Perception of the Effects of Rice Stubble and Straw Burning Among Rice Farmers in Tha Tako District, Nakhon Sawan Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study 1) farmers’ general characteristics, 2) perception of rice stubble and straw burning impact among farmers, 3) knowledge and practices for rice stubble and straw management, and 4) issues with handling rice stubble and straw. The sample consisted of 375 rice farmers in Tha Tako district, Nakhon Sawan province. The obtained data were collected by interview form and analyzed by descriptive statistics. Hypotheses were tested by t-test and one – way ANOVA. The finding revealed farmers were female (62.40%), with an average age of 52.95 years old and most had graduated from elementary school (63.70%), with an average experience of 24.57 years. Most farmers received information from community leaders (87.00%). Overall, farmers’ perceptions of the impacts of rice straw and stubble burning were moderate. The majority of farmers had a high level of knowledge about rice straw and stubble management. (80.00%). Regarding rice straw and stubble management practices, straw and rice stubble incorporation was the most common method (30.30%).The problem of management had lacked of support from the government. The hypothesis test results indicated that farmers' age, education level, and experience significantly influenced their perception of the impacts of rice straw and stubble burning at a significance level of 0.05