International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

search-icon

Knowledge, Attitude, Awareness, Communication and Practice among Farmers towards Empowerment of Natural Enemies in Rice Field in Melaka, Malaysia

Open access
Rice is a staple food in Malaysia and contributes 8.9% of the national gross domestic product in 2015. The productivity has increased from time to time in order to meet the high demand now days. The use of pesticides technology was widely used the rice production all over Malaysia due to the prompt results of combating pests. The heavy usage of pesticides has led to the pollution of the ecosystem including the beneficial insects. Decision of spraying was made by the farmer themselves which were influenced by their knowledge, attitude, awareness and communication regarding the presence of natural enemies in their rice field. However, these factors has not been measured properly in order to determine their significance towards the farmers practice. Hence, a survey has been conducted to determine the proposed measurement in rice farming area in Melaka. Farmers from three main rice farming area were interviewed using questionnaire as the main instrument. The questionnaire has been pretested prior to the actual survey. A total of 224 farmers were sampled out of 860 rice farmers’ population throughout Melaka. Data were analyzed for their central tendencies as well as significant relationship. Result showed that knowledge, attitude and communications has given a significant effect to the farmers’ practices towards enhancing the natural enemies in rice fields. However, the findings also found that the awareness level is inadequate among farmers. Therefore, there is a need for continuous awareness program by the local authorities regarding the natural enemies in the rice field in the future.
Abdollahzadeh, G., Sharifzadeh, M. S., & Damalas, C. A. (2015). Perceptions of The Beneficial and Harmful Effects of Pesticides among Iranian Rice Farmers Influence The Adoption of Biological Control. Crop Protection, 75, 124–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2015. 05.018
Ahmad, J., Noor, S. M., & Ismail, N. (2015). Investigating Students’ Environmental Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Communication. Asian Social Science, 11(16). https://doi.org/ 10.5539/ass.v11n16p284
Ameilia Z, S., Che Salmah, R., & Zulkifli, N. (2010). Abandance and Diversity of Odonata in Upland Rice Field at Manik Rambung, North of Sumatera. In 7th IMT-GT UNINET and the 3rd International PSU-UNS Conferences on Bioscience (pp. 55–61).
Anon (2016). Selected Agricultural Indicators, Malaysia. Department of Statistics Malaysia. Retrieved from https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat= 72&bul_id=QS95em5KdjhRUDZzZzJXdEtONFhXdz09&menu_id=Z0VTZGU1UHBUT1VJMFlpaXRRR0xpdz09
Assis, K., & Mohd Ismail, H. A. (2011). Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Farmers towards Organic Farming. International Journal of Economics and Research, 2(3), 1–6.
Bergeron, B. (2011). Knowledge Management. Management, 30, 89–93. https://doi.org/10. 1186/1752-0509-5-38
Dhakal, S., Joshi, D. D., Ale, A., Sharma, M., Dahal, M., Shah, Y., & Stephen, C. (2014). Regional Variation in Pig Farmer Awareness and Actions Regarding Japanese Encephalitis in Nepal: Implications for Public Health Education. PLoS ONE, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1371 /journal.pone.0085399
Dzobo, A. (2016). Knowledge, Practices and Self - Reported Symptoms of Pesticides Use among Vegetable Farmers: A Cross Sectional Study in the Offinso North District. University of Ghana.
Escalada, M. M., & Heong, K. L. (1997). Changing Farmers’ Perceptions of Pests through Participatory Experiments. ILEIA Newsletter, 13(2), 10–12.
Fuad, M. J. M., Junaidi, A. B., Habibah, A., Hamzah, J., Toriman, M. E., Lyndon, N., & Azima, A. M. (2012). The Impact of Pesticides on Paddy Farmers and Ecosystem. Advances in Natural and Applied Sciences, 6(1), 65–70.
Hafiz, M. T., Abida, B., & Sher, M. S. (2009). Foraging Strategies and Diet Composition of Two Orb Web Spiders in Rice Ecosystems. The Journal of Arachnology, 37, 357–362.
Hair, J. F., Money, A. H., Samouel, P., & Page, M. (2007). Research Methods for Business. John Wiley & Sons.
Heong, K. L., & Escalada, M. M. (1997). Pest Management Perceptions and Practices of Farmers Growing Rice and Vegetables in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. In K. L. Heong & M. M. Escalada (Eds.), Pest Management of Rice Farmers in Asia (pp. 161–170). Los Baños, Philippines: International Rice Research Institute.
Heong, K. L., Escalada, M. M., Huarp, N. H., & Map, V. (1998). Use of Communication Media in Changing Rice Farmers’ Pest Management in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, 17(5), 413–425.
Heong, K. L., Escalada, M. M., Sengsoulivong, V., & Schiller, J. (2002). Insect Management Beliefs and Practices of Rice Farmers in Laos. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 92(2–3), 137–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8809(01)00304-8
Krejcie, R. V, & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining Sample Size for Research Activities. Education and Psychological Measurement, 30, 607–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 001316447003000308
Lee, G.-H., Heong, K. L., Paik, C.-H., Kim, D.-H., Na, S.-Y., & Choi, M.-Y. (2002). Life Cycle and Predation Potential of the Black Cricket, Methioche vittaticollis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) and Its Population Density in the Rice Field. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, 5(2), 215–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1226-8615(08)60155-7
Lekei, E. E., Ngowi, A. V, & London, L. (2014). Farmers’ Knowledge, Practices and Injuries Associated with Pesticide Exposure in Rural Farming Villages in Tanzania. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 389. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-389
Mohd Hanysyam, M. N., Fauziah, I., Siti Khairiyah, M. H., Fairuz, K., Mohd Rasdi, Z., Nurul Zfarina, M. Z., & Norazliza, R. (2013). Entomofaunal Diversity of insects in FELDA Gunung Besout 6, Sungkai, Perak. In IEEE Business Engineering and Industrial Applications Colloquium (BEIAC 2013) (pp. 234–239). Langkawi, Malaysia: IEEE. https://doi.org/ 10.1109/BEIAC.2013.6560123
Mohsen, M. M., Salah, R., Mohamed, E., & Hafez, S. H. (2016). Knowledge, Practice and Self-reported Symptoms among Farmers about Hazards of Pesticide Exposure. International Journal of Novel Research in Healthcare and Nursing, 3(2), 143–154.
Nguyen, D. T., Medina, C. D. R., Velasco, L. R. I., & Dizon, J. T. (2011). Farmers’ Knowledge and Practices in Controlling Mites and Their Attitude towards Biological Control. Korean J. Intl. Agri., 23(1), 7–20.
Norazliza, R., Mohd Rasdi, Z., Fauziah, I., Fairuz, K., & Ismail, R. (2014). Water Quality, Climatic and Plant Traits as Predictors on Abundance of Insects in Paddy Field, Tanjung Karang, Selangor, Malaysia. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology B, 4, 641–651. https: //doi.org/10.17265/2161-6264/2014.08.006
Popp, J., Peto, K., & Nagy, J. (2013). Pesticide Productivity and Food Security. A Review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 33(1), 243–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s13593-012-0105-x
Ranjan, R., Neupane, K., Wantamutte, A. S., Banjade, B., Kushwaha, N., Neupane, R., & Mph, P. G. (2014). Practice of Pesticides Use among the Farmers of Kangrali Village in Belgaum -A Cross-sectional Study. International Journal of Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies, 1(5), 202–207.
Sagoff, M. (2011). The Quantification and Valuation of Ecosystem Services. Ecological Economics, 70, 497–502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.10.006
Schoenly, K. G., Cohen, M. B., Barrion, A. T., Zhang, W., Gaolach, B., & Viajante, V. D. (2003). Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis on Non-Target Herbivore and Natural Enemy Assemblages in Tropical Irrigated Rice. Environ. Biosafety Res., 3, 181–206. https:// doi.org/10.1051 /ebr:2003013
Shafie, A. A., & Azman, A. W. (2015). Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Food Allergies among Food Handlers in the State of Penang, Malaysia. Public Health, 129(9), 1278–1284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2015.03.016
Shui-chen, C. (1979). Biological Control of the Brown Planthopper. In Brown Planthopper: Threat to Rice Production in Asia. (pp. 335–355). International Rice Research Institute, Manila, Philippines.
Soola, E. O. (1988). Agricultural Communication and the African Non-Literate Farmer: The Nigerian Experience. Africa Media Review, 2(3), 75–91.
Suffian, A. B. (2015). Melaka Step Forward in Green Technology. Retrieved from http://www.utusan.com.my /berita/wilayah/melaka/melaka-maju-selangkah-dalam-teknologi-hijau-1.76040.
Takada, M. B., Yoshioka, A., Takagi, S., Iwabuchi, S., & Washitani, I. (2012). Multiple Spatial Scale Factors Affecting Mirid Bug Abundance and Damage Level in Organic Rice Paddies. Biological Control, 60(2), 169–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2011.11.011
Terano, R., Mohamed, Z., Shamsudin, M. N., & Latif, I. A. (2015). Factors Influencing Intention to Adopt Sustainable Agriculture Practices among Paddy Farmers in KADA, Malaysia. Asian Journal of Agricultural Research, 9(5), 268–275. https://doi.org/10.3923/ajar.2015. 268.275
ul Haq, N., Hassali, M. A., Shafie, A. A., Saleem, F., Farooqui, M., Haseeb, A., & Aljadhey, H. (2013). A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among Hepatitis-B Patients in Quetta, Pakistan. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/ 1471-2458-13-448
Wongwichit, D., Siriwong, W., & Robson, M. G. (2012). Herbicide Exposure to Maize Farmers in Northern Thailand: Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices. Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 3(1), 34–38.
Wu, B., Parnwell, M., & Bradley, P. (2002). Farmer Self-Organizing Innovation in the Marginal Areas of China: A Study of Farmer Communication Networks in Zhidan, Loess Plateau. Journal of Rural Cooperation, 30(1), 43–63.
Yang, X., Wang, F., Meng, L., Zhang, W., Fan, L., Geissen, V., & Ritsema, C. J. (2014). Farmer and Retailer Knowledge and Awareness of the Risks from Pesticide Use: A Case Study in the Wei River Catchment, China. Science of the Total Environment, 497–498, 172–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.07.118
Fairuz, K., Idris, A. G., Syahrizan, S., & Mohammad Noor, A. H. (2017). Knowledge, Attitude, Awareness, Communication and Practice among Farmers towards Empowerment of Natural Enemies in Rice Field in Melaka, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 7(11), 1121-1130.