Improvement of intersectoral collaboration approach and e-training model for safe agricultural practice in Aydin city

Objective: In this study, we aimed to train agricultural consultants with agricultural practices by distance education, and to improve the knowledge and practice of farmers who have manufacturer status through the educated agricultural consultants. Material & Methods: The study is a randomized controlled interference study that was performed between September 2013 and December 2015, in city of Aydın. It was performed based on a previous study titled "Pesticide Awareness in Aydın city". The study was scheduled in three stages. The first phase of the study was for determining of the villages (problematic villages about safe pesticide practices according to the preliminary results) that includes in the interference group (10 villages + a village for backup) and the control group (10 villages + a village for backup); and for establishing a distance education curriculum related to the subjects with supports of specialist consultants, and improving an unique e-learning model by loading questions and lecture record videos of agriculture experts into the education management system (LMS) as modules. At the second stage, we aimed to train 11 agricultural consultants in distance interference group via LMS system and to determine educational efficiency by performing both pre-test and post-test. At the third stage, we aimed to educate the consultants through WEB, and afterwards we evaluated safe agricultural practice of manufacturers through face to face questionnaire of both the interference and control group. As a data collection instrument, questionnaire were consisted with 5 parts (1-identifying information of the participants, 2-grown product, pesticides and the factors affecting choice of pesticide, 3-knowledge related pesticide effects on the environment and people's health, 4-elements to be considered at pesticide preparation and implementation phase, 5-health problems and symptoms depending on influence of pesticide) through law explanations of "Regulations about Application Procedures and Principles of Plant Protection Products" and in 2011 "Drug-tool" book section of T.C. Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, titled " Programmes and Principles of Phytosanitary and Quarantine Work". The total scores were calculated, after each correct answer for questions of pesticide preparation and applications or practice was scored as "1 point", while the incorrect or missed answers were scored as "0 point". We interviewed to 340 manufacturers in the intervention group, while to 378 in the control group. In order to conduct the study in the specified villages, the approval was obtained from Governor of Aydın, Aydın Agriculture Livestock and Food Directorate, and the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine with the Protocol No.2013/254. All study data were analyzed with SPSS v23 software package. Numbers and percentage distribution are shown in descriptive statistics and mean±standard deviation is also given. A Kolmogorov-Smirnow test was done to check variables for normal distribution. Chi-square test, Student's t-test, chi-square test for dependent groups, Paired t-test and Wilcoxon tests were used in analytical analysis. Type 1 error level was considered as 0,05. Results: Both the interference and control groups were similar in terms of socio-demographic characteristics (age, sex, marital status, education, social security) and safe pesticide practices (attention issues when preparing and implementing drug, and risk status)(p>0.05). Pre-test mean score of agricultural consultants (64.00 ± 14,05) significantly increased after education (78.12± 11.19) (p=0.42). Before manufacturer training, adaptation to the points that should be considered for preparation, applying and storing of medicine varied between minimum 16.9% and maximum 98.5%; while after training varied from 47,2% to 100%. Before training, adaptation ranged between 66.1% and 10,5% for drug self-preparation and points that should be considered; as ranged from 98.4% to 37,5% after the training. There was significant increase at taking all measures of preparation medicine in the interference group after the training (p<0,001). During drug administration, compliance with issues they care when pre-applied drug itself ranged between 74.6% and 11,4% for those; as it was found to vary between 70% and 100% after the training. There was a statistically significant increase at knowledge scores related the effects of pesticides after training in the intervention group, at total score for pesticide applications, and at total score related preparing pesticides (p<0,001). Conclusion: Knowledge level of agricultural consultants increased with module that was improved by researchers and used in training of agricultural consultants. We experienced that the training which is applied through agricultural consultants improved knowledge and practices of manufacturer regarding safe agricultural practice. Distance education methods should be applied with success for ensuring sustainability of the training and for sharing the updated information with agricultural consultants and manufacturers as soon as possible. Keywords: distance education, pesticides, safe agriculture