Salameh (2004) claimed that adequate and reliable sources of information
seemed to induce the perception of risk and the adoption of preventive
measures, despite the low general level of education of the
subjects involved. Oral communication with retailers and among
farmers played a dominant role in learning about pesticides and their
functions. Although some media channels provide information about
the control of pests and diseases in cultivation, media advertising
seems an inadequate mean to provide information about pesticides.
Participants said that information provided by television was difficult
to apply because of differences from the real conditions of cultivation.
The distrust of pesticide advertisements led to a strong reliance on the
information provided by distributors and neighbours and on the personal
experience of the farmers. Accordingly, based on their own experiences,
farmers would likely overuse or mix pesticides unaware of the
negative interactions among the various active ingredients. Mixed pesticides
not only lose efficacy but may also enhance the hazards to the
sprayer and the environment (Karunamoorthi et al., 2011).