Exploring Farmers' Knowledge and Awareness in Employing Beneficial Plants for Paddy Pest Management in Besut, Terengganu

The presence of beneficial insects such as parasitoids and predators in paddy fields is very important as such insects help in pest population management and reduce pesticide use. To ensure beneficial insects are sustained in the field, their food source and shelter must always be sufficient, therefore, ecological engineering techniques can be applied. This idea encompasses plant management through habitat manipulation, which helps support biological pest control operations by encouraging the growth of beneficial plants in the fields that serve as a source of food and shelter for beneficial insects. However, the knowledge and awareness of local farmers, especially in Besut, Terengganu used this biological control technique in managing paddy pests are still unknown. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and awareness of paddy farmers on the use of beneficial plants in controlling paddy pests among paddy farmers in Besut, Terengganu. This quantitative research design study used a questionnaire by face to face with 56 paddy farmers as the main respondents. Based on the survey, the paddy cultivation in Besut was dominated by middle-aged male farmers which 76.8% of them have secondary education with more than 20 years of paddy cultivation experience. Results showed that most of the farmers have a moderate level of knowledge (67.9%) and awareness (73.4%) about the use of beneficial plants in controlling paddy pests. Therefore, it is necessary to hold a continuous awareness program by local authorities about the importance of using beneficial plants in paddy fields in the future.