Do typologies of pesticide risk knowledge influence the adoption of IPM strategies? Evidence from rice farmers' behavior in northern Iran.

BACKGROUND: The active participation of farmers in adopting eco-friendly practices is vital to mitigate the environmental and health risks linked to pesticide usage. Farmers' awareness of these risks significantly influences their adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) methods over traditional pesticide applications. This study sought to explore the range of understanding on pesticide effects, categorize IPM strategies employed in pest management, and examine the correlation between knowledge levels and IPM strategy choices. Data was gathered through structured questionnaires from 391 rice farmers in Sari County, Mazandaran province, Northern Iran. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis revealed three distinct dimensions of pesticide risk knowledge: personal risk of pesticide, environmental risk of pesticide, and community risk of pesticide. Furthermore, the study identified three primary categories of IPM strategies: high familiarity, intermediate familiarity, and low familiarity. The results of the regression analysis indicated that the personal risk of pesticides (ß = 0.556; P < 0.01) and the environmental risk of pesticides (ß = 0.262; P < 0.01) are significantly correlated with the adoption of high familiarity IPM strategies. Furthermore, the study revealed that there was no significant statistical evidence to support the notion that different types of pesticide risk knowledge had any influence on the adoption of intermediate and low familiarity strategies. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study imply the critical importance for agricultural extension programs to focus on enhancing farmers' knowledge of pesticide risks and various IPM strategies. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Determinants of pesticide safety behavior among Iranian rice farmers.

Safety behaviors in pesticide use are considered the most important determinants of the adverse health effects among farmers. In addition, the risk of pesticide exposure is strongly associated with farmers' behavior when working with pesticides. However, there is limited understanding of farmers' safety behavior and its determinants, particularly in developing countries like Iran. A field survey of 373 rice producers was conducted in Mazandaran Province of northern Iran to study determinants of farmers' safety behavior when working with pesticides. Although farmers' safety behavior varied depending on the type of safety measures adopted, few farmers showed safe behaviors in using personal protective equipment (PPE) (8.9%), in following appropriate practices in pesticide use (8.6%), in following hygiene practices after using pesticides (2.7%), and in avoiding health risks (2.4%). The mean scores of importance of all four components of safety behavior were higher than the mean scores of their current use, implying that perceptions of importance of various types of safety measures during pesticide application were not fully reflected in farmers' practices. Perceived barriers of using safety measures were the most reliable predictor of farmers' safety behavior in pesticide use. Perceived barriers of using safety measures and mean number of pesticide applications per cropping season had a negative impact on farmers' safety behaviors. By contrast, the variables education, level of self-consumed production in the household, experience of health risks related to working with pesticides, regular health check-ups, and perception of pesticide hazards promoted farmers' safety behaviors. The study not only presents a clear framework for better understanding and assessing farmers' safety behavior in pesticide use, but also provides valuable inputs for the design of effective interventions that could support farmers in the implementation of safety measures in Iran.

Perceived usefulness of personal protective equipment in pesticide use predicts farmers' willingness to use it.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) can substantially reduce the risk exposure from pesticide spraying, but compliance is rather low, particularly among small-scale farmers. In this study the connection between farmers' willingness to use PPE in pesticide handling and perceptions of PPE usefulness was examined through a survey of 341 small-scale farmers in Gorgan county of Golestan Province, Iran. Farmers who were not using PPE when working with pesticides were purposively selected to better serve the objective of the study. Multinomial logit regression models were employed to examine differences in farmers' willingness to use PPE in the future. Almost four out of ten farmers (38.1%) showed willingness to use PPE. However, 36.7% of the farmers showed unwillingness and 25.2% were unsure about using PPE. The average score of farmers' perceptions of PPE disadvantages (x=0.55) was significantly higher than the corresponding score of PPE advantages (x=0.38). Low availability and high price were considered the most important constraints in PPE use by the majority of farmers (75.4% and 74.8% of the farmers, respectively). Farmers who perceived usefulness of PPE, such as effectiveness, safety, and ease of use, were more willing to use PPE in the future. Those who perceived non-usefulness of PPE, driven by unavailability, high price, lack of use by neighbors or colleagues, and ignorance of PPE in extension trainings, were less likely to use PPE in the future. Findings revealed that willingness to use PPE among small-scale farmers when working with pesticides is strongly linked to their perception of PPE usefulness. Findings raise our understanding of the important role of farmers' knowledge in PPE acceptance and use and can motivate policy-makers to pay more attention to the role of farmers' perceptions and awareness in the success or failure of health and safety programs. It is necessary to incorporate farmers' preferences in extension programs to promote safety measures during working with pesticides.