Preliminary Estimates of Annual Agricultural Pesticide Use for Counties of the Conterminous United States, 2010–2011

Summary

This report provides preliminary estimates of annual agricultural use of 374 pesticide compounds in counties of the conterminous United States in 2010 and 2011, compiled by means of methods described in Thelin and Stone (2013). U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) county-level data for harvested-crop acreage were used in conjunction with proprietary Crop Reporting District (CRD)-level pesticide-use data to estimate county-level pesticide use. Estimated pesticide use (EPest) values were calculated with both the EPest-high and EPest-low methods. The distinction between the EPest-high method and the EPest-low method is that there are more counties with estimated pesticide use for EPest-high compared to EPest-low, owing to differing assumptions about missing survey data (Thelin and Stone, 2013). Preliminary estimates in this report will be revised upon availability of updated crop acreages in the 2012 Agricultural Census, to be published by the USDA in 2014. In addition, estimates for 2008 and 2009 previously published by Stone (2013) will be updated subsequent to the 2012 Agricultural Census release. Estimates of annual agricultural pesticide use are provided as downloadable, tab-delimited files, which are organized by compound, year, state Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, county FIPS code, and kg (amount in kilograms). The files, listed below are a continuation of the 1992-2009 pesticide use estimates reported by Stone (2013):

EPest-high county pesticide-use estimates, divided by pesticide name:

Table 1. 2,4-D through Chlorantraniliprole
Table 2. Chlorethoxyfos through Diflufenzopyr
Table 3. Dimethenamid through Gibberellic Acid
Table 4. Glufosinate through Metiram
Table 5. Metolachlor through Propazine
Table 6. Propiconazole through Triasulfuron
Table 7. Tribenuron Methyl through Zoxamide

EPest-low county pesticide-use estimates, divided by pesticide name:

Table 8. 2,4-D through Chlorantraniliprole
Table 9. Chlorethoxyfos through Diflufenzopyr
Table 10. Dimethenamid through Gibberellic acid
Table 11. Glufosinate through Metriam
Table 12. Metolachlor through Propazine
Table 13. Propiconazole through Triasulfuron
Table 14. Tribenuron Methyl through Zoxamide

References Cited

Thelin, G.P., and Stone, W. W., 2013, Estimation of annual agricultural pesticide use for counties of the conterminous United States, 19922009: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5009, 54 p.

Stone, W.W., 2013, Estimated annual agricultural pesticide use for counties of the conterminous United States, 1992–2009: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 752, 1-p. pamphlet, 14 tables.

First posted December 27, 2013