ANALYSIS OF ADHERENCE TO DOSAGE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USE OF PESTICIDES BY ARABLE CROP FARMERS IN NJABA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IMO STATE, NIGERIA.

Modern practices in crop farming in areas prone to attacks of pests is recently attracting increasing use of chemicals in checking incidences of weeds, insects, birds and rodents not only in farms, gardens but in food and product stores. Many factors have influenced these practices including socio-economic variables which either encourage or discourage the pesticides use. This investigation involved a survey of eighty (80) arable crop farmers' selected using multi-stage random sampling technique in Njaba local Government Area of Imo State of Nigeria. Result reveals that farm size, farming experience, number of times in contact with extension agents in a month, level of educational attainment, and cost of pesticides were factors that influenced use and adherence to recommended dosage of pesticides by farmers. Pesticides when properly applied in the right dosage, under dry weather condition gave good results especially in the short run. Extension outfit should encourage the farmers to process and store their products even for a short period of time. This will enable them be much aware of storage pesticides and help them fetch better prices for their products. Farmers were reminded to recognize and heed the three principles of threshold, interdependence, and complexity in their practice of using most pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]