Farmers Perception and Propensity for Adoption of Integrated Pest Management Practices in Vegetable Cultivation

Abstract

Promotion of integrated pest management (IPM) has been emphasized to contain chemical pesticide led hazard to health as well as environment. The study aimed at examining vegetable growers perception and prosperity to adopt IPM. Farmers having propensity to adopt differed significantly with those having no propensity to adopt with respect to perception about IPM as revealed by their endorsement pattern to the statements like "IPM practices may ruin the crop and incur heavy losses" (p<0.01). "Use of IPM practices are labour intensive" (p<0.01). "Use of IPM practices are cumbersome" (p<0.05): and "Application of bio agent and bio-formulations may affect bio-safety" (p<O.OI). Logit regression revealed that adoption of integrated management by the farmers was affected significantly by the factors like level of education environmental orientation (+) scientific orientation (+) and extension contact (+).