Project assistance completion report : Sumatra agricultural research project -- AID project no. 497-0263

Delays due to administrative and funding problems were ultimately offset by a project extension from 4/84 to 8/87 and most project components were satisfactorily implemented. Achievements include the establishment of the Sukarami Research Institute for Food Crops (SARIF); upgrading/construction of eight research stations; transfer of technologies (particularly in land development and simulation modeling) to SARIF; the development of a highly efficient and effective extension program; and adoption by 500 farmers in Sitiung of a new cropping system for dry land and by 100 farmers of soil conservation techniques. Among the project"s research highlights were the introduction of improved upland rice and high-yielding peanut varieties; testing of granular pesticides for control of seedling flies and studies on the relationship between seedling fly attack and the developmental stage of rice; and introduction of a modeling system for monitoring rice blast disease. Research was also conducted on such diverse topics as the use of lime for Indonesia"s mostly acid soils, homestead farming systems in transmigration areas, the agroecology of Sumatra, and food crop components in perennial crop plantations in three provinces. In addition, a prototype rice hulling machine was developed. Training, provided mostly in-country, focused almost entirely on scientific staff; 41 researchers completed Ph.D."s or M.S."s, and another 28 are still pursuing them. Additional training in physical plant and equipment management and in general administrative procedures would have benefited the project. Procurement was well done. However, due to host government budget cuts, maintenance of some items, especially vehicles and heavy farm equipment, has been problematic. It was learned that: (1) implementation delays were due, in part, to the lack of understanding of A.I.D. regulations for approval of engineering designs, specifications, and cost estimates; (2) lack of English-language ability among some staff reduced planned levels of overseas training; (3) failure to carry out land development concurrently with other physical upgrading interfered with field research for several years; (4) given the budget limitations which have developed, time-phased improvements to the several research stations might have been preferable to simultaneous improvement of all sites; and (5) more attention needs to be given to identifying equipment needs and to the suitability and "state-of-the-art" life of the desired equipment, especially when it is costly.