Assessment of Small Scale Farmers’ Skills Regarding Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in District Sargodha-Pakistan

A survey study was conducted to assess the knowledge awareness level in IPM technology among farmers. Four villages were randomly selected from Sargodha district for data collection. Thirteen farmers from each village were selected randomly and sample size was 52 respondents. More than 92% of respondents have no advisory services either from public or private sector. The findings imply that respondents need knowledge for all levels of competence in IPM technology. They need to get high-level of competence for application of this technology in the field. In addition, they have little exposure to long-term training opportunities due to low education level for applications of this technology. More than 77% of respondents think that government agricultural policies and no access to information sources regarding integrated pest management at grass-root level are main constraints. The findings from correlation and regression analyses indicate that age and knowledge/awareness level are negatively correlated. It may be concluded that elder respondents have less adaptability to new ideas and techniques as compared to young respondents. However, training and information, education, and experience play a significant role in enhancing the knowledge/awareness level of respondents in IPM technology.