Pesticide Costs Research Articles

Analysis of Resource Use Efficiency and Constraints of Cotton Production in Odisha, India

The present study entitled "Analysis of resource use efficiency and constraints of cotton production in Odisha" was undertaken with the major objectives to analyse resource use efficiency in cotton cultivation and to elicit the constraints faced by the farmers in production and marketing of cotton in the study area. This study used both secondary and primary data. Multi-stage random sampling was taken for this study. The districts selected for study were Kalahandi, Balangir and Rayagada of Odisha state. A total number of 120 cotton farmers i.e 71 farmers from small and 49 farmers from large size groups were selected at random based on probability proportion. Analytical tools like Tabular analysis, Cobb-Douglas production function and Garrett’s ranking were used for the analysis. Cobb-Douglas production function was used taking Y i.e. yield of cotton as dependent variable and X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6 i. e. for total human labour, farm power cost, manure cost, fertilizer cost, cost of pesticides, area under the crop respectively as independent variable. Among these variables, fertilizer, pesticide, human labour and machine labour were positive and significant for small farmers and manure, fertilizer, pesticide and machine labour were positive and significant for large farmers. Most of the significant resources were proved to be efficient. The major constraints in cotton yield as reported by farmers were high cost of labour, high cost of seeds, lack of regulated markets etc. in the study area. For the sustainable growth of cotton crop in the state, timely policy interventions were required by promoting contract farming and providing price incentives, so that cotton farmers of Odisha will get better profit for their crop and prosperity of agriculture in the state.

Sustainable Cotton Production through Skill Development among Farmers: Evidence from Khairpur District of Sindh, Pakistan

Pakistan is the world’s fourth largest producer and one of the major cottonexporting countries. Cotton is grown largely in Punjab and Sindh provinces and accounts for about 10.5 percent of the value-added in the agriculture sector. The majority of cotton growers are smallholders and a large number of them are tenant farm households. Frequent pest outbreaks since the early 1990s have induced pesticide-based farming in Pakistan. Also, the liberalisation of generic pesticide import has resulted in a many-fold increase in pesticide use in the country. However, this has neither increased cotton productivity nor the prosperity of the poor cotton growers [Poswal and Williamson (1998) and Ahmad and Poswal (2000)]. In Pakistan, research and development in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was initiated in the 1970s. However, the efforts to implement IPM at the farm level were not very successful. Pesticides became a major instrument of production leading to a ‘pesticide treadmill’ situation [Irshad (2000)]. An analysis of pesticide policies through the UNDP-FAO Policy Reform Project paved the way for the establishment of a National IPM Programme and provided instruments to scale up farmer-led IPM through joint international and national efforts on various fronts. Pesticide policy studies estimated environmental and social cost of pesticides in Pakistan at US$ 206 million per year [UNDP (2001) and Azeem, et al. (2003)]. About 49 percent of these external costs were attributed to pest resistance problems, while 29 percent to loss in bio-diversity and nearly 20 percent occurred to human and animal health. On the other hand, damage prevention expenditures for residue monitoring and raising public awareness on the dangers of pesticides is less than 2 percent of the total social costs of pesticides.

Investigating the effects of seed treatments on the economically optimal seeding rate of conventional soybean in Atlantic Canada

Soybean seeding rates in the cool growing environment of Atlantic Canada are much higher than other regions impacting economic return. Recent studies across North America have suggested that soybean seeding rates can be lowered to maximize profitability. Seed treatments have been shown to improve abiotic stress tolerance and may be another mechanism to reduce seeding rates. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to ( i) determine the economically optimal seeding rate (EOSR) for conventional soybean in Atlantic Canada and ( ii) determine if fungicide seed treatments can reduce this rate. Field studies were conducted in 2020 and 2021 to evaluate the effects of four seeding rates and four fungicide seed treatments on soybean stand establishment, growth, resource use efficiency, yield, and profitability. Price received had a dramatic effect on producer return and the EOSR which ranged from 243 000 seeds ha−1 under a low price received scenario ($0.45 kg−1) up to 613 000 seeds ha−1 under a high price received scenario ($0.82 kg−1). In contrast, seed and pesticide costs had a minimal impact on expected returns. Soybean resource use efficiency was not impacted by seeding rate or by seed treatments. Further seed treatments did not impact soybean stand establishment or profitability. Soybean yield increased with seeding rate and plateaued at a seeding rate of 741 000 seeds ha−1, whereas individual plant yield dramatically declined as seeding rate increased. Results of this study suggest that soybean producers in Atlantic Canada should base their seeding rates on contracted or expected price received to maximize profitability.

Design and development of agricultural spraying system

The majority of the sprayer pumps available in the current market are back-mounted, hand pumps that are used to spray pesticides. Although tractor-mounted sprayers are presently available on market are seen to use 10 sets of nozzles to spray the pesticide is very demanding on pesticide consumption leading to pesticide wastage, and subsequent soil and water pollution. This paper focused on the development of an agriculture sprayer with an appropriate pesticide application mechanism that would apply the pesticide directly to the plant foliage, and fruits with minimal wastage thereby making effective pest control and so also reducing pesticide consumption which will aid to reduce spraying cost per acre and more importantly reduce the probability of soil and water pollution. Oscillating Nozzle Agriculture Sprayer is an innovative solution to the above-mentioned problem where four nozzles with oscillating action cover maximum plant foliage area, with effect reach, application of Italian nozzles adds to proper atomization of spray and effective application is attained through the combination of the nozzle and oscillating arm action. The system has been designed, manufactured, and tested in actual conditions. Field test results showed that the cost of spray saved annually is around 25–30% of the pesticide cost for existing tractor-mount spraying mechanisms.

Designing Starch–Alginate Hydrogels for Controlled Delivery of Fungicide for the Alleviation of Environmental Pollution

In this work, a controlled delivery system for the fungicide thiophanate-methyl (TM) was developed for the alleviation of environmental pollution using starch–alginate–polyacrylamide hydrogels as a sustainable agricultural development approach. The polymer hydrogel was synthesized by grafting poly(acrylamide) onto starch–alginate using N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (NNMBA) as the cross-linker. The copolymers were confirmed by characterization techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared analysis, X-ray diffraction, 13C NMR, TGA-DTG, and differential scanning calorimetry. SEM confirmed the heterogeneity, and AFM showed the rough surface morphology of the copolymeric hydrogels. The thermogravimetric analysis results indicated the increase in the thermal stability of the cross-linked polymers after modification. Evaluation was carried out on the water absorption capacity of the polymer and the release of the encapsulated fungicide. The swelling of the hydrogel decreased with the increment in cross-linking density with a rise in [NNMBA]. It also influenced the diffusion of the fungicide from the encapsulated copolymer, wherein the increase in the cross-linker content decreased the fungicide release from the copolymer. Hydrogels absorbed 18.30 ± 1.40 (g/g of gel) water, indicating the water retention capacity of the hydrogel material which could be useful for plant growth in the arid regions. The release profile followed the non-Fickian diffusion mechanism with a sustained delivery of TM. Water retention and the controlled release properties of the hydrogel indicated its usefulness in sustainable agricultural development and alleviation of environmental pollution caused by the fungicide use. Overall, the formation of a controlled pesticide delivery system based on natural polysaccharides with polyacrylamide-based hydrogels which act as nutrients for plants on degradation is a unique approach, implying that the slow release of the pesticide will reduce environmental pollution and pesticide cost.

The potential of tobacco in supporting farmers in East Lombok Regency during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Tobacco is a leading commodity that has high economic value. The derivative products from tobacco commodities have contributed greatly to state revenues through excise taxes, employment, and sources of farmers’ income. This research aims to; 1) explain the characteristics of tobacco farming; 2) investigate the economic feasibility of tobacco farming; 3) analyze the determinants of tobacco farmers’ income. The research was conducted in Suralaga District, East Lombok Regency. The study was conducted from July 2021 to October 2021. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. Primary data was collected from 40 tobacco farmers and analyzed by with R/C ratio and multiple linear regression. The results of this study indicate that tobacco farming is declared economically feasible, This result is evidenced by the R/C ratio value is 1.67 > 1. Furthermore, the results of the regression estimation show that determine the income of tobacco farmers are the tobacco production, land area, seed cost, fertilizer cost, pesticide cost, labor costs, and farming experience.

ANALISIS BIAYA USAHATANI KACANG TANAH DI PROVINSI JAWA BARAT

The research was conducted to analyze cost of production and labor in peanut farming in West Java. The research was conducted in June-September 2021, in 6 (six) districts (Garut, Cianjur, Sumedang, Tasikmalaya, Subang and Purwakarta) in West Java province. The sampling method in this research is grouping based on area (proportional cluster sampling), with the number of respondents being peanut farmers as many as 507 people. The research used descriptive analysis with a Pivot Table Excel calculation tool. The results showed that the cost of peanut farming in West Java was influenced by the cost of labor and production inputs, namely the labor cost of 52.28%; seed cost of 35.04%; and the cost of fertilizers and pesticides by 7.61%. Where labor costs are the largest and dominate in peanut farming. The highest percentage ratio is in Cianjur Regency as the center of peanuts

Assessing German farmers’ trade-offs between disease resistance and yield in winter wheat varieties

Disease resistant crop varieties are important for both disease control and for reducing chemical pesticide use. However, there is often a trade-off between disease resistance and yield. While the European Union has banned the use of some pesticides in agriculture, large amounts are still applied to various crops, including wheat. Market-based instruments could motivate farmers to adopt more environmentally friendly production methods. In this study we aimed to explore farmers’ adoption of resistant varieties in different wheat price scenarios and their willingness to forgo yield when cultivating more resistant varieties. We conducted face-to-face interviews with 192 farmers using a choice experiment. Results showed that farmers preferred traits of yield stability (fungal disease resistance, lodging resistance and drought tolerance) over yield. Preferences for traits varied with the production system; livestock production was negatively associated with the importance of yield; cultivated land area was positively associated with protein content. The market price scenario did not change preferences. We calculate that farmers are willing to forgo more yield by cultivating highly disease resistant varieties than they are likely to recuperate from reducing costs of pesticides. Overall, we conclude that farmers’ choices are based more on a combination of the production system, drought experience, climate change belief and the potential impact of further regulations to reduce the use of chemical pesticides than on the expected wheat price.

KNOWLEDGE OF FARMERS, CONSTRAINTS FACED AND SUGGESTIONS OFFERED ON INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF PINK BOLLWORM IN COTTON: A CASE OF SAURASHTRA REGION, GUJARAT

The present study was conducted on 200 cotton growers of Jamnagar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts to evaluate for knowledge of farmers about integrated management of pink bollworm in cotton. The respondents were middle age group (57%), educate higher secondary level, big farmers having nuclear family, main occupation was agriculture and animal husbandry. Krishi Vigyan Kendra or University level information for organic farming, printed literature and demonstration with 85.25, 37.08 and 22.71 weightage mean, respectively. They received guideline from Krishi Vigyan Kendra (53.33%) followed by Agricultural University (43.33%) and seed/pesticide dealer (30.83%). The knowledge about integrated management of pink boll worm were Grazing sheep & goat after harvest the crop (72.25%), Cotton stalk should be burned after picking (68%), Spraying of Beauveria bassiana (65.5%) and spinosad (62%), use of light trap (61%) and collection of infested flowers/ bolls and destroyed it (59.5%). Very rare farmers have knowledge on life cycle of pink bollworm (8.5%) and deep ploughing for management (6%). High cost of pesticide (96%), fragmented holding (90.5%) and heavy attack of pink bollworm (86.5%) are major constraints faced by the cotton growers. Genetic resistant variety (82%), Install pheromone & light trap near ginneries, market yard for mass trapping are the major suggestions for overcome the pink boll worm problem.

The social costs of pesticide use in France

The modern agricultural production system relies heavily on the use of synthetic pesticides, but over the course of recent decades various concerns have been raised on the associated negative externalities touching a variety of dimensions, such as human health and the environment. Yet, the magnitude of those effects is still unclear and data availability is scattered and heterogenous across dimensions, regions, and time. The public sector is called upon to develop and implement strategies to face those externalities and their associated social costs. This study aims to provide an assessment of social costs of pesticides in France in the prospect of an integration to the public budget spending, helping public authorities to identify financial flows of public funding with an impact perspective, within a methodological framework based on the social norms at the core of the public system. The results show that the social costs attributable to synthetic pesticide use in France amounted to 372 million euros, of which environmental costs are estimated at least at 291.5 million euros, health costs at least at 48.5 million euros, regulation at least at 31.9 million euros and public financial support to the sector at least at 0.4 million euros. For comparison, this total value of social costs represents more than 10% of the annual budget in 2017 of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food (3,587 million euros). The analysis can be used as a monitoring indicator for the implementation of public policies in the context of the growing social and environmental issues they face.

Ecological intensification using Persian clover to support weed management in winter wheat under semiarid conditions

There is a need for non-chemical weed control due to evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds and environmental issues that arise due to prolonged use of herbicides. In three field experiments conducted during 2016–2018 in the Nahavand region of Iran, the effects of under-sown Persian clover on weed suppression and yield of winter wheat were evaluated. Persian clover was under-sown in wheat at four seed rates (12.5, 25.0, 37.5 and 50.0 kg ha−1, called InW-C1, InW-C2, InW-C3 and InW-C4, respectively). Pure wheat in weedy and weed-free conditions were included as control treatments (Wh-We and PW, respectively). Persian clover biomass increased from 59 to 184 g m−2 from the lowest to the highest seed rate and the weed biomass decreased from 272 g m−2 with no Persian clover (Wh.We) to 20 g m−2 (InW-C4) with the highest seed rate. As expected, grain yield was highest (4604 kg ha−1) for wheat grown in weed-free conditions (PW), while wheat yield was intermediate (mean 2764 kg ha−1) at the three highest Persian clover seed rates (InW-C1, InW-C2, InW-C3) and lowest (1932 kg ha−1) in the weed-infested control (Wh-We). We conclude that the ecological intensification with Persian clover under-sown in wheat can reduce weed biomass without further negatively affecting yield. However, it might represent a feasible tool to manage weeds and for agriculture to become less dependent on herbicides. This approach could become economically viable if other values added by Persian clover, such as feed for livestock, green manure, or lower pesticide costs, exceed the cost of the grain yield reduction compared to a weed free situation.

Impact of agrochemicals application on lead and cadmium concentrations in shallot fields and their remediation with biochar, compost, and botanical pesticides

Excessive use of agrochemicals in shallot soil can contaminate the environment and reduce the quality of agricultural products because it is suspected that fertilizers and some pesticides contain heavy metals. The study purpose: 1) determine Pb and Cd content in fertilizers and pesticides used by shallot farmers in Wanasari, Brebes Regency, 2) decide the agrochemicals effect on Pb and Cd concentrations in soil and shallot, then provide environmentally friendly technology with biochar, compost, and botanical pesticides. The study was conducted in Wanasari, Brebes Regency, Central Java from March until October 2020. These studies include a sampling of fertilizers and pesticides that are widely used by shallot farmers in Wanasari Brebes and plot research in the field. The technological approaches used in this study are using biochar, compost, and botanical pesticides. Shallot seed used was the Bima Brebes variety. Analyzes of total Pb and Cd content in the soils and plants were determined using the HNO3:HClO4 extract and measured with an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS). In this study, analysis was carried out on 11 pesticides with Pb and Cd content of 2.70-22.31 mg/kg and 0.04-0.50 mg/kg, respectively. The Pb and Cd contents in six fertilizers were 10.53-28.09 mg/kg and 0/07-0.52 mg/kg, respectively. Total Pb and Cd in soil are still below the critical limit of heavy metal required for agricultural soil. Heavy metal concentrations of Pb and Cd accumulated in the root > leaf > bulb for all treatments. The use of botanical pesticides, biochar, and compost needs to be developed at the shallot farmer level in several growing seasons so that it is expected to increase crop yields, reduce the cost of chemical pesticides, and be environmentally friendly.

Implementation of conservation farming and its effect on farmers' income: A study on citrus farmers in Petung Sewu Village, Dau District, Malang Regency

This study aims to analyze the effect of applying vegetation and mechanical conservation on the income of citrus farmers. The method of determining the sample was simple random with a sample of 86 people. Data analysis used the income function model with multiple linear regression method. The results showed that the application of conservation that had a significant effect on income was the application of vegetation conservation, while other variables that had a significant effect were land area, plant maintenance costs, chemical fertilizer costs, pesticide costs and labor costs. The vegetation conservation is the best conservation, and profitable that is widely applied by farmers. This model has a significant effect on farmers' income with a significance level of 90 percent. Thus, the application of conservation adapts to land conditions, and increases the income of linear farmers with the ability of farmers to finance.

Dampak Penggunaan Jenis Pupuk Terhadap Pendapatan Petani Padi Sawah di Kabupaten Batanghari

Batanghari Regency is one of the regencies in Jambi Province that has a potential for the development of lowland rice commodities. Rice farming in Batanghari Regency consists of organic and inorganic rice. Organic rice is a farming technique using fertilizer (compost and organic fertilizers) that can be broken down by decomposer organisms. The continuous use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on agricultural land results in a decrease in the structure and composition of nutrients and soil fertility which indirectly affects the level of production. The decrease in the level of production will be followed by a decrease in the level of farmers' income which will have an impact on the decrease in farmers' income. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of using organic fertilizers on lowland rice plants on farmers' income in Batanghari Regency. The results showed that simultaneously the independent variables had a significant effect on the income of lowland rice farmers. Partially, rice production, fertilizer costs, pesticide costs and types of fertilizers had a significant effect on the income of lowland rice farmers, while the level of education did not significantly affect the income of lowland rice farmers in Batanghari Regency. The type of fertilizer had a significant effect on the income of lowland rice farmers, so that the income of rice farmers who use organic fertilizers was higher than the income of rice farmers who used inorganic fertilizers.

Characterizing country-specific human and ecosystem health impact and damage cost of agricultural pesticides: the case for Thailand

PurposeExisting emission and toxicity characterization models in life cycle assessment are currently not suitable for assessing pesticide-related impacts of crop cultivation in tropical regions. This study aims to parameterize the scientific consensus model USEtox for Thai environments to derive toxicity characterization factors of pesticide emissions from agricultural systems in Thailand. Potential human toxicity and ecotoxicity impacts and related damage costs of pesticides used on nine crops cultivated in Thailand are quantified.MethodsConsidering country-specific conditions, USEtox was adapted by applying the landscape and consumption parameters specific to Thailand. Related Thai-specific characterization factors of identified pesticides used in Thai agriculture were quantified. Four emission inventory models were applied to determine pesticide emission fractions in different environmental compartments. The consistent combination of pesticide emission mass and associated characterization factors yielded potential toxicity impact scores. Pesticide impact-related damage costs (external costs) on human health and ecosystem quality were quantified using valuation factors for Thailand. The crops with the highest total damage costs were selected and compared with the annual net incomes of the respective crop production systems.Results and discussionPesticide toxicity impacts assessed by using Thai-specific factors were different from the use of global average factors ranging from 1 to 169% (human toxicity) and from 0.1 to 3587% (ecotoxicity). Our results indicated the variability in impact scores influenced by emission modeling choices. Following PestLCI consensus emission estimation model, mango cultivation showed the highest human toxicity impacts of 0.07 DALY/ha, resulting in high human health damage costs mainly caused by Propineb (93%). Rice cultivation with a dry direct-seeded system exhibited the highest ecotoxicity impacts (3934 PDF m3 day/ha) and associated damage costs mainly caused by Oxadiazon (92%). Pesticides used in cultivation of nine crops resulted in total damage costs of 7188 and 3.01 million THB/crop-year for human health and ecotoxicity, respectively. Mango and rice production accounted for 70% and 17% of the total damage costs, which were 36% and 20% of the respective crops’ annual net income.ConclusionsOur study illustrates the ranking of pesticides applied throughout the crop calendar causing toxicological impact and related damage costs on human health and ecosystem quality. This helps identify crops and the main contributors to pesticide-related toxicity impacts in Thailand. Our study highlights the need for proper emission quantification and for the use of characterization factors locally parameterized to increase accuracy. Our results will be useful for future improvement toward more sustainable pesticide use.Graphical abstract

Development of a plant protection UAV and evaluating its efficacy in managing rice leaf folder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenee.)

Drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAV) have revolutionized agriculture by optimizing the use of several farm operations and through reducing input costs. The present study aimed at designing a plant protection UAV and evaluating its efficacy against rice leaf folder. A hexacopter drone was designed by Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University and designated as “ANGRAU Pushpak-01” with certain specifications and Payload Data suitable for plant protection spraying in rice. Field studies were taken up during kharif seasons (rainy seasons) of 2020 and 2021 in farmers fields of Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, India on transplanted rice. The test insecticide used in the present study was flubendiamide 480 SC (39.35% W/w). The UAV hexacopter was optimized for its forward flight speed, height of aerial spraying for delivering spray width and for obtaining maximum spray width using standard protocols. Field studies involved five treatments (four replications), a) 100% RDP (recommended dose of pesticide) with UAV, b) 75% RDP with UAV, c) 50% RDP with UAV, d) 100% manual spray with human back pack motorized spray, and e) water spray using UAV in a RCBD fashion. Nursery was raised during both seasons of study and 30-days-old seedlings were transplanted into main fields and treatments were imposed with flubendiamide spray at 60 days after transplanting (DAT). Leaf folder damage was assessed at prior to flubendiamide spray treatment-wise, then periodically and finally at 10 DAS (Days after spray). Grain yields were harvested replication-wise, pooled and assessed treatment wise for both the field studies in successive years. Our results on optimization of spray technology indicated that aerial spray with UAV at a height of 0.6 m above canopy was ideal in delivering maximum spray width. Further, at this height, there was good amount and uniform distribution of flubendiamide as evaluated by HPLC. The flubendiamide at 75% UAV spray could yield uniform deposition on rice canopy (top, medium, and bottom), and is equally effective compared to 100% UAV spray of flubendiamide. Further, UAV sprays at both these concentrations are more effective in terms of droplet distribution compared to 100% UAV spray with human back pack motorized spray. Field studies indicated that leaf folder damage was effectively reduced with flubendiamide sprays at 100% and 75% RDPs with UAV with no significant differences. However, these treatments were significantly superior to 100% RDP of spray using human back pack sprayer. Similarly, grain yields were significantly superior in 100% RDP and 75% RDP-UAV sprayed plots with no significant differences between them. Further, both these treatments were significantly superior to 100% RDP spray using human back pack sprayer in grain yield enhancement. Overall, our results suggested the efficacy of “ANGRAU-Pushpak-01” UAV hexacopter in reducing leaf folder in rice and enhancing grain yields when sprayed with flubendiamide at 75% RDP, thus offering scope for reduced pesticide costs compared to spraying with 100% RDP of flubendiamide using human back pack motorized sprayer under the conditions evaluated.

English

As rice develops from sowing to harvesting stages require a combination of both natural and non-natural inputs. Thus, at every stage, specific proportions are demanded as aggregates which contribute to the final yields. Understanding these inputs and their impacts on rice yield will help the small scale rice farmers in Tanzania to boost rice yields. This study pursues to (i) characterize rice farmers’ in Mbeya Region of Tanzania; (ii) estimate parameters for factors affecting rice along the phenological stages and their influences on growth and yield; and (iii) disclose the perceived factors affecting rice production. Data collected through structured questionnaires, interviews and focus discussions. Data analyses were done by descriptive statistics, Garret ranking techniques, and the Translog Cobb Douglas (CD) model. The descriptive results indicated majority of respondents had ages between 45 and 50 years; only 3% of respondents had informal education and 80% of them own farm size of from 1 to 3 acres. Empirical results show that labour, fertilizer, seeds quantity, pesticide cost, floods, and sunshine duration significantly influenced rice yield. Rainfall was the most influential factors as perceived by farmers. Based on these current findings, suggestions were provided to the responsible policymakers to work on utilizing the potential available from the identified major influential factors to increase farmers' income and increase food security. Key words: Inputs, rice, growth stage, Cobb Douglass, Mbeya.

Detection of wheat Fusarium head blight using UAV-based spectral and image feature fusion.

Infection caused by Fusarium head blight (FHB) has severely damaged the quality and yield of wheat in China and threatened the health of humans and livestock. Inaccurate disease detection increases the use cost of pesticide and pollutes farmland, highlighting the need for FHB detection in wheat fields. The combination of spectral and spatial information provided by image analysis facilitates the detection of infection-related damage in crops. In this study, an effective detection method for wheat FHB based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hyperspectral images was explored by fusing spectral features and image features. Spectral features mainly refer to band features, and image features mainly include texture and color features. Our aim was to explain all aspects of wheat infection through multi-class feature fusion and to find the best FHB detection method for field wheat combining current advanced algorithms. We first evaluated the quality of the two acquired UAV images and eliminated the excessively noisy bands in the images. Then, the spectral features, texture features, and color features in the images were extracted. The random forest (RF) algorithm was used to optimize features, and the importance value of the features determined whether the features were retained. Feature combinations included spectral features, spectral and texture features fusion, and the fusion of spectral, texture, and color features to combine support vector machine, RF, and back propagation neural network in constructing wheat FHB detection models. The results showed that the model based on the fusion of spectral, texture, and color features using the RF algorithm achieved the best performance, with a prediction accuracy of 85%. The method proposed in this study may provide an effective way of FHB detection in field wheat.

Assessment of farmers′ utilization of approved pesticides in cocoa farms in Ondo state, Nigeria

The study assessed farmers' utilization of approved pesticides in cocoa farms in Ondo State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 240 respondents for the study. Data were collected using an interview schedule and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that most (91.2%) of the respondents were male, married (90.0%) with a mean age of 51.1 years. The major insecticide approved by the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) and utilized by the majority of the cocoa farmers was Actara 25 WG. The major approved fungicide by CRIN and utilized by cocoa farmers were Ridomil Gold, Ultimax Plus, and Red Force. The results further showed that Clear Weed was the most used herbicide among the approved herbicides recommended to the cocoa farmers in the study area. Results further revealed that all (100.0%) cocoa farmers complied with the safety precautions of using pesticides. These precautions include: avoid mixing herbicides with fungicides, avoid spraying against wind direction, and proper handling and storage of pesticides. The major constraints faced by cocoa farmers in using the approved pesticides were lack of government support in terms of grants and inputs (X¯ = 2.97), lack of access to credit facilities (X¯ = 2.95), and high cost of approved pesticides (X¯ = 2.90). The education status of cocoa farmers had a significant association with compliance with safety precautions while using pesticides (χ2 = 6.087, p ≤ 0.05). The study recommends that cocoa farmers should be assisted with timely provision of approved cocoa pesticides by government, non-governmental agencies and private organizations.

ANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PRODUKSI PADI SAWAH DI DESA PAYA BILI SA KECAMATAN BIREM BAYEUN KABUPATEN ACEH TIMUR

Factors affecting paddy rice production in Paya Bili Sa Village, Birem Bayeun District, East Aceh Regency. This research was conducted in Paya Bili Sa Village, Birem Bayeun District, East Aceh Regency. Sampling was carried out using the slovin formula with an error tolerance of 15%, from a total population of 145 people, a sample of 34 people was obtained. Data processing is carried out using SPSS 20 software. The results of statistical analysis with the double linear regression method, obtained the value of Y= 98.734 + 3586.085 X1 + 0.000159 X2 + 0.005696 X3 + 0.000521 X4 + 0.000300 X5. The results of the coefficient of determination (R2) test showed the relationship between the variables of land area, labor costs, seed costs, fertilizer costs and pesticide costs had a very strong effect on paddy rice production, Test t, showed that variables of land area, labor costs, seed costs, fertilizer costs had a significant effect on paddy rice production, while pesticide variables did not affect paddy rice production, For the F test, it was shown that the variables of land area, labor costs, seed costs, fertilizer costs and pesticide costs significantly affected paddy rice production, in Paya Bili Sa Village, Birem Bayeun District, East Aceh Regency.