Spray man and pesticide spraying - A unnoticed story

Pesticide application has become an indispensable process in crop production, but the inappropriate use of synthetic pesticides has led to significant risks for both human health and the environment. When we tried to map the diffusion network of pesticide-related information, we found that spray man is playing a crucial role. Therefore, we tried to assess the awareness of spray man regarding pesticide recommendations and application protocols. Our study employed snowball sampling to identify the spray man and content analysis to access their awareness level. The findings revealed that most spray men lacked knowledge about the recommended level of pesticide and safety protocols, handled pesticides carelessly, and were unaware of pesticide exposure management measures. Since spray men are one of the trusted information sources among the farmers, enhancing their knowledge about pesticide dosage and safety protocols would assist in not only regulating over-application but also saving their health and environment.