Vol. 11, Special Issue 7 (2022)

Author(s):
Ghana Kanta Sarma, Ramen Kr. Sarma, Jayanta Kr. Hazarika and Nivedita Deka

Abstract:
Insecticides are mainly used by the farmers to control insect-pests in an agricultural farm. Due to ignorance, lack of awareness or some other reasons, the farmers apply the chemicals in injudicious way. Therefore, an attempt was made to know the extent of use of agricultural chemicals in vegetable production and to explore the factors responsible for the use of insecticides in vegetable production with the null hypothesis that ‘there is no relationship between the application of insecticides and chemical fertilizers. The factors responsible for the use of insecticides were analyzed using the multiple regression analysis. The result revealed that all the vegetable growers used insecticides at a very higher concentration than the recommended dose. 74.66 per cent farmers applied insecticides in the fields at an interval of less than 10 days and 19.33 per cent farmers applied as and when necessary. Out of eight different determinants, the use of chemical fertilizers (in kg) showed a positive and significant relationship with the use of insecticides at 0.001 level in all the three groups of farmers and thus, it concluded that the null hypothesis ‘there is no relationship between the application of plant protection chemicals and chemical fertilizers’ was rejected. The determinant vegetable farming experience (years) showed positive and significant relationship in the farmers group II and group III at 0.1 level.