FARMERS' KNOWLEDGE ON ADVERSE EFFECT OF USING AGRO-CHEMICALS

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to identify the farmers' knowledge on adverse effect of using agro-chemicals and to determine their selected characteristics, namely age, education, family size, farm size, annual income, organizational participation, cosmopoliteness, extension contact, innovativeness and attitude towards use of agro­ chemicals. The study also explored the relationships between farmers' selected characteristics with their knowledge on adverse effect of using agro-chemicals for crop production. The study was conducted in Kolerkandi; Shekerdari, Jagannathpur and Mirkamari villages of Solimpur Union of Ishwardi Upazila under Pabna district. Data were collected from a sample of randomly selected 100 farmers out of a total population of 550. The data were collected through personal interview by using an interview schedule during the period from 20 August to 21 September 2005. Appropriate scales were developed in order to measure the variables. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient (r) were computed to examine the relationship between the concerned variables. Findings revealed that three-fourth (75 percent) of the respondents had medium level of knowledge on adverse effect of using agro-chemicals as compared to 14 percent low and 11 percent high knowledge. Correlation analysis indicated that six characteristics of farmers namely education, farm size, annual income, cosmopolitcncss, extension contact and innovativeness had significant positive relationships with their knowledge on adverse effect of using agro-chemicals. On the other hand, age and altitude towards use of agro-chernicals had significant negative relationship. Family size and organizational participation of the respondents had no relationship with their knowledge on adverse effect of using agro-chernicals.