Practices Adopted by Vegetable Farmers to Minimize the Residual Effects of Pesticides Ghanghas B.S.1*, Rohilla A.K.1, Malik Jagat2, Mukteshwar Rati1 1Department of Extension Education, CCS HAU, Hisar-125004, Haryana 2Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Rohtak, Haryana *Corresponding author email id: ghanghasbs@gmail.com
Abstract Finding clearly indicate that overall awareness of vegetable farmers pertaining to aspects of minimization of pesticides’ residual effects was moderate to high since approximately 86.00 per cent of farmers belonged to these categories. Cent percent farmers were found aware to use branded pesticides followed by pesticide residues remain in fruits and other food commodities, soil and underground water, proper identification/symptoms of insect pest, weed, fungi, nematodes attacks etc., no reuse of empty containers for drinking or eating purposes at field, single spray of different recommended pesticides with compatibility only to avoid repeated sprays, safe waiting period for harvesting and banned pesticides by university or other governing body were the other aspects on which majority of vegetable farmers possessed awareness while they were least aware of certain essential technical aspects such as dose of agrochemical on the basis expert’s advice, pesticides should be applied at ETL level or beyond pest: defender ratio, no immediate marketing of fruits harvested after pesticide spray and alternatives of chemical pesticides for safe and healthy crops like botanical measures or biological measures, cow products etc. Regarding adoption of practices for minimization of residual effects, a vast majority did not grow vegetables in sewage water (mean score 4.00) followed by use of branded pesticides (green pesticides), consumed vegetables in the field after washing with clean water/peeling, pesticide measures after proper identification of insect pest, diseases, weeds, nematodes etc., no use of pesticides banned by university or government and no tank mixing of pesticides in one operation to avoid separate sprays of 2–3 kinds of pesticides were the regularly adopted practices by farmers whereas, rarely adopted or not adopted practices viz. insecticide dipping for shining product, immediate marketing of harvested vegetables after whitening with bleaching powder, after dye for colour enhancement, and use of chemical sweetener/aspartame to add sweetness in watermelon, muskmelon etc. (mean 1.00), followed by use of Oxytocin/growth hormone for increasing size of fruit (mean 1.07), use of pheromones traps or other hormones/ yellow sticky traps to save the crop, use botanical measures (Neem, Garlic, Dhatura, Oak, Tulsi, Tobacco etc.) or biological measures (Trichoderma, Pseudomonas, Metarhi%ium and growing organic vegetables, fruits and food grains, fodder for home use with weighted mean scores of 1.07, 1.23, 1.47, and 1.55 respectively. Top Keywords Adopted, Farmers, Pesticides, Practices, Residual, Vegetable. Top |