Understanding the communication network of farmers to ensure the sustainable use of pesticides

Logesh Mohankumar, Muthuprasad Thiyaharajan () and Kavi Sidharthan Venkidusamy
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Logesh Mohankumar: Forest Research Institute (Deemed to Be) University
Muthuprasad Thiyaharajan: Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education
Kavi Sidharthan Venkidusamy: Division of Genetics and Tree Improvement, Institute of Forest Biodiversity (ICFRE)

Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 2024, vol. 14, issue 1, No 2, 12-23

Abstract: Abstract India is an agricultural nation and the most populous country in the world, which puts constant pressure on its natural resources to meet the demands. Despite this, the growing population further emphasises the need to increase food production. To increase the productivity of food crops, synthetic inputs like fertilisers and pesticides were introduced into modern agriculture. However, their excessive and indiscriminate use has resulted in severe environmental degradation and greatly threatens humans and non-human biota. In the present study, we tried to document the pesticide usage pattern of rice farmers and their sources of information for pesticide application through social network analysis (SNA). The results indicated excessive and inappropriate pesticide use by the farmers. When we probed into their communication source for pesticide usage, we found that local input dealers were regarded as the most crucial source of communication by 479 farmers. It is also worth mentioning that 133 farmers trust the advice of spray men for their pesticide usage. From the findings, it is evident that it is high time for the diffusion of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs), and for the diffusion process, informal sources like input dealers and spray men should also be included in the communication channel.

Keywords: Pesticides; Information sources; Social network analysis; Correspondence analysis; Paddy farmers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s13412-023-00861-6

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