Dynamics of pesticide usage by vegetable growers in the highlands of Northern Mindanao, Philippines

Abstract

Vegetable growers in the Philippines are becoming dependent on the use of pesticides as a convenient approach to control pest and diseases. The highlands of Claveria, Misamis Oriental is the vegetable bowl of the region in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. A survey was conducted in October, 2018 to April, 2019 to assess the dynamics of pesticide usage among vegetable growers in the region. A total of 100 growers who have engaged in vegetable production for at least a decade were selected to be surveyed. Moreover, growers producing solanaceous vegetables, cabbage and snap beans were identified for the study as these vegetable types dominated the present vegetable production in this area. To gather data from the growers, personal interviews using a pre-tested structured survey questionnaire were conducted. Results showed that farmers are aware of the harmful effects of pesticides for both human and animal health. However, they consider pesticides as an effective method in protecting and controlling pest and diseases (74%). Therefore, they still continually used them. Most of the growers have no training in integrated crop management (ICM). Technicians from chemical companies and neighboring growers are their primary source of information on pest control measures. Generally, broad spectrum and highly toxic chemicals with methomyl (29.6%) and Lambda-cyhalothrin (18.5%) based insecticides and S-metolachlor (22.2%) based herbicides are the most popular chemicals used. Furthermore, they are cheaper compared to specific and less toxic pesticide chemistry available in the market. The results of this study provide a greater understanding on the usage of pesticides by vegetable growers in this area. Creating awareness and suitable information on integrated crop management is necessary the extension service support network will help improve decisions making about pesticides usage. © 2021 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.