Agricultural Chemical Use - Fruit Crops 2009

FRUIT CROPS 2009

Overview

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The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
Agricultural Chemical Use Program is the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s official source of
statistics about on-farm and post-harvest fertilizer
and pesticide use and pest management practices.

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In the fall of 2009, NASS collected data about
chemical use and pest management practices
for 23 fruit crops in 12 states. Apples, blueberries
and peaches were the most prevalent fruit crops
covered by the 2009 Fruit Chemical Usage Survey,
with each being grown in at least six states.

Target Crops by State, 2009 Fruit Chemical Use Survey
Apples

X

Apricots

X

Avocados

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Blackberries

X

X

Blueberries

X

Cherries, Sweet

X

X

X

X

Cherries, Tart

X

Dates

X

Figs

X

Grapefruit

X

Grapes, All

X

Kiwifruit

X

Lemons

X

Nectarines

X

Olives

X

Oranges, All

X

Peaches

X

Pears

X

Plums

X

Prunes

X

Tangelos

X

X

X

X
X

X

X
X

X

Raspberries
Tangerines

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
X

X

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service

www.nass.usda.gov

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Pesticides

On blueberries, the leading insecticide applied
was Phosmet. It was applied to 36 percent of the
blueberry acres at a rate of 1.848 pounds per acre.

Fungicides were the most common type of
pesticide used on apples, blueberries and
peaches. They were applied to 87 percent of the
blueberry acres and 85 percent of the peach
and apple acres. Insecticides were applied to 87
percent of apple acres, 84 percent of blueberry
acres and 81 percent of peach acres. Herbicides
and other chemicals were less extensively used.

Pesticides: Percent of Acres Treated,
2009 Program States
Herbicide

Blueberries

Lbs/Acre

Lbs

Carbaryl

51

1.707

248,000

Petroleum distillate

48

30.634

4,217,000

Chlorpyrifos

42

1.707

201,000

Esfenvalerate

51

0.126

6,000

Phosmet

30

3.498

102,000

Petroleum distillate

25

28.111

681,000

Phosmet

36

1.848

36,000

28

3.248

48,000

24

0.061

1,000

Esfenvalerate

Top Fungicides Used, by Percent Acres Treated,
2009 Program States
Fungicide Active Ingredient

Apples

Peaches

60%

80%

To
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%

Blueberries Malathion

40%

To
Ap tal
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ed

Ra
Cr te p
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ar

20%

Ra
Cr te p
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Ye
ar

Peaches

Other Chemicals

Peaches

Ac
Tre res
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Apples

Ac
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Insecticide Active Ingredient

Fungicide

Apples

On apples, Carbaryl was the most widely used
insecticide. It was applied to 51 percent of the
apple acreage at a rate of 1.707 pounds per acre.
On peaches, Esfenvalerate was the most widely
used insecticide. It was applied to 51 percent of
the peach acres at a rate of 0.126 pounds per acre.

Top Insecticides Used, by Percent Acres Treated,
2009 Program States

Insecticide

%

Lbs/Acre

Lbs

Mancozeb

36

8.451

856,000

Sulfur

36

9.615

976,000

Triflumizole

35

0.419

41,000

Sulfur

55

32.331

1,731,000

Propiconazole

39

0.165

6,000

Copper hydroxide

28

2.483

68,000

Fenbuconazole

58

0.179

5,000

51

0.109

3,000

43

3.726

85,000

Blueberries Pyraclostrobin
Captan

Fertilizers

Nitrogen, the most widely used fertilizer
ingredient, was applied to 89 percent of blueberry
acres, 80 percent of the peach acres and 67
percent of the apple acres. Nitrogen was applied
at an average rate of 79 pounds per acre to the
peach crop, 73 pounds per acre to blueberries and
36 pounds per acre to apples.

Fertilizers: Rate per Crop Year,
2009 Program States
Nitrogen

Phosphate

Potash

100
90
80

Phosphate was applied to 69 percent of the
blueberry acres, 33 percent of the apples acres and
23 percent of the peach acres. Potash and sulfur
were less extensively used.

Lbs/Acre

70
60
50
40
30

Fertilizers: Percent of Bearing Acres Treated,
2009 Program States
Nitrogen

Phosphate

Potash

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
Apples

Peaches

Blueberries

20
10
Apples

Peaches

Blueberries

Pest Management Practices

Fruit growers reported using several management practices to aid in the deterrence of pests through
prevention, monitoring and suppression. Among the commonly used practices were: scouting for insects
and diseases, irrigation of crop acres and the use of alternative pesticides with different mechanisms of
action.

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Top Practice

All
Sta
tes

Top Pest Management Practices by Percent of Acres Treated, State level

% All Fruit Crops
Prevention

Crop acres irrigated

90

99

95

39

Monitoring

Scouted for insects and diseases

97

98

94

96

Alternate pesticides with different
mechanisms of action

73

67

74

94

Suppression

For More Information

The 2009 agricultural chemical use data for fruit were published July 28, 2010 and are available through the
Quick Stats database on the NASS website: www.nass.usda.gov.
To access the database directly, go to quickstats.nass.usda.gov and under Sector, select Environmental.
For assistance call the Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540.
NASS will publish additional data from the Agricultural Chemical Use Program through 2011, including:
Nursery and Floriculture, 2009 Crop Year - January 2011
Post-harvest Wheat, 2010 Marketing Year - March 2011
Corn, Organic Corn, Upland Cotton and Fall Potatoes, 2010 Crop Year - May 2011
Vegetables, 2010 Crop Year - July 2011

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service

www.nass.usda.gov