Pesticide Use Statistics

There are two sources of consistent State and National data on agricultural pesticide use. The most comprehensive is the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service . Most recent NASS reports on field crops, fruit and nuts, and vegetable pesticide use are now available online. NASS surveys cover different crops in different years, and hence it is difficult to compile a national database for all crops in a given year from NASS data.

The second major source of data is the State level database compiled and managed by Dr. Leonard Gianessi at the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy (NCFAP). The NCFAP database was used extensively in analyses carried out in Pest Management at the Crossroads. The tables are organized by major pesticide active ingredient. Acres treated, pounds applied per acre, and total pounds are reported by crop and State. The database can be purchased from NCFAP and is easy to use in MicroSoft Office's Excel or other spreadsheet programs. To obtain the database (price $150.00) call Leonard Gianessi at 202-328-5048. The updated version of the database is proposed to be released in the Spring of 1998.