Perceptions of Chemical Pesticides Use among Vegetable Growers in Bangladesh: Implications for Sustainable Pest Management

Abstract

The majority of farmers in Bangladesh regularly use chemical pesticides to combat insect and pest attacks on their vegetable crops, even though doing so may have negative impacts on the environment and human health. The present study was conducted to assess the socioeconomic characteristics of the vegetable growers, examine the current pest management practices, identify the farmers’ perception of different aspects of chemical pesticide use and the factors that determine their perception towards pesticide use. A total of 120 vegetable growers were interviewed face to face from two unions of Gouripur upazila in Mymensingh district using a semi-structured questionnaire and following a simple random sampling technique. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The result of the descriptive analysis shows the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents. The result shows that most of the respondents use chemical pesticides in vegetable cultivation and they have a positive perception of chemical pesticide use. The result of the correlation coefficient found that education, farming experience, extension media contact, and knowledge about insect pest management have positive and signification correlations with the farmers' perception. This research emphasized the requirement for prompt implementation of highly stringent pesticide use rules and suggested training courses for pest control specialists, farmers, and pesticide sellers.