8 pages, Purpose
Inappropriate application of pesticides is quite common in the study area, causing health issues and in some cases fatalities. The intent of the current study is to gauge the farmers’ level of knowledge on the safe usage of pesticides and biosafety to keep the famers healthy through the focused extension programs.
Methodology
The study is carried out in 41 union councils of Tehsil Sahiwal, District Sahiwal, Punjab, Pakistan. Data are collected through a cluster sampling technique by conducting face-to-face interviews. Statistical analysis is used to determine relationships and interpret them.
Results
The findings show that the majority of farmers (87.2%) earn their livelihoods from farming and 2.1% are traders. More than half of the respondents (51.8%) own small land-holdings with an area of 4–8 ha, with only 16.4% having a land area of more than 12 ha. The results also reveal that the majority of respondents obtain information from private agents and only about one third (34.4%) respondents get information on the safe usage of pesticides from the Department of Agriculture (Extension). The internet has emerged as a fast and reliable source of information in the new paradigm; however, only 14.4% of the respondents take advantage of this economical and fast information tool/medium. The findings also reveal that the farmers employ unhealthy and poor practices by not following the recommendations regarding the safe usage of pesticides. The study also reveals that more than half of the farmers (54.4%) use unsafe storage practices on their farms, and about 48.2% do not follow the instructions.
Conclusions
Inappropriate application of pesticides can have negative effects on human health and the adoption safety measures are necessary to avoid the harmful effects of pesticides. Due to high illiteracy in the area, farmers mainly seek advice of neighboring farmers, having ignorance on the biosafety issues. Variables like education level, land ownership, total land size and the trainings on safe pesticide usage significantly influence the knowledge level of farmers on the safe usage of pesticides.
Recommendations
Farmers do not follow the recommendations of the extension department or the instructions printed on pesticide bottles/containers, therefore educational (formal and informal) and training programs are necessary on the safe pesticide usage to upgrade their skills and expertise on safe usage of pesticides and the importance of biosafety.
Zeng, Douglas Zhihua (author / World Bank) and Wang, Shuilin (author)
Format:
Research report
Publication Date:
2007
Published:
China: The World Bank
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 124 Document Number: D11231
Notes:
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 4223. 36 pages., Analysis of some strengths, weakenesses, opportunities and challenges of China's knowledge economy in the areas of economic incentives and institutional regimes, human capital, innovation systems, and information infrastructures.
7 pages, On-farm bacteriologic culturing (OFBC) provides quick and inexpensive mastitis diagnosis, but commercial adoption of this innovation has been low in Mississippi. We implemented an Extension-led trialing program to identify reasons for producers' lack of OFBC adoption, explore change in producers' knowledge and perceptions of OFBC, and assess the effectiveness of the program relative to OFBC adoption. Most producers were unaware of OFBC initially but identified several benefits after trialing it for 30 days. The methodology for designing and implementing a trialing program based on Rogers's diffusion of innovation framework was effective and could be replicated easily in other contexts.
12 pages, The research aims to identify level of farmers knowledge in Rabia Sub-district/Nineveh governorate on potato cultivation , identify the differences in Knowledge level according to some variables: Age, Education level, years' number of experience potato farming, land ownership, number of dependent information sources of potato , monthly income, type farming career and previous training, and identify the problems facing the potato cultivation. The data were collected by a questionnaire, and analyzed by using Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann_Whitney test. The important results showed that (45.88 %) of the farmers have medium knowledge, the higher knowledge level in crop service field , there are significant differences in knowledge levels according to age, educational level, number of experience years of potato crop, type of farming career and the important problems facing potato farmers is high price of production cost, also there are some recommendations and suggestions.
Simnitt, Skyler (author), Borisova, Tatiana (author), Chavez, Dario (author), Olmstead, Mercy (author), and University of Florida
University of Georgia
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2017-06
Published:
United States: American Society for Horticultural Science
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 16 Document Number: D10443
11 pages., Via journal article., The study focuses on frost protection for early-season (early-ripening) peach (Prunus persica) varieties, which are an important crop for producers in the southeastern United States. Using in-depth interviews with four major Georgia peach producers, we explore their frost protection management strategies. This information is the first step in developing a comprehensive research agenda to advise cost-effective frost protection methods for peach cultivation. We found that peach producers are concerned about frost impacts on their crops. Although early-season peach varieties are particularly susceptible to frost impacts, producers still dedicate significant acreage to these varieties, aiming to extend the market window, satisfy sales contracts, and meet obligations for hired labor. However, early-season varieties do not result in high profits, so producers prefer to concentrate on frost protection for mid- and late-season varieties. Producers employ a variety of frost protection methods, including passive methods (such as planting sensitive varieties in areas less susceptible to frost and adjusting pruning/thinning schedules) and active methods (such as frost protection irrigation and wind machines). The choice among active frost protection methods is based on factors such as the planning horizon, initial investment needs, frequency of frost events, and the effectiveness of the frost protection method. Problem areas that producers identified included improving the effectiveness of frost protection methods; reducing initial investments required to install frost protection systems; and employing better spatial targeting and configuration of frost protection strategies (to reduce investment costs while maintaining or improving the effectiveness of frost protection). Although the initial investment costs of enhanced protection systems may limit producers from actually adopting such methods, the operating costs of such systems are relatively low and have a limited effect on the decision to employ frost protection during a particular frost event. However, producers use information about critical temperatures for different bud stages, and hence, improving the quality of information regarding frost susceptibility can help producers make better frost protection decisions (and potentially reduce electricity costs and water use for frost protection).
USA: U.S.Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C1486
Notes:
ERS Foreign - 76, Development and Trade Analysis Division, Economic Research Service. 32 pages, Page 14 contains a discussion about the gap between knowledge and actual application on the farm. "It has been estimated, for example, that crop production per acre could increase one-fourth in the next five years on lands readily available, and primarily with methods now known and widely used." Cites USDA, Food and Agriculture: a Program for the 1960s, March 1962, in connection with that estimate.
Adovor, Doe (author), Estrada-Valle, Juan (author), Yin, Runsheng (author), and Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2009-05
Published:
Afghanistan
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 185 Document Number: D00438
Notes:
Pages 1-12 in the proceedings of the 25th annual meeting of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 24-28, 2009.
11 pages, Studies across multiple disciplines demonstrate the importance of peers in shaping energy-related behaviours. Research on this process is wide ranging, from documenting spatial peer effects in the adoption of rooftop solar—when an individual’s behaviour is influenced by the behaviours of neighbours—to showing how neighbour comparisons can be used to reduce household electricity consumption. However, gaps exist in our understanding of how and why these peer effects occur. In this Review, we examine recent findings on social influence in energy behaviour and discuss pathways through which social influence can result in peer effects. We propose a conceptual framework for predicting which social influence processes will most often result in peer effects, depending on the targeted energy behaviour. We also review the limitations of social influence as well as evidence for when it is expected to be the strongest.
