Farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of pesticide use in apple farms of northern Iran: impact on safety behavior

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2019-03, Vol.26 (9), p.9343-9351
• Main Authors: Bagheri, Asghar, Emami, Naier, Damalas, Christos A., Allahyari, Mohammad Sadegh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Apples; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Attitudes; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Farmers; Farms; Fungicides; Knowledge; Pesticides; Research Article; Safety; Spraying; Structural equation modeling; Variables; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-04330-y

Farmers’ knowledge of pesticide use as well as their attitudes and perceptions concerning risks and safety play a crucial role in safe spraying operations in farms, but little is known for the inter-relationships among these variables and their impact on safety behavior. This study examined the levels of knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of pesticide use among apple farmers ( n  = 200) of Meshkinshahr County, Iran. All farmers used fungicides in their farms. On a scale from 1 to 5, the mean scores of knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions were 3.66 ± 0.77, 3.36 ± 0.59, and 4.37 ± 0.42, respectively, implying a moderate level of knowledge of pesticide use and attitudes towards pesticides, but positive perceptions of pesticides among respondents. Contact with extension agents, education level, reading pesticide labels, and household literate members showed positive association ( P