Pattern of pesticide usage among tomato farmers for sustainable production in the Bono East Region, Ghana

Abstract

The usage pattern of pesticides has been a major contributor to environmental and human health problems among smallholder farmers in most rural communities. A field survey was carried out in major tomato farming communities in the Bono East Region, Ghana to assess the factors that influence farmers’ choice of pesticide usage on their farms. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted to sample 120 farmers. A Probit regression model was used to assess the factors that influence farmers’ choice of the use of pesticides on their tomato farms in Ghana. Findings from our study revealed that most of the farmers (70.8%) apply pesticides on the appearance of pests and diseases on their farms. We also found that most farmers adhere to the instructions on pesticides but do not fully comply with the usage of personal protective equipment during the application of pesticides on their farms. Most farmers have high knowledge of the detrimental effects of the use of pesticides on beneficial insects (92.1%), and food contaminations (83.5%) and are naïve about the effects on the environment and resistance development among the insects. Also, educational level, household size of the farmers, health problems, contact with extension agents, the combination of pesticides, and the area of cultivation significantly (p < 0.05) influenced farmers’ pesticide usage. It is recommended that there should be continuous monitoring of the change in the concept of pesticide usage and its relationship to the factors affecting their optimal use to ensure compliance with the instructions and not among farmers.