control over their land and to prevent disputes. Support for financial access and provision of suitable and alternative livelihood projects, especially during environmental crises, are crucial, along with capable and effective extension workers to assist farmers.
The results of this study highlight the importance of partnerships and the support of government and private agencies and the need to intensify capacity-building and training to improve the uptake of AEEPRT in PD management. An appropriate policy framework is imperative to increase and rehabilitate production areas, strengthen marketing, support smallholder farmers, and manage pests and diseases. Moreover, alternative livelihood training and other skills development are essential for preparing farmers to withstand the impact of pest infestation, disease infection, and calamities, and to achieve inclusive growth for all stakeholders in the future.