Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Farmers' Knowledge on Vegetable Pest and Disease Management

M. K. Hasan
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development , Patuakh ali Science and Technology University , Dumki , Patuakhali , Bangladesh.

A. T. M. S. Haque
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development , Patuakh ali Science and Technology University , Dumki , Patuakhali , Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

This research work explored the knowledge of the farmers on pest and disease management of vegetables; investigated the indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) which are used by the farmers to manage vegetable pest and diseases; determined the relationship between their concerned knowledge and selected characteristics; and identified the constraints in managing vegetable pest and diseases. Focus group discussion and personal interviews were employed for data collection during July to September 2011 from randomly selected 100 farmers. Findings revealed that about one-third of the respondent farmers had good to excellent knowledge on vegetable pest and disease management, whereas majority of them had poor to fair extent of knowledge. They have been using ITK like ash, cow dung, cattle urine, light trap, scarecrow etc. for managing vegetable pest and diseases . Family education , family dependency ratio, farm size, training experience, attitude towards vegetable cultivation and environmental awareness of the farmers had significant positive relationship with their knowledge on vegetable pest and disease management. The major problems of managing vegetable pest and disease management were lack of knowledge about disease resistant varieties of vegetables ; lack of knowledge about vegetable pest and diseases; low availability of seeds of disease resistant varieties of vegetables; skill gap for the preparation of compost; scarcity of time of family members; lack of knowledge about doses of pesticides to control vegetable pest and diseases; and lack of communication with agricultural extension agents. Mass media campaign is required to form favorable attitude towards homestead vegetable cultivation and increase environmental awareness of the farmers.

Keywords: Farmers'knowledge, ITK, Disease management , Vegetable pest

Location: Dumki upazila in Patuakhali district

Start Date: 00-07-2011

End Date: 00-10-2011

Program Area: Pest Management

Commodity: Diseases and insects

Objectives:

1. To explore the knowledge of the farmers on pest and diseases of vegetables commonly grown in the locality,

2. To investigate the indigenous technical knowledge which are used by the farmers to manage vegetable pest and diseases

3. To determine the relationship between farmers' knowledge of vegetable pest and disease management and their socio-economic and psychological characteristics

4. To identify the constraints faced by the farmers in managing vegetable pest and diseases .

Methodology:

The study was carried out at Dumki upazila in Patuakhali district. Male and female farmers who grow vegetables in either homestead or field in Dumki upazila constitute the population. Multi-stage sampling method was used to obtain a random sample of 100 farmers. Farmers' knowledge on vegetable pest and disease management was the dependent variable. Here, 'vegetable pest' is used to mean insect pest of vegetables. Farmers' Socio-economic and psychological characteristics, namely age, family education, per capita daily income, family dependency ratio, farm size, training experience, social cooperation, access to farming information, attitude towards vegetable cultivation, and environmental awareness constituted the independent variables of the study. Dependent variable 'farmers' knowledge on vegetable pest and disease management' was measured by asking twelve questions regarding the issue. Each answer was given 0 to 5 marks depending on the accuracy. The obtained total scores indicated the level of knowledge of the respondent farmer. Pretested interview schedule was used for data collection. Independent variables were measured employing prevailing standard methods. Age of the family head was measured in terms of years. Family education was measured by dividing the total years of schooling of all the family members with the effective family size (number of family members of 5 years and above). Per capita daily income (expressed in BDT) of the selected household was measured by dividing the annual household income by the multiplied value of family size and 365. Family dependency ratio was calculated by dividing the number of unemployed family members with that of employed members. However, farm size of the household was determined in hectare in terms of full benefit to the households. Training experience of the respondents was measured with their duration of receiving training on agricultural subjects and expressed in terms of days. Social cooperation was determined with a 4-point rating scale (rated as 0 for not at all, 1 for to a little extent, 2 for hard to answer and 3 for to a great extent) against eight categories of social units. Access to farming information was explored through focus group discussion (FGD). To find out farmers' attitude towards vegetable cultivation eight statements were used. A three-point Likert type scale (agree, undecided and disagree) was used to get the opinion of the farmers against each statement. The scale was constructed with both positive and negative statements. 'Agree', 'undecided' and 'disagree' were scored as 3, 2, and 1, respectively for positive statements. Reverse scoring was done for negative statements. Same methodology was used to measure the environmental awareness of the farmers but six statements were used in this case. Thus, total score could range from 6 to 18. Finally, the constraints faced by the farmers in managing vegetable pest and diseases were identified through FGD. Data were collected during July to September 2011 through interviewing and focus group discussion. Statistics like mean, coefficient of variation, range, percentage distribution etc. and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient were determined to describe the variables.

Source of Information: J. Patuakhali Sci. and Tech. Univ. 2014, 5 (1): 135-143 ISSN 1996-4501

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Findings revealed that about one-third of the respondent farmers had good to excellent knowledge on vegetable pest and disease management, whereas majority of them had poor to fair extent of knowledge. They have been using ITK like ash, cow dung, cattle urine, light trap, scarecrow etc. for managing vegetable pest and diseases . Family education , family dependency ratio, farm size, training experience, attitude towards vegetable cultivation and environmental awareness of the farmers had significant positive relationship with their knowledge on vegetable pest and disease management. The major problems of managing vegetable pest and disease management were lack of knowledge about disease resistant varieties of vegetables ; lack of knowledge about vegetable pest and diseases; low availability of seeds of disease resistant varieties of vegetables; skill gap for the preparation of compost; scarcity of time of family members; lack of knowledge about doses of pesticides to control vegetable pest and diseases; and lack of communication with agricultural extension agents. Mass media campaign is required to form favorable attitude towards homestead vegetable cultivation and increase environmental awareness of the farmers.

Knowledge Management: Journal