Factors Affecting Rice Farmer's Adoption in Integrated Pest Management Technology: (A Study of Chedi Hak Subdistrict, Ratchaburi Province)

Abstract

Food security and sustainable agriculture is one important point in Thailand agricultural development. Thailand has great amount on pesticide consumption as agricultural input. To achieve the good sustainable agriculture, Thailand adopt the IPM technology as the advanced technology. The study focused on analyzing and identifying factors affecting adoption of technology dissemination (IPM). The main focus in this investigation is to determine factors affecting rice farmers in IPM technology adoption. The main idea of research is to deliver a number of possible policy implications and recommendation for productivity improvement, income generation and higher standard of living of rice cultivators towards self sufficiency and sustainability of rice in Thailand. The benchmark survey in this investigation was obtained from one rice progressive farmer in Chedi Hak Sub district, Mueang Ratchaburi District, Ratchaburi Province. The sample was selected using a purposive sampling technique including the progressive farmer, extension officer, and stakeholders. Survey items of this study was used interviewing schedule in terms of SWOT analysis and Matrix analysis. Descriptive quantitative analysis was used to determine ecological condition, personal background, factors affecting adoption of IPM, and KAP of IPM. The findings shows that the progressive farmer has high capability, acceptability, and practicality towards IPM technology model (prevention, monitoring, identification, pest action, and evaluation). There are some factor affecting adoption of IPM technology including personal background, input used, physical factors, biological factors, social factors, economic factors, institutional factors, and psychological factors. While the main constraint in the IPM adoption including complexity of IPM technology, weak perception of IPM technology, labor intensive, easy access of pesticide, and lack awareness of pollution. The findings generated recommendations for rice production policy measures that focused in four dimension including policy orientation by research and development on redesign IPM technology, implementation oriented by promotion IPM in the mass media, academic orientation by providing , and public orientation by concerning in quality and safety of product.