In Dang Xa commune, the households with a male head made up 56.67%, while those with a female head made up 43.33%. It can be seen that the majority of household heads were male maybe because mentended to be decision makers in the family, deciding their production activities and being more active in applying scientific and technological advances .Regarding the educational level of the household head, the survey data shows that out of a total of 30 surveyed households in each commune, 100% of the household heads of the surveyed farming households had an educational level of at least primary school. High school degree holders accounted for the highest percentages, with 33.33% and 30.00% of the interviewees in Van Duc and Dang Xa communes, respectively.
Household heads with secondary education accounted for 23.33% and 20% of the surveyed households in Van Duc and Dang Xa communes, respectively.The educational level of the household head is important because it reflects the level of awareness, understanding and ability to absorb and apply science and technology to production activities of the farmer household. From the survey results,grow table hydroponic it can be seen that the heads of households in the two communes had a relatively high level of education. This is an advantage for production activities, applying science and technology to production,absorbing new knowledge into production activities, and implementing effective measures to reduce risks of pesticides by plants of the surveyed households.On average, the number of household members was 3.86 people/household.The average population of Van Duc commune was 3.96 people/household,higher than Dang Xa commune with 3.76 people/household.
The number of laborers per household in Dang Xa commune was higher with 2.36 laborers/household;while in Van Duc commune, this figure was 2.34 laborers/household. Integrated pest management is the ideal method to reduce pesticide use and protect the environment from pollution, helping to ensure food safety and human health . Pest management is achieved directly using a variety of tools,including pesticides, and indirectly through a number of other farming practices;this integrated approach has a positive effect on plant health in general as well as helps to reduce the pesticides needed for the plants . In Gia Lam district,alternative pest and crop protection methods focusing on agroeco systems and integrated pest management had been prioritized for application in vegetable production by farmers in the two surveyed communes.Biological pesticides, in general, have many advantages over conventional pesticides. Biological pesticides are becoming more and more popular around the world by being a safer tactic in the management of pests and diseases for the crops whilst having significantly lower risks to not only humans but also the environment.
Using biological pesticides and pesticide products with low toxicity and high efficiency in pest control but safer for humans and the environment is one of the important risk reduction measures.The survey results show that the proportion of biological pesticides in the pesticide structure used in Van Duc commune was 67.63%, this rate in Dang Xacommune was 63.56%. In which, the most popular were pesticides of Group III . This is the result of the careful guidance from technical staff specialized in plant protection, cooperative staff and thanks to active participation in the farmer groups.Most common biological pesticides applied in vegetable cultivation in the two communes were those containing active ingredients such as Bacillus Thuringiens is, Emamectin benzoate, Diafenthiuron, Matrine, Azadirachtin, Cytokinin, and Bacillus subtilis , etc. All of these pesticides were included in the list allowed to be used by the Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as the list of pesticides recommended for use prepared by the Plantation and Plant Protection Station of Gia Lam district and sold in pesticide stores in the study area. The application of pesticides, especially of the improper pesticides and improper doses applied, poses a dominant threat to the farmers who apply the pesticides on the fields . Pesticide use principle is important since pesticide risks can be avoided or reduced if farmers understand and practice the principle well.
The 4-right principles in the use of pesticides was officially legalized in Vietnam in 2015. It is one of the most important principles in plant protection and quarantine activities in Vietnam.In the two surveyed communes, the majority of farmers understood and practiced quite well in accordance with the 4-right principle: When pests and diseases have reached the threshold, farmers use pesticides in compliance with the instructions of specialized agencies, using pesticides according to the 4-right principles:“RIGHT pesticides for the right crop, RIGHT dose and concentration,RIGHT time of application and RIGHT methods of application”.