Farmers’ Behavior in Using Chemical Fertilizer at Ban Pho Prasat, Bo Thong Subdistrict, Bang Rakam District, Phitsanulok Province

Abstract

Chemical fertilizers are among key production factors in modern day agricultural practice. Inappropriate use of such fertilizers in the long run negatively impacts the environment. The purposes of this cross-sectional descriptive study were to explore growers’ fertilizer use patterns and their knowledge pertaining chemical fertilizers. The study was conducted in September 2016 in Ban Pho Prasat, Bo Thong subdistrict, Bang Rakam district, Phitsanulok province. Data were collected by means of structured face-to-face interviews on all consented farmers whose agriculture was the main or additional occupation. Five trained village health volunteers conducted the interview sessions. Seventy-four farmers from 74 households agreed to participate in this study. All of them reported using chemical fertilizers, and had been using the agents for long time. Farmers appeared to share the same fertilizer use pattern, mainly because they learned from their neighbors. Governmental agencies or academicians were rarely mentioned as their source of information. Factors relating to their decision to use chemical fertilizers were: product attributes such as ease of application; evidence attributes such as prior positive experience; cost attributes such as price of the fertilizers; and channel of distribution attributes such as availability of the product. Information and promotional activities were found to moderately, or less likely to, affect farmers’ decision. Overall, farmers exhibited moderate knowledge pertaining to chemical fertilizers. Their knowledge on appropriate amount of fertilizers, however, was low. In addition, the vast majority of growers had never tried any other means of plant growth promoting product than chemical fertilizers. The findings warranted urgent measures from responsible authorities to increase farmers’ knowledge and improve their chemical fertilizer use behavior.