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Safer pesticide-application equipment<br />

for small-scale farmers in<br />

developing Asian countries<br />

Md. Jusoh Mamat,1 A.N. Anas,2 and S.H. Sarif Hashim2<br />

1Fundamental <strong>Research</strong> Division and 2Agriculture, Engineering and Water<br />

Management Division, Malaysian Agricultural <strong>Research</strong> and <strong>Development</strong><br />

Institute, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />

Many tropical Asian countries produce lever-operated knapsack sprayers<br />

locally. The quality <strong>of</strong> the sprayers ranges from poor to moderate, yet large<br />

numbers <strong>of</strong> these sprayers are bought and used in the region. Some <strong>of</strong> their<br />

unsafe features are: shap edges on the tank body, poor positioning <strong>of</strong> the<br />

pump body and linkage system, leak-prone connections, and poor quality<br />

materials. Factors leading to the continued production <strong>of</strong> inferior sprayers<br />

include the lack <strong>of</strong> incentives for local manufacturers to produce good<br />

quality sprayers, farmers' poor appreciation <strong>of</strong> quality and safety features,<br />

and the lack <strong>of</strong> national minimum product standards. Overcoming these<br />

problems requires the establishment <strong>of</strong> research programs in national<br />

agricultural research institutes to design safer and more efficient knapsack<br />

sprayers that can be produced locally, upgrading <strong>of</strong> farmers' training<br />

programs to improve their appreciation <strong>of</strong> good quality sprayers and safer<br />

spraying practices, and establishing minimum standards for knapsack<br />

sprayers.<br />

Unlike North America or Europe, the greatest concern relating to the escalating<br />

use <strong>of</strong> pesticides in developing Asian countries is the personal contamination<br />

<strong>of</strong> those applying the chemicals. Ironically, in cases <strong>of</strong> occupational<br />

poisoning or failed pest control, farmers put the blame on the pesticide.<br />

Seldom, if ever, is the method or apparatus used for application blamed. Yet,<br />

the design and condition <strong>of</strong> the equipment owned and used by farmers can<br />

contribute to the safe and efficient application <strong>of</strong> pesticides (Anas et al. 1987;<br />

Jusoh Mamat and Anas 1988).<br />

In many developing Asian countries, the lever-operated knapsack sprayer is<br />

still the most commonly used pesticide applicator among small-scale farmers<br />

178

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