Abstract:
Efforts to control Plant Pest Organisms based on the principle of Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) prioritize pre-emptive measures so that environmental
sustainability can be maintained and make farmers as IPM experts. In practice, the
application of pesticides is still considered one of the best solutions for farmers in
controlling pests. The behavior of farmers who lack discipline in the use of pesticides,
both in terms of type, dosage and frequency, has the potential to leave residues in the
field. Improper handling of pesticides and their packaging also has a negative impact
on the environment. The existence of functional officials controlling plant pests in
charge of carrying out activities of observation, forecasting and pest control is one of
the factors that determine the success of IPM implementation. The purpose of this
study was to determine the role of functional officials controlling plant pests on the
behavior of rice farmers in the use and handling of pesticides in Bunga Raya District,
Siak Regency. The study was conducted in January to April 2019. The study was
conducted on 40 sample farmers by purposive sampling through structured
interviews using questionnaires. The results show that 67.5% of farmers have
knowledge of IPM but 50% have applied it. As many as 77.5% mixed with several
types of pesticides and 35% consulted with officer before mixing. In the application,
only 5% applied pesticides because of officer recommendations, the biggest was due
to the presence of pest attacks in the field at 55% and 37.5% due to habits or
following farmers' routine schedules. The handling of pesticide packaging after
application of 87.5% was washed and thrown in the trenches, 32.5% were buried and
27.5 burned. The high knowledge of pesticides will ultimately affect the behavior of
farmers in using pesticides. The role of the officer is very important as a control of the
behavior of farmers in the use and handling of pesticides in the field.
