Trend and Impact of Bio-pesticides Use in Agriculture: A Case Study in Raichur District, Karnataka

This paper has studied the use of different bio-pesticides on some selected crops, the costs and returns for use of bio-pesticides and socio-economic factors for their use in the Raichur district of Karnataka using primary data for the year 2013–14. The comparative study of differential cost and returns between bio-pesticide and chemical pesticides regime has revealed that the net returns with bio-pesticide application ( 4,990/acre) were higher by a margin of 520/acre than the net returns with chemical pesticides application ( 4,470/acre). The study has revealed that lack of timely availability in the market, and lack of awareness about use are the major constraints faced by the farmers in the study area. To encourage the use of bio-pesticides for sustainable agriculture, the policy suggestions put forward are: development of commercially viable bio-pesticides, availability of biopesticides in time, appropriate institutional technology transfer mechanisms for promotion of bio-pesticides, and encouragement to private sector in bio-pesticide production and marketing.