Opinions of Vegetable growers about alternatives of pesticides

A. J. Dhodia1, R. M. Naik2 and K. V. Gardhariya3

1. Ph. D. Scholar, Department of Extension Education, NMCA, NAU,
2. Associate Professor, Department of Extension Education, NMCA, NAU,
3. Ph. D. Scholar, Department of Extension Education, NMCA, NAU,

Vegetables can also be source of poisonous toxic substance-pesticides. Vegetables crop at times are
treated with pesticides close to harvest in order to get pest free healthy produce which may be loaded
with pesticide residues at harvest. Pesticides classified as being extremely or highly hazardous by
FAO and WHO, including barred by some countries, unrelenting used in developing countries.
Therefore, the judicious use of pesticides against control of insect, pest and diseases are very
important. The Study was conducted in all five talukas of Tapi district of South Gujarat. Two villages
were selected purposively from each taluka, 12 farmers selected randomly from each village. Thus,
total 120 farmers were selected as respondents. In case of cultural practices, proper management of
irrigation and weeding in vegetable cultivation reduce the use of pesticides was the main opinion
given by great majority (91.67 per cent) of the respondents, Whereas mechanical practices of
alternatives of pesticides, collection and destruction of pest affected plant from field was
decrease the use of pesticides was the main opinion given by great majority (93.33 per cent) of
the respondents, in case of genetical practices of alternatives of pesticides, majority (90.83 per
cent) of the respondents opined that resistant varieties of vegetable crops can reduce the use of
pesticides and in case of biological practices of alternatives of pesticides, majority (81.67 per
cent) of the respondents were opined that use of TRICO CARD is diminish the use of pesticides.