Weed control practices and awareness of herbicide resistance among cereal farmers of northern Greece

Abstract

AbstractKnowledge of weed control practices and farmers’ awareness of herbicide resistance could be a basis for improving weed management programs with respect to herbicide resistance, but research on this topic is limited. This study reports current weed control practices and levels of awareness of herbicide resistance among cereal farmers of northern Greece. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 250 cereal farmers of Evros district, based on a structured questionnaire. Most farmers (82.8%) used herbicides in cereal production, with one application per growing season. Farmers appeared divided with respect to using the same herbicide each year; the majority of the farmers (90.8%) applied crop rotation. Almost half of the farmers (47.2%) did not know what herbicide resistance is, but most farmers (75.1%) felt herbicide resistance would be a problem for them. According to their answers on nine knowledge questions about herbicide resistance, 66.8% of the farmers had good knowledge, and 33.2% had poor knowledge. Almost seven in 10 farmers (69.8%) did not consider herbicide resistance when purchasing an herbicide for use, and only 40.4% were willing to change common weed control practices to prevent herbicide resistance. Awareness of herbicide resistance did not differ by sex; poor awareness levels increased with advanced age, low education levels, and small farm size. Farmers who used chemical weed control had higher awareness levels of herbicide resistance than farmers who never used herbicides. Farmers who were keeping records of herbicide applications, those who observed low efficacy of herbicides in their field, and those who applied crop rotation had high awareness levels of herbicide resistance, whereas farmers who used the same herbicide each year had poor awareness. Findings shed light on inter-relationships between farmers’ awareness of herbicide resistance and current weed control practices that could be useful for targeted extension education.