Pesticide Usage Patterns and Farmer Awareness Among Cotton Growers in Rajkot District
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Authors
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NIRAJ KUMAR
Post Graduate Institute of Agri-Business Management, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh - 362 001, Gujarat, India
Keywords:
Awareness, Cotton, Pesticides, Simple tabular analysisAbstract
Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy in India as it provides food and livelihood security. The industrialization of agriculture has favoured the use of plenty of agrochemicals including fertilizers, pesticides, micro nutrients and plant growth regulators in the agricultural fields. Pesticides are an integral part of modern agriculture. The use of pesticides in agriculture is obvious for the prevention of crop-damaging pests, fungus, unwanted plants (weeds) and a number of crop-eating animals like
rodents etc. The present research was designed to study pesticide usage patterns and assess farmers’ awareness about the usage of pesticides. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted to sample 120 farmers in Rajkot district. The analyses included simple tabular analysis, the frequency and percentage method, as well as calculations of mean and standard deviation. Farmers relied on approximate pesticide dosages and dealer recommendations, highlighting the need for improved education on safety and integrated pest management. While most were aware of environmental impacts, they predominantly used chemical solutions, with some interest in biopesticides. Knowledge gaps regarding recommended pesticide types and decontamination methods, along with misconceptions about higher doses improving yields, underscore the necessity for targeted educational initiatives.
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