Farmers’ Knowledge and Awareness towards the Use of Agrochemicals in Vegetable Cultivation, Fako Cameroon

Agrochemicals are contemporary, omnipresent tool used in vegetable cultivation. Farmers’ knowledge and awareness of the proper usage of agrochemicals are critical for mitigating the negative effects on human health. This cross-sectional study was aimed at assessing the usage knowledge, risk awareness of toxicological and chemical classes, proper handling and use practices for agrochemicals homologated for use in vegetable farming, and the occurrence of health-related symptoms as a result of exposure among these farmers. The study included 93 vegetable growers from agricultural hotspot towns in Fako, southwest Cameroon. The field study, ran from November 2021 to December 2023, using a questionnaire to collect information on farmers demographic, and their knowledge of pesticide classes, and the related risk of associated with the handling of agrochemicals. Results show that all vegetable farmers, particularly those engaged in agribusiness, employ pesticide inputs to maximize production. Six pesticides, two fertilizer types, and one unknown substance were identified. While 23 active compounds were found, the most utilized were abamectin, emamectin (10.46%), dimethoate (9.30%,) and ethoprophos (8.13%). Two active chemicals, dimethoate and methalaxyl, are illegal yet remain in circulation. Toxicological classes I and II, with the greatest harmful effect on human health, were the most commonly utilized (64.27%). Thirty-nine percent of farmers never use personal protection equipment when working with agrochemicals, demonstrating a significant gap in knowledge and awareness of agrochemicals and their various applications and handling procedures in the field. The government should implement an intensive specialized educational program for on-field farmers with incentives in order to promote sustainable agriculture methods that ensure environmental and human safety.

Adoption of Solar Pumping Systems by Vegetable Farmers in Niayes Agro-Ecological Zone of Senegal: Adoption as a Sequential Process

This article examines the determinants of the adoption of solar pumping systems (PV) by vegetable farmers in the Niayes area of Senegal. To measure the determinants, we used a sequential logit model to translate the adoption process from becoming aware of solar pumping systems to testing them, i.e. using them at least once, and then continuing to use them over time. The results show that the main variables affecting awareness of the use of solar pumping systems (PV) are age, marital status, experience, access to credit, the farmer’s knowledge of climate change, the farmer’s origin in the Thiès region and length of time in the Niayes area. The first use of PVs is influenced by factors such as the size of the plot, the distance of the plot from the main road or from the market. Finally, the decision to adopt or continue use is influenced by gender, experience, household size and access to credit. Surprisingly, access to credit does not affect the first use of solar pumping systems, but plays a key role in their continued use.

Research and Analyze the Factors Affecting to the Formation of the Economy Area of Fresh Vegetables Cultivation at Ho Chi Minh City Suburb

Vietnam＇s economy is developing more and more rapidly, people＇s income are increasing, and the living condition is better. Today, consumer are increasingly aware of the quality of products, especially fresh food, but they have a little opportunity to choose the products which satisfy the needs, because they are limited to the product information and product origin. Fresh vegetables are one of the essential foods in the family living. The selection of fresh vegetables is not only to serve the basic needs as eating and drinking, but also to include the need for safety. Currently, consumer demand for fresh vegetable are great, especially when the living standards are becoming higher and people pay more attention to their health, especially for the consumer of Ho Chi Minh City. How fresh is vegetable market in Ho Chi Minh City today like.＇？ What is consumers＇ awareness of fresh vegetable？ What factors impact the fresh vegetable buying behavior of consumers？ Why does the development of fresh vegetable market in Ho Chi Minh City currently face many difficulties？ This study surveys the research, analyzes the factors affecting the economic area formation of fresh vegetable plantation at suburb of rio Chi Minh City.

Technology issues and prevention strategies on sunlight greenhouse vegetable

Energy-saving solar greenhouse vegetables cultivating is to create and improve microclimate environment with greenhouse in those seasons impossible for open cultivation production and in order to achieve the purpose of harvest in advance or in delay. Since a greenhouse needs huge construction expenses and high production costs, only though the improvement of facility utilization can we obtain better economic benefits. Vegetable germination and seedling stage need a long time for ground, so they need smaller standing area. So we concentrated in a small area of cultivation can not only create a suitable environment easily, nurture strong age seedling, but also can avoid greenhouse waste. Make transplanting to greenhouse after Seedlings breeding can effectively reduce the fertility cycle and substantially increase greenhouse utilization.

Influence of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Floating Bed Cultivation of Okra and Cucumber during Summer Season in Southern Part of Bangladesh

Some trails were carried out with a view to evaluate the performances of organic and inorganic fertilizers on growth and yield of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in floating bed cultivation applying water hyacinth in 2014 and 2015 at Gopalpur union under Tungipara upazila of Gopalganj district in Bangladesh. The single factor experiment was conducted following Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) involving four treatments with three replications viz. T1: control (without organic and inorganic fertilizer), T2: cow dung, T3: recommended dose of NPK and T4: 50% cow dung + 50% recommended dose of NPK. Different growth parameters in respect of okra grown in 2014 and 2015, the longest plant height (171.73 cm and 164.03 cm), maximum number of branches (5.67 and 5.67) and leaves (60.33 and 69.67) were found in the treatment T3. Regarding yield parameters, significantly higher number of fruits plant-1, fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), individual fruit weight (g), fruits weight plant-1 (g) and yield (t·ha-1) were 24.00 & 23.33, 16.61 & 16.59 cm, 6.01 & 6.17 cm, 23.47 & 24.74 g, 617.33 & 660.33 g, 13.01 & 13.21 t·ha-1 obtained respectively grown in 2014 and 2015 by applying the treatment T3 were identically similar with those in receiving the treatment T4. The lowest output was recorded in control in both seasons for all the cases. Similar trend of growth and yield were also observed during the cultivation of cucumber under the same treatment conditions in both the seasons. Results revealed that there was no identical differences in growth and yield attributes in between the treatments T3 and T4, where as the production cost was subjected to lower in T4 compare to T3. However, from the economic point of view, the treatment T4 i.e. application of 50% cow dung + 50% recommended dose of NPK fertilizers in floating bed cultivation was exposed to be more feasible and suitable as cost effective for the growth and yield of okra and cucumber in the experimental area.