BY

V.PUALRAJ RAO ED, BIRDS

The total survey, 518 farmers were covered in the 26-40 years age group, the next place

is 341, >40 years age group. The remaining farmers 153, covered in 10-25 years age

group.

AGE WISE SUVEY SAMPLING

MALE AND FEMALE SURVEYED

Male 78% (790) & female 22% (222) of the total farmers (1012) were surveyed

in the second phase of the project.

CASTE WISE SURVEY

Caste Composition:

Majority (689) of farmers surveyed inhabiting in Project Area are classified as

Backward Castes (BC). Scheduled Castes (SC) constitute the next biggest chunk of

number with 217. Other Castes (OCs) is slightly lesser (104) than SCs Scheduled

Tribes (ST) contribute only 2 of the total surveyed farmers in the Project Area

Most (62%) of farmers are illiterate, 18% of the farmers studied up to

primary, 15% of the farmers studied 6th to 10th of the total surveyed.

Remaining 3% is studied Intermediate, 2% studied Degree and less than

1% of the total surveyed farmers are studied technical education in the

Project Area

PERCENTAGE OF LITERACY

LAND PREPARATION

The 1012 farmers surveyed in second phase of the Project Area having an area of

4818 acres, 809 are marginal having an area of 2489 acres, 155 are small farmers

having an area of 1363 acres and the remaining 48 is big farmers having an area

of 966 acres.

CROP WISE ACREAGE

TENNURE STATUS

4818 acres of land was cultivated by 1012 farmers, of the total 4313 acres of the

land cultivated by 990 farmers under own and the remaining 505 acres is lease

by 20 farmers of the total surveyed and 139 farmers are cultivating own and

lease lands.

FARMING HISTORY

Farming History :

Among 1011 farmers surveyed, 446 farmers having 10 years experience in farming,

315 farmers having 11-20 years experience, 157 farmers having 21-30 years

experience, 60 having 31-40 years and 34 farmer having >40 years farming history

respectively.

ANNUAL INCOME OF FARMERS

Annual Income :

The total surveyed, 608 farmers are placed in 5000-15000 annual income group,

196 were placed in 15000-30000 group, 71 are in the 30000-45000 group,

remaining 66 are in the 45000-60000 group and remaining 71 are place in the

>60000 high annual income group.

MEMBERSHIP OF FARMERS

Membership in any organization:

Only 186 (18%) of the total surveyed have membership in any organization

(rythumitra, Panchayat, SHG, caste group etc.,), remaining 826 (82%) farmers no

membership in any organization

TRAININGS IN AGRONOMY

Trainings in Agronomy :Most of the trainings were given by dealers and

pesticide companies in local level, very few training are conducted to the

farmers by agriculture department. These all are need based and organized at

village level

MEDIA INFORMATION

Now a day’s media is most important tool to access agriculture information,

Present access to agriculture information is only through radio, TV, wall paintings

and posters, which hardly influence the decisions of farmers, who are in a hurry

to buy new pesticide, fertilizers or sell the farm produce as early as possible, once

it is harvested, in absence of storage facilities. The following figures shows, how

media influence the farmers decision.

SOURCE OF SEEDS

Source of seed

The surveyed farmers are cultivating mainly Ground nut, Cotton, Sunflower, Paddy,

Bengal gram, Jowar, Chili, Castor, Azwine and Onion. Majority (479) of the farmers

used bought and certified seeds, followed by bought, certified and recycled, for seed

purpose farmers themselves collect good seeds from their fields.

SOURCE OF IRRIGATION

Source of Irrigation

Rain fed irrigation is entirely depends on Rains. The major crops include Red gram,

Sorghum, Groundnut, Cotton and Caster. Under wet land irrigation Paddy, Chillies, Cotton,

Ground nut, Sunflower, vegetables and pulses are grown in the area, main source of wet

lands is groundwater (bore well and open well) and canal are the secondary source of

irrigation and are seasonal. The below figure shows the number of surveyed farmers having

irrigation facilities

USAGE OF PESTICIDES

A number of 30 chemical pesticides produced & marketed by different companies are

used to control pest attack in 22 numbers of crops grown by surveyed farmers. The

majority numbers of farmers used are as follows, namely ecolux, endosulphan, astaf,

Nuvacron, confider, monochrotopas, Karate, frame, cypermithrin, Rogar, tracer etc.

Farmers do not spray in the following cases if pest is controlled, against wind

direction,afternoon,rainyday,nursery and harvesting stage. It shows they have

knowledge on when not spray

WHEN AND WHEN DONOT SPRAY

WHILE MIXING AND LOADING OF PESTICIDES

Almost 687 of the farmers are not wearing any cloths and not take any safety

methods while mixing/loading and spraying. 168 farmers are not aware of wearing

any cloths while mixing/loading and spraying. 157 farmers are aware and wear

mask, glouse, and stick, separate dress while mixing/loading and spraying.

EQUIPMENT MAINTAINANCE

While spraying, 85% farmers are check for leaks by pouring water,if small leakage

they continue the spraying . 80% of the farmers check the nozzles by draging and

blow with mouth. 76% of them were replace rubber seals for both handoperated

and motorised knapsack. For major repaires they went to mechanic shop.

EQUIPMENT WASHED/CLEANED

87% of the farmers washed/cleaned the sprayer after every spray, 5% of the farmers occasionally washed and remaining 8% of the farmers never wash the sprayer.

STORAGE OF EQUIPMENTS

 

After washed/ cleaned farmers were followed different

storage mechanism, i.e., in house, Elsewhere, separately,

locked in store/cup board elsewhere, separately in house,

separately locked in store/cupboard in house. Below figure

presents the different kind of storages by the farmers.

CONSULTATION OF PESTICIDES

The total surveyed 96% of farmers are depend on dealer for consultation on pesticide

usage, a few (2% & 1%) are followed suggestions of shop owners and farmers respectively.

Very less 1% is depend on Agriculture officer. Most of the consultation was happen in pest

attack, followed by weekly once, once in month, once in 10 days, once in 15 days and

when ever needed.

CONSULTATION ON PESTICIDES USES

HOW OFTEN

100% of the farmers went for consultation with dealer, neighbor farmers and A.O for every pest and disease attack.

AWARENESS ON ADVANTAGES

Any type of activity have a positive and negative responses, like that there is advantages and

disadvantages for usage of pesticides. Of the total surveyed 62% of the farmers reported pest

control, high growth and more yields are the advantages and 38% of the survey represents the

pest control and more yields are the advantages.

AWARENESS ON DISADVANTAGES

55% of the farmers reported no disadvantages by using pesticides, 34%

reported more expensive and 11% are reported it causes health problems.

STORAGE OF PESTICIDES

Storage of pesticides mostly happen in house (87%), locked in store/cupboard (5%),

Elsewhere (4%) and In store/box no lock (4%) respectively reported by the farmers.

Sometimes place the pesticides openly corner in the house, some time kept in cup

board without lock.

AWARENESS OF PESTICIDES RESIDUES

Most of the cases after spray non target organism like Bees, Birds, Cattle, Frogs, Spiders,

Fishes, Animals, Snakes and Rats also effect with pesticide poisoning directly or indirectly

due to pesticide residues in crops.

AWARENESS OF RE-ENTRY TIMES AFTER SPRAYING

Farmers are aware of re-entry time after spray, 80% of the farmers re-entered to

the field next day onwards,15% of re-entered same day, 5% of re-entered after 2,3

days and very few are re-entered after one week. Only few are re-entered after 4

to 5 days after spray.

 

EMPTY PESTICIDE CONTAINERS

15% of the farmers reuse empty containers for household purpose,23% of the farmers are sold the empty containers,55% of the farmers are thrown in to the field,3% of the farmers are buried and 3% of farmers are burned after using the pesticides.

AWARENESS OF POISONING AND TREATMENT

96% of the total surveyed is reported awareness on pesticide poison; remaining 4%

are reported no aware on pesticide poison. If poisoning happen, farmers treat with

first aid like giving buttermilk, soapy water and Tamarind soup after that they took

the victim to the hospital.

AWARENESS OF PESTICIDE LABELS

Only 206(20%) farmers are aware on pesticide labels, remaining are not

aware of pesticides labels. These people simply go to shop/dealer and take

what they give, they could not well aware of labels.

POISONING CONSUMED BY PESTICIDES

95% of the farmers reported they don’t witness/ affected by poisoning in the

family/friends, 5% reported while spraying effected by poisoning in the

family/friends. Pesticide are causes allergy, cold and cough, throat pain, stomach

pain, itching, short sight, battling, giddiness, body pains

SOURCE OF INFORMATION

975 of the total surveyed are depend on dealer for information of use & handling of

pesticides, only 7 were followed suggestions of agriculture officer and 22 are not depend on

any other respectively. Farmers remember type of pest/ disease and suitable pesticides for

prevention, preferable dosage of pesticides and Usage of pesticides. At the time of

consultation.