Farmer-level knowledge and adoption of integrated pest management in chilli: A study from Mahabubabad district of Telangana, India

Introduction

Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important spice and vegetable crop cultivated throughout India. It is valued for its nutritional richness, containing vitamins, carotenoids, oleoresins, phenolic compounds and capsaicin, which possess antioxidant and medicinal properties (Subbalaxmi and Naik, 2002) [10] . Due to its flavour, pungency and colour, chilli is widely used as a condiment worldwide and is an integral part of Asian cuisine (Jitbunjerdkul and Kijroongrojana, 2007; Toontom et al., 2010) [2,11] . India is the world's largest producer of chilli, and Telangana is one of the major chilli-growing states, with the erstwhile Warangal district serving as an important production and export hub. Despite its economic significance, chilli productivity is constrained by several insect pests, including aphids, thrips, mites, whiteflies, fruit borers and jassids, which can cause yield losses ranging from 50 to 90 per cent under severe infestation (Gundannavar et al., 2007; Poornima et al., 2024; Sivakumar et al., 2025) [1,7,9] . Management of these pests has largely depended on chemical pesticides, leading to problems such as pesticide residues, pest resurgence, insecticide resistance, environmental contamination and loss of natural enemies (Joia et al., 2001; Mallikarjuna Rao and Ahmed, 1986) [3,5] . Growing concerns regarding food safety and export quality standards have increased the need for sustainable pest management strategies. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has emerged as an effective and eco-friendly approach that integrates cultural, mechanical, biological and need-based chemical control measures to keep pest populations below economic threshold levels. IPM reduces pesticide use, improves environmental safety, enhances produce quality and increases profitability. However, adoption of IPM practices among chilli growers varies due to differences in knowledge, socioeconomic conditions, access to extension services and input availability. Therefore, assessing the adoption status of IPM practices and identifying factors influencing their adoption is essential for promoting sustainable chilli production. In this context, the present study was undertaken in Mahabubabad district of Telangana during 2020 to assess the knowledge level and adoption status of IPM practices among chilli growers.

Research method

The study was carried out by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Malyal, Mahabubabad -an extension unit of Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU), Telangana, India. Three mandals viz., Mahabubabad, Nellikuduru and Kuravi mandals of Mahabubabad district were selected and from each mandal, two villages were selected randomly based on chilli crop coverage. From each of the selected villages, 20 farmers were chosen, making a total sample of 120 farmers for the study. An ex-post facto research design, combined with an exploratory approach, was adopted since the phenomena under study had already occurred and were beyond the control. Familiarity with the local language enabled to establish quick rapport with the respondents and facilitated an in-depth investigation. Primary data were collected using an open-ended interview schedule designed to capture farmers' IPM Practices in chilli. The responses were systematically categorized and interpreted using frequency and percentage distributions.

Results and Discussion

Knowledge level of farmers on IPM in chilli:

The respondents were categorized into low, medium, and high knowledge groups based on their level of knowledge regarding IPM practices in chilli (Table 1). The results revealed that more than half of the respondents (56.66%) belonged to the high knowledge category, followed by the medium (34.16%) and low (9.16%) knowledge categories. High level of knowledge about IPM practices in chilli cultivation among majority of the respondents may be attributed to their higher levels of participation in extension programmes and farming experience. Furthermore, a large proportion of the respondents are generally more active, receptive and interested in acquiring new agricultural innovations and technologies. Forty per cent of the farmers possessed high level of knowledge about integrated pest management practices in chilli in a similar study conducted by Mahalakshmi and Tulasiram, 2018 [4] in Raichur district of Karnataka, India by. Similar findings were reported in cotton by Patel and Sanwal, 2015 [6] .

Extent of knowledge level of individual IPM practices in chilli crop:

The knowledge level of chilli farmers regarding individual IPM practices varied across different components of crop production and protection (Table 2). Availability of seed and water in time is the major constraint expressed for taking up early sowing.

Inter-cultivation and hand weeding:

A substantial proportion of respondents (82.50%, rank 5) possessed knowledge about inter-cultivation and hand weeding practices. This may be because these recommended practices are widely accepted and routinely followed by farmers and are recognized for reducing weed competition and pest harbourage.

Growing trap crops and border crops:

Marigold is an important trap crop in chilli to attract fruit borer adults for egg laying so that control measures can be restricted to marigold plants or pest in the field can be reduced by harvesting marigold flowers, securing an additional income. Similarly, jowar and maize are recommended as border crops to reduce initial pest infestation especially sucking pests. 73.33% of the respondents possessed knowledge about the use of these trap and border crops. Although farmers are increasingly becoming aware of these ecological engineering practices, their understanding remain comparatively lower than conventional cultural practices.

Use of yellow and blue sticky traps for pest monitoring:

About 68.33% (seventh rank) of the respondents were aware of using yellow and blue sticky traps for pest monitoring. Moderate level of knowledge may be due to increased promotion of these devices through extension programmes and demonstrations. 8. Use of neem products: Knowledge regarding the use of neem-based products ranked eighth and was reported by 61.66% of the respondents. Despite the growing emphasis on eco-friendly pest management, limited awareness on neem products was reported which could be due to farmers' preference for quick-acting chemical pesticides.

Insecticide sprays:

The highest level of knowledge was observed for insecticide application, with 91.66% of respondents reporting awareness. Easy accessibility to agrochemicals, high availability, established supply chains, frequent interactions of farmers with input dealers and extension personnel and immediate observable effects drive this dominance. However, overdependence on chemicals raises concerns about resistance development, pesticide residues, non-target impacts (natural enemies), and safety.

Adoption level of different IPM components

The adoption of different IPM components among chilli growers varied considerably. Among all the components, insecticide sprays recorded the highest adoption (91.00%), indicating that farmers predominantly relied on chemical methods for pest management. Pesticides are perceived as reliable and quick solutions for pest outbreaks. This was followed by the use of pheromone traps (81.00%), suggesting a good level of awareness and acceptance of pest monitoring and mass-trapping techniques. This may be due to increased promotion of pheromone traps through extension programmes and demonstrations conducted by the KVK and department of agriculture. The adoption of border crops (75.00%) and mechanical control measures (74.00%) was also relatively high, reflecting farmers' recognition of these practices in reducing pest incidence. Farmers prefer these practices because they are relatively simple, economical and can be integrated easily into existing crop management operations. Trap crops were adopted by 66.00 per cent of the respondents, indicating moderate acceptance. In contrast, the adoption of bio-agents was comparatively low (46.00%), while bird perches recorded the lowest adoption (38.00%). The lower adoption of bio-agents may be due to limited awareness regarding their mode of action, inconsistent availability, and the perception that biological control agents act more slowly than chemical pesticides. Lowest adoption of bird perches could be because of less awareness of their role in reducing pest populations, or because they perceive them as less effective compared to conventional control measures. Overall, the findings indicate that although several IPM components have been adopted by farmers, chemical control continues to dominate pest management practices in chilli cultivation. The mean adoption level of IPM components was 67.29 per cent, indicating a moderate to high level of adoption among chilli growers. However, the wide variation observed among different components suggests that farmers preferentially adopt practices that provide immediate and visible benefits, while ecological and biological approaches require further promotion through extension interventions. Similar study conducted by Ramulamma et al., 2017 [8]

Conclusion

The findings indicate that chilli farmers possessed relatively higher knowledge of conventional IPM practices such as insecticide application, deep ploughing, and crop rotation, while knowledge of eco-friendly IPM components such as growing resistant cultivars, use of neem products, sticky traps and trap crops was comparatively lower. Although several IPM components have gained considerable acceptance among farmers, adoption is skewed towards chemical and easily observable control measures, while ecologically based practices such as bioagents and bird perches remain underutilized. Greater emphasis is needed on promoting biological control agents to achieve a more balanced and sustainable IPM approach in chilli cultivation. Also, the continued high dependence on chemical pesticides highlights the need for further extension efforts to promote comprehensive IPM adoption among farmers.

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