Chemical pesticides use pattern of pointed gourd growers in nadia district of West Bengal

Farmers who are cultivating vegetables, they are using maximum numbers and amount of pesticides compared to cereal crops per unit area. Plant protection is an exercise basically followed in any crop for control of insect-pests, diseases, weeds etc. to avoid economic losses. For proper application of pesticides –there are specific recommendations. Due to lack of awareness of farmers regarding those recommendations, they are using pesticides deviating its proper processes and considerations. As a result, they are facing health related problems. Keeping all these in view the present study was designed with objective to know chemical pesticides use pattern of pointed gourd growers in nadia district of west bengal. The present study was conducted in Nadia district of West Bengal. Nadia district was purposively selected for the study and Chakdah community development block of Kalyani sub division was randomly selected for the study. Rautari gram panchayat was selected randomly from all the gram panchayats of Chakdah community development block. Three villages namely Teghara, Ruppur and Rameswarpur was selected purposively as the villages were in close proximity. Complete enumeration of the farmers in the villages was attended. Farmers who were available up to three times were included in the sample. In this way 73 brinjal growers from Teghara, 62 pointed gourd growers from Ruppur and 69 cauliflower growers from Rameswarpur were selected for the study who grow crops in parcels of plots under bigger common field. Here we had considered only the pointed gourd growers (N=69) chemical pesticides use pattern. Majority of the pointed gourd growers (79.03%) cultivated the the crop pointed gourd in kharif season. Majority of respondents (59.68%) applied chemical pesticides at interval of 4-7 days usually. At the most 87.10 percent of respondents applied 30-40 litres of water per bigha for spraying chemical pesticides at the seedling stage of pointed gourd crop. Similarly majority of the pointed gourd growers (93.55%) at mature stage of the crop applied 100-120 litres of water per bigha for spraying chemical pesticides. Most damaging insect-pests of pointed gourd crop in the study area were-(1) red pumpkin beetle (2) two spotted red spider mite (3) leaf roller (4) fruit fly & (5) epilachna beetle. Most harmful insect-pest was leaf roller and it was reported by 96.77 percent of respondents. The major diseases of pointed gourd cultivation were—(1) fruit and vine rot (2) downy mildew and (3) root rot. Majority of respondents (85.48%) reported that fruit and vine rot was the most problematic disease. Most of the insect-pests and diseases attacked the crop mainly at mature stage. Various Chemical pesticides,with various doses used to control insect –pests and diseases of pointed gourd crop. To avoid the unnecessary use of pesticides, regulations regarding the use or pesticides and proper verification of the procedure should be carried out. Creation of awareness on the basis of family based training, sensitization through value and ethics based capacity building and utilization of religious and community leaders in this regard may be useful to overcome the issue. Therefore, the base level extension agencies should take proper measures on the basis of findings of the study to make their further extension programme more effective and steps should be taken to change the perception of the pointed gourd growers regarding the use of chemical pesticides.