The use of plant protection products in the amateur gardening | Uporaba fitofarmacevtskih sredstev pri ljubiteljskem pridelovanju vrtnin

The questioner which we have carried out in several villages in Kranj community in the year 2007, has contained 47 questions. The answers of 40 gardeners that participated in our survey gave us an opportunity to study thoroughly the application of plant protection products (PPP) on their gardens. We were especially interested in the following issues: how they improve their knowledge about the use and the effect of PPP, do they properly apply the knowledge that they have gained, do they use PPP in practice correctly and how strongly they are aware of their influence on the environment by using PPP. The level of education of the participants is quite good, although the general education does not give them a proper technical or professional knowledge of PPP. We found out that 89.8 % of them extra educate themselves about plant breeding and protection. In spite of that fact, their knowledge and understanding of some technical terms are low. Only half of them thinks that the pests are also weeds, 37.5 % do not know what preharvest interval is, 77.5 % do not know threshold of economic damage, and 62.5 % of them do not know what the critical mass of harmful insects is. In order to enable our participants to answer the question, we had to explain them a term of phytotoxicity. 37.5 % of them have never heard of restriction to use PPP, 32.5 % of them are not aware of possible ways of toxication by PPP, and 30 % of them inaccurately prepare a spray deposit. In spite of all that 66.7 % of the questioned participants had answered that they read instructions for the use of PPP completely and accurately, but 67 % of them use an adequate measure for apportion of the concentration. 82.1 % of participants consult the proper use of PPP with a salesman, 62.5 % of them consult the recognising of diseases and pests. 67.5 % of them know all possible ways of toxication with PPP, but only 7.5 % of them choose appropriate personal protection garmentor gear. A small amount of 10 % of the participants treat the spray deposit remains properly, 45 % handle with non-valid chemicals properly by returning the chemicals to the salesman or giving them away by organized collecting of waste. Only 37.5 % of participants remove the wasted package properly, though 66.6 % of them mean that they are informed about collecting of dangerous waste well enough.