Farmers' Awareness Regarding Judicious Use of Available Agrochemicals in the Agricultural Field

Abstract

The non-judicial, unsafe and indiscriminate use of pesticides in agriculture represents a major hazard to the environment and human health. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of awareness of farmers regarding the judicial as well as the safe use of available agrochemicals at Dumuria upazila, Khulna. Data were collected from purposively selected 105 respondents using an interview schedule during 25 January to 7 February, 2022 through face to face interview. About one third (43.8%) of the respondent farmers were middle aged, and 40% had secondary level of education. About 40% of the farmers had small sized family and 56.2% had small sized farm, had medium farming experience 50.5%. Among all fungicide majority (76.19%) of the farmers used Kazim 80 WC usually, where 11.09% gave opinion of using Kazim 80 WC as insecticide, 72.38% used standard dosage and 15.23% sprayed more than standard dosage. Only 6.66% respondents knew about miticide as pesticide. A few (6.66%) of the farmer used Omite 57 EC among all listed miticide and they used standard dose of it. Among all chemicals, 100% respondents used finis as insecticide where as 79.04% of them used standard dosage and 20.95% used more than standard dosage considering in mind it can kill others organism existing in soil surface. Majority (69.85%) of the respondents used Manik 20 SP in standard dosage without 6.66% respondents. Farmer use super power, l-quat, Limset randomly for any weed species. Most of respondents (82.85%) used local rodenticide named poison bait along with zinc phosphite. Farmers were not aware of nematicide. Some respondents (17.14%) said they used unknown granular medicine as nematicide collected from local market. Farmers were aware about fertilizer more than others agrochemical. They try always to appropriate dosage of fertilizer in appropriate time. Ammonium phosphate, Monoammonium phosphate, Dai ammonium phosphate, triple super phosphate, Urea, Gypsum and MOP all of these were well known to farmers. Plant growth regulator were rarely used by farmers. More than half of respondents (63.80%) were aware to ethylene, 29.52 % used ethylene in standard dosage among 35.23% respondents. About whole respondents perceived agrochemical damaged soil fertility and its an excessive cost for them. They also agree about high exposure of agrochemical with its threat for ecology as well as for lives.