Analysis of agricultural pesticide usage habits of farmers in cotton planting areas of Kahramanmaraş province

Abstract:

This research was conducted to determine the chemical pesticide usage habits of cotton growers, the socioeconomic factors influencing this process, and their environmental risk perception in Kahramanmaraş province, one of Turkey's prominent cotton production basins. The primary material consists of surveys conducted with 80 randomly selected cotton producers in the central, Türkoğlu, and Pazarcık districts of Kahramanmaraş. Findings indicate that the average age of the producers is quite high (56.3% over 50 years old), and the education level is predominantly primary school (55%). It was determined that agricultural pesticide dealers, rather than technical personnel, significantly influence pesticide application decisions at a rate of 91.25%. Furthermore, it was found that 100% of the producers apply pesticides immediately upon seeing pests or diseases without waiting for the economic threshold, and a large portion of the empty containers (63.75%) is disposed of by burning. Based on these data, it is concluded that Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles are not fully implemented in the region, leading to excessive and unconscious pesticide use that poses potential environmental risks