Farmer Behaviors in a Pest Control for Spraying Chemical Pesticides in Sanden Subdistrict, Bantul Regency

Shallot is one of the important commodities grown by farmers in Bantul regency. Cultivating shallots is uneasy due to many obstacles faced, one of them is pest attack. To control pests, farmers spray pesticides as a solution. Spraying of pesticides must be in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). This research is located in Sanden Subdistrict, Bantul Regency with the following objectives: (1) To determine the behavior of farmers towards controlling plant pests by spraying chemical pesticides in Sanden Subdistrict, Bantul Regency, and (2) To analyze the factors that influence the behavior of farmers in controlling plant pests by spraying chemical pesticides in Sanden Subdistrict, Bantul Regency. The method used in this research is quantitative descriptive method. Respondents were drawn from 5 farmer groups, they are Kelompok Tani Ngudi Makmur, Bukti Tani, Malangan, Ngudi Rejeki and Tani Maju with the total number of 60 farmers. The sample was chosen by using simple random sampling. The results showed that less than and equal to fifty percent (≤50%) of farmers in Sanden Subdistrict, Bantul Regency had disobedient behavior when spraying chemical pesticides to control plant pests. Factors that influence the behavior of farmers in controlling plant pests by spraying chemical pesticides are motivation, attitude, group role, instructor role, and group membership activity. The higher the motivation, the behavior of farmers will increasingly disobey the rules. The worse the attitude, the behavior of farmers will increasingly disobey the rules. The lower the role of the group, the behavior of farmers will increasingly disobey the rules. The less active members are, the behavior of farmers will be more disobedient and the higher the role of extension agents, the behavior of farmers will be more disobedient.