The Role of Knowledge and Attitude in Promoting Safe Pesticide Use Among Farmers in Seethawaka DS Division, Colombo District

Abstract

Pesticides are commonly employed in agriculture to safeguard crops and maintain productivity, and their improper handling and misuse pose considerable health and environmentalhazards. This study to assess the influence of farmers'knowledge and attitudes on the promoting of safe pesticide handling practices among farmers in the Seethawaka DS division of the Colombo district. A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 100 farmers purposively selected, and quantitative data were analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression techniques with SPSS version 26. The results indicated that both knowledge (p : 0.007) and attitude (p : 01000) exefted a statistically significant positive influence on safe pesticide usage, suggesting that informed and safety-oriented farmers are more inclined to adhere to recommended practices for handling, storage, and disposal. Among socio-demographic variables, the type of farming involvement (p : 0.034) and primary income source (p :0.004) exhibited significant associations, whereas education and gender did not reach statistical significance. The results show that knowledge and positive attitudes are more importantthan demographic factors when it comes to safe pesticide use. The study finds that to protect both people and the environment, it is important to improve farmer education, give regular safety training, and make agricultural extension services stronger