Cognizance level of vegetable cultivators concerning pesticide usage and its sequel on environment

The present study was conducted by KVK, Udalguri, Assam Agricultural University, Assam, India in the year 2023-24 at three vegetable growing villages with 120 vegetable growers to assess the knowledge of the vegetable growers on pesticide usage and their effects. Relevant data were collected with pretested schedule with one dependent and ten independent variables and analyzed using appropriate statistical tools like mean, standard deviation and logit regression. The results displayed that growers were between 40-50 years with less than 1 ha area under cultivation and below 20 years of experience in pesticide uses. Maximum of the growers uses moderately hazardous pesticides. The expenditure on pesticides was very high. Almost all the farmers (94.17 %) obtained their pesticides from authorized dealers and used knapsack sprayers (98.33 %) but did not followed record of spraying. It was very satisfactory to appraise that maximum (72.50 %) growers spray less than 3 times per cropping season. Maximum of the growers (58.33%) followed input dealers as their source of information. All farmers (100 %) had strong insight on the adverse impacts of pesticides on the environment. Variables like education level, land ownership, farm size and training attended on safe pesticide use having p value of 0.003, 0.04, 0.001, 0.002 respectively had considerably sway the knowledge level of farmers on the safe usage of pesticides. They were also facing health issues. Therefore, in these areas, it is crucial to raise both Integrated Pest Management techniques and other non-chemical ways to lessen the reliance on pesticides.