Traded Synthetic Insecticides for Postharvest Crop Protection in Oyo State, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Insects are major storage menace of agricultural production because they destroy produce and reduce substantial revenue of the farmers. The use of synthetic insecticides is a major pest control method of crop protection. This study was a survey which employed the use of a questionnaire to identify the predominantly traded synthetic insecticides and factors that influenced the predominance of the insecticides in four major towns(Ogbomoso, Oyo, Saki and Ibadan) of Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria. Data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using frequency, percentages, weighted mean score and ranking. Majority of the respondents (78.4%) identified DD Force, followed by Sniper (61.7%) and Nopest (32.3%) as the most commonly traded synthetic insecticides. The most rated factor for the predominance of the pesticides was product efficacy (WMS = 4.30), while the least rated factor was longevity of time of use/popularity (WMS= 4.00). The study recommends that pesticides users should be educated on the ecological compatibility of the traded synthetic insecticides, so that ecological safety should be a criterion for the choice of synthetic insecticides.