Abstract
The study aimed at determining farmers' perception of IPM towards sustainable vegetable
production and to explore the relationships of their selected characteristics with their
perception of IPM. Data were collected during March to September 2010 through interview,
Focus Group Discussion, Scored Causal Diagrams and case study from FFS farmers of
Sherpur upazila under Bogra district. The selected fourteen characteristics of the farmers
were considered as the independent variables while their perception of IPM constituted the
dependent variable. During 1960s and 1970s, farmers mostly used ash and other indigenous
methods for pest control, while the situation changed after the start of use of pesticide at later
part of 1970s. Then pesticide use increased dramatically due to intensification of agriculture
with HYVs. Increasing use of pesticides along with attempt of using IPM techniques were
the means of pest control in the current decade. Some IPM techniques like T-perching, use
of neem and nishinda leaves for store grain pests, regular field visit and destruction of
diseased plants and judicious application of pesticides were mostly used in the vegetable
farming. The perception scores of the farmers ranged from 78 to 141 against the possible
range of 32 to 160, with an average of 111.7. The highest proportion (68 percent) of the
respondents had favourable perception, 32 percent had highly favourable perception and
none had less favourable perception. The average perception score regarding basic,
environmental, sustainability and health aspects were 26, 27, 28 and 30, respectively, against
the possible score of 8 to 40 for each aspect. Among the characteristics of the farmers, age,
years of schooling, farm size, annual family income, farming experience, media exposure,
training received, knowledge on IPM, innovativeness, production orientation, risk
orientation and aspiration were significantly correlated with their perception of IPM towards
sustainable vegetable production. Among these, age, years of schooling, farm size, farming
experience, media exposure, knowledge on IPM and risk orientation had significant
contribution to perception status. Sixty six percent of the total variation in the perception of
IPM was explained by these seven predictors. The FFS farmers who were younger in age,
had more education, longer farming experience, larger farm size, more exposure to media,
higher risk orientation and more knowledge on IPM practices were found to have favourable
perception of IPM. Considering the relative contribution on perception of IPM, based on
their direct effects, the seven variables could be arranged as: years of schooling > risk
orientation > media exposure > farming experience > knowledge on IPM > farm size > age.
IPM vegetables have no extra benefit, low quality of IPM training, unavailability of IPM
materials and lack of government policy were among the major constraints confronted by the
farmers for participation in IPM practices. However, ensuring premium price of IPM
products, need-based good quality IPM training, availability of IPM materials, proper
government policy, availability of information source, publicity through different mass
media, strong IPM farmers' association, strengthening IPM club activities could help in
coming out of the problem.