Assessment of pesticide use patterns among farmers in the Jamuna riverside regions of Tangail and Sirajganj districts, Bangladesh

Pesticide use is increasing globally, particularly in developing agricultural systems like Bangladesh, raising concerns about occupational exposure and food safety. This study conducted a comparative cross-sectional survey of 600 farmers in Tangail and Sirajganj districts using structured questionnaires during the 2025 cropping season. It assessed pesticide use patterns, farmers' knowledge, safety practices, and self-reported occupational health impacts. Tangail farmers primarily used insecticides, particularly lambda-cyhalothrin and cypermethrin, whereas Sirajganj farmers predominantly relied on fungicides, including propiconazole and azoxystrobin. Moderately hazardous pesticides dominated use in both districts. Three major concerns emerged from the study: widespread over-application of pesticides, low adherence to withholding periods, and the continued use of banned products. Over-application was reported by 54.7% of farmers in Tangail and 68.7% in Sirajganj, while WHP adherence remained low (46.3% and 21%, respectively), and banned pesticides were still used in 12 and 20% of cases respectively, indicating significant behavioral and regulatory gaps. Only 19% of farmers consistently used personal protective equipment, and occupational health complaints were more frequent in Sirajganj, with 50.3% reporting skin irritation. A key finding was a significant knowledge-practice gap, where WHP knowledge inconsistently increased the likelihood of unsafe practices and health complications. This study is novel in providing a comparative assessment of pesticide use and safety behaviors in riverine farming systems, highlighting behavioral inconsistencies despite awareness. These findings indicate that awareness alone is insufficient to ensure safe pesticide practices and highlight the need for behavior-focused interventions, strengthened regulatory enforcement, improved monitoring of pesticide distribution, and promotion of integrated pest management to reduce occupational exposure and food safety risks in similar agricultural settings.