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Indian Journal of Pure & Applied Biosciences (IJPAB)
Year : 2021, Volume : 9, Issue : 4
First page : (124) Last page : (128)
Article doi: : http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2582-2845.8755
Pesticides Usage Pattern by Cotton and Chilli Farmers in Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh
C. Yaswanth* , N. Vani, B. Aparna and B. Ramana Murthy
Institute of Agribusiness Management, S.V Agricultural College, Tirupati 517502
Acharya N G Range Agricultural University, Guntur
*Corresponding Author E-mail: yeswanthc8776@gmail.com
Received: 25.06.2021 | Revised: 29.07.2021 | Accepted: 8.08.2021
ABSTRACT
The present study intended to know the pesticides usage pattern by cotton and chilli farmers in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. For the study Kurnool district was purposively selected as it occupies first place in gross area sown in Andhra Pradesh. Among the crops cultivated in Kurnool district, cotton and chilli were selected as the pesticide’s consumption is high in these crops. The collected data was analyzed by using percentage and frequencies. From this investigation it was found that 92.5 per cent of the sample farmers used Monocrotophos 36% SL for cotton and used as the first spray of insecticide in cotton to control sucking pests by every farmer. In chilli Pendimethalin 30% EC by 97.5 per cent by sample farmers as it controls annual grasses and broad-leaved weeds.
Keywords: Insecticide, Percentage and frequency, Sucking pests and Broad-leaved weeds.
Full Text : PDF; Journal doi : http://dx.doi.org/10.18782
Cite this article: Yaswanth, C., Vani, N., Aparna, B., & Ramana Murthy, B. (2021). Pesticides Usage Pattern by Cotton and Chilli Farmers in Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh, Ind. J. Pure App. Biosci. 9(4), 124-128. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2582-2845.8755
INTRODUCTION
Agriculture is primary source of livelihood up to 58 per cent of India’s population (Indian agriculture and allied industries report, 2018). Pesticide consumption in India was accounted to 59543 metric tons, whereas in state of Andhra Pradesh it was accounted to 1432 metric tons (Indiastat, 2017-18). Pesticide usage increased rapidly for the last 2 decades at 12 per cent each year (Kumar et al.,2017).
In India, vegetables are major constituents of diet as majority of Indians are vegetarian, with a per capita consumption of 135 g per day as against the recommended 300 g per day (Kumari, 2008). Consumers generally demand for better quality vegetables. Quality vegetable to them means healthy, succulent and fresh looking vegetables with no visible rashes or holes caused by pests or diseases. To satisfy this demand, farmers have to tackle pest and disease problems by all means. The use of agrochemicals including pesticides has been found to be the immediate and cheaper way to produce unblemished vegetables and increased farm productivity.
This practice has unfortunately created numerous problems associated with pesticide abuse such as accidental poisoning to man, upset of natural environment balance and toxic residues that are hazardous to health in the environment. But without pesticides, food production would be reduced from 15 to 80 percent depending on the crop and the pest causing the damage (Joshi & Thanki,2010). In order to combat the insect pest problem, lot of pesticides is used by the vegetable growers. Higher pesticide applications lead to secondary pest outbreak, destruction of non-pest insects, soil, water and air contamination, and residues in primary and derived agricultural products that endanger both the environment and human health. Pesticides reduce soil wealth and also expose us to hazardous diseases that have effect on human beings in the longer run. They are found in everyday food and beverages includes instance cooked meals, water, wine, fruit juice refreshments and animal feed. Washing and peeling cannot remove the pesticide residues completely. Pesticide residues have also been detected in human breast milk sample, and there are concerns about prenatal exposure and health effects in children (Stamati et al.,2016). Though usage of pesticides in agriculture cannot be completely removed, optimum usage of the same can be made practical. Farmers’ understanding on the optimum usage of plant protectant chemicals reduce the soil contamination, increase the yield and reduce the hazardous diseases.
Farmer worker’s exposure to pesticides causes health effects like cancer and birth defect in hundreds of fatalities. Farmers are directly involved in handling of pesticides are at a high risk to exposure to pesticides through contact with pesticide residues on treated crops, unsafe handling storage and disposal practices poor maintenance of spraying equipment, and lack of protective equipment or failure to use it properly. This is due to lack of education and poor knowledge by farmers. In this context, the study is planned to understand the pesticides usage pattern by cotton and chili farmers in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Kurnool district was purposively selected for the study, as it occupies first place in gross area sown in Andhra Pradesh. Out of the various crops cultivated in the Kurnool district two crops viz cotton and chilli were selected as the pesticide’s consumption is high in these crops. Two mandals for each selected crop based on the highest area under the crop was chosen for the study, thus making the total selected mandals to four. From the selected mandals, villages with maximum area under cotton and chilli cultivation were listed out and arranged in the descending order and top two villages from each mandal were selected to make total of eight villages. From the selected villages 10 farmers from each village were randomly selected for the study, to made sample size to 80 farmers. The required data collected with the help of a pre-tested schedule for the year 2019-20 using survey method.
TOOLS OF ANALYSIS
The data collected were subjected to appropriate set of statistical tools to arrive at valid conclusions. Data was statistically analysed using SPSS program.
Frequencies and Percentages
Some of the data were also interpreted in terms of their frequencies and percentages wherever necessary to know the distribution pattern of respondents according to variables.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Pesticides usage pattern in cotton by the sample farmers
Farmers in the study area used a wide range of pesticides in cotton to control weeds, insects, fungal and bacterial organisms. The analysis of the same is presented in Table 1.
An observation of Table 1 unveils that 92.5 per cent of the sample farmers used Monocrotophos 36% SL for cotton. Next to follow were Pendimethalin 30% EC by 90 per cent, Lamda-cyhalothrin 2.5% EC by 75 per cent, Validamycin 3% SL by 72.5 per cent, Acephate 75% SP 65 per cent, Chlorpyrifos 20% EC and Azoxystrobin 11% + Tebucanozole 18.3% w/w SC by 65 per cent and Fipronil 5% EC by 62.5 per cent of farmers. Monocrotophos 36% SL were used as the first spray of insecticide in cotton to control sucking pests by every farmer in the study area. Least percentage 12.5 per cent of farmers used Flonicamid 50 % WG in minute quantity for cotton crop. The above results are similar with the findings of Sreekanth, 2018.
Pesticides usage pattern in chilli by the sample farmers
Chilli is another crop for which pesticides were used extensively, the details of which were presented in Table 2.
A look through the Table 2 unveils that major pesticides used by the sample farmers in chilli crop were Pendimethalin 30% EC by 97.5 per cent, Fipronil 5% SC by 92.5 per cent, Spinosad 45% SC by 90 per cent, Monocrotophos 36% SC by 80 per cent, Diafenthiuron 50% WP and Lamda-cyhalothrin 2.5% EC by 77.5 per cent Azoxystrobin 11% + Tebuconazole 18.3% SC by 70 per cent and Profenophos 50% EC, Propineb 70% WP, Zineb 68% + Hexacanozole 4% WP and Propargite 57% EC by 62.5 per cent of farmers. Pendimethalin 30% EC was used by highest per cent of farmers as it controls annual grasses and broad-leaved weeds. Least percentage 10 per cent of farmers used Kresoxim methyl 44.3% SC in minute quantity for chilli crop.
Contd…
Type of pesticide |
Name of pesticide |
Average quantity used per hectare |
Used for |
Number of farmers used |
Per cent (%) |
Herbicide |
Pendimethalin 30% EC |
2500ml |
Annual grasses and broad-leaved weeds |
39 |
97.50 |
Insecticide |
Monocrotophos 36% SC |
1000ml |
Sucking pests |
32 |
80.00 |
Insecticide |
Acetamiprid 20% SP |
200gms |
Sucking pests |
19 |
47.50 |
Insecticide |
Diafenthiuron 50% WP |
875gms |
Sucking pests |
31 |
77.50 |
Insecticide |
Spinosad 45% SC |
150ml |
Thrips and helicoverpa |
36 |
90.00 |
Insecticide |
Fipronil 5% SC |
1250ml |
Thrips |
37 |
92.50 |
Insecticide |
Quinalphos 25% EC |
1875ml |
Lepodopteran insects |
21 |
52.50 |
Insecticide |
Lamda-cyhalothrin 2.5% EC |
1875ml |
Lepodopteran insects |
31 |
77.50 |
Insecticide |
Profenophos 50% EC |
1875ml |
Lepodopteran insects |
25 |
62.50 |
Insecticide |
Carbosulfan 25% EC |
750-1000ml |
Sucking and lepidopteran pests |
22 |
55.00 |
Insecticide |
Spinetoram 11.7% SC |
500ml |
Thrips and lepidopteran insects |
18 |
45.00 |
Insecticide |
Dinotefuron 20% SG |
150-200gms |
Sucking pests |
7 |
17.50 |
Insecticide |
Carbaryl 50% WP |
|
Sucking and lepidopteran pests |
12 |
30.00 |
Insecticide |
Dimethoate 30% EC |
180-750gms |
Sucking and caterpillar pests |
16 |
40.00 |
Insecticide |
Cartap hydrochloride 50% SP |
500-100gms |
Stem borer and leaf folder in rice |
13 |
32.50 |
Insecticide & acaricide |
Ethion 50% EC |
250gms |
Sucking pests and mites |
15 |
37.50 |
Insecticide, acaricide & nematicide |
Carbofuron 3G |
10-12kgs |
Insects, mites, nematodes and field pests |
15 |
37.50 |
Insecticide & acaricide |
Profenophos 40% EC |
875ml |
Chewing, sucking and lepidopteran pests |
13 |
32.50 |
Insecticide |
Ethion 40% + Cypermethrin 5% EC |
875-1000ml |
Spotted & pink boll worm and whiteflies |
21 |
52.50 |
Fungicide |
Azoxystrobin 23% SC |
500ml |
Broad spectrum fungicide |
21 |
52.50 |
Fungicide |
Azoxystrobin 11% + Tebuconazole 18.3% SC |
750ml |
Broad spectrum fungicide |
28 |
70.00 |
Fungicide |
Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxystrobin 25% SG |
375gms |
Broad spectrum fungicide |
10 |
25.00 |
Fungicide |
Kresoxim methyl 44.3% SC |
375ml |
Downy and powdery mildew diseases of grape |
4 |
10.00 |
Fungicide |
Myclobutanil 10% WP |
1000gms |
Powdery mildew disease of grape and chillies |
15 |
37.50 |
Fungicide |
Propineb 70% WP |
1000gms |
Die back of chilli, early & late blight of potato, downy mildew of grape and scab of apple |
25 |
62.50 |
Fungicide |
Zineb 68% + Hexacanozole 4% WP |
1000-1250gms |
Sheath blight, brown spot and blast in rice |
25 |
62.50 |
Fungicide |
Azoxystrobin 16.7% + Tricyclazole 33.3% SC |
500ml |
Paddy blast and sheath blight |
16 |
40.00 |
Fungicide |
Captan 70% + Hexacanozole 5% WP |
600-700gms |
Fruit rot (anthracnose) of chillies and early & late blight of potato |
15 |
37.50 |
Acaricide |
Propargite 57% EC |
625ml |
Mites |
25 |
62.50 |
Acaricide |
Abacin 1.9% EC |
250ml |
Red mites and leaf miners |
9 |
22.50 |
Bactericide |
Streptomyclin |
250gms |
Controls fungal and bacterial diseases |
16 |
40.00 |
CONCLUSION
Majority of farmers 92.5 per cent used Monocrotophos 36% SL and Pendimethalin 30% EC by 90 per cent for cotton. Monocrotophos 36% SL was used as the first spray of insecticide in cotton to control sucking pests by every farmer in the study area. In chilli major pesticides used by the sample farmers in were Pendimethalin 30% EC by 97.5 per cent and Fipronil 5% SC by 92.5 per cent. Pendimethalin 30% EC was used by highest per cent of farmers as it controls annual grasses and broad-leaved weeds.
REFERENCES
Joshi, H. D., & Thanki, N. (2010). Studies on farmers’ awareness regarding health threatening effect of pesticides used in vegetable cultivation. Researchgate. 1-11.
Kumar, B. A., Ragini, K., Padmasri, A., Rao, K. J., & Shashibhushan, V. (2017). Survey on pesticide usage pattern in bhendi (Abelmoschus esculentus L.). Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences. 6(1), 182-188.
Kumari, B. (2008). Effects of household processing on reduction of pesticide residues in vegetables. Asian Research Publishing Network Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science. 3(4), 1-6.
Stamati, P., Maipas, S., Kotampasi, C., Stamatis, P., & Hens, L. (2016). Chemical pesticides and human health: The urgent need for a new concept in agriculture. Frontiers in Public Health. 148(4), 1-8.
Sreekanth, M. V. (2018). Buying behaviour of farmers towards pesticides in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Thesis submitted to Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University Lam Guntur Andhra Pradesh.
http://www.indiastat.com/agriculture-consump tion of pesticides/2017-2018.
http://www.ibef.org/agriculture and allied industries/2018.