Current status of pesticide use among rice farmers in Cambodia

Knowledge about the current status of pesticide use in Cambodia is critical to attempts to establish an effective pest control system. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to clarify pesticide use by farmers, the number and timing of pesticide applications, and the active ingredients of the pesticides used during rainy season cropping in three study areas in the Takeo (TK), Prey Veng (PV), and Svay Rieng (SR) provinces. The number of pesticide applications and the major active ingredients of those pesticides varied across these areas according to the pesticide package labels stored by farmers. Insecticides and growth activators were often used in TK and PV but were rarely used in SR, except for some herbicides. The farmers tended to apply more insecticides and fungicides, especially when they observed certain pests in their fields. When the three study areas were compared, pesticide application also seemed to depend on demographic profile, the varieties of the crops cultivated, and the reason for cultivation. These results will be useful for determining the optimal approach to pest management in Cambodia.