Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Pesticides use and Waste Disposal among Vegetable and Cotton Farmers in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

The knowledge, attitude and practice of pesticides use and waste disposal among vegetable and cotton farmers in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Results showed that 32.1 % to 60.3 % of the farmers had poor educational background, while none had completed tertiary education (indicative of poor knowledge). Majority of farmers (69.4 % to 99.3 %) re-sprayed the treated fields until the spray tank was empty (indicative of poor practice). Some farmers either buried (35.9 % to 64.3 %) or burnt (30.7 %) the empty pesticide containers in the field. Majority (74.6 % to 95.1 %) of the farmers consumed the contaminated water around the field or used it for other domestic purposes (indicative of poor attitude). Results obtained from this survey compels the need to take farmers education as priority. Further, there is a need to encourage research into the development of simple environmentally-friendly methods, such as biobeds, to degrade pesticide residues in rinsate.