Nursery and Floriculture Chemical Use Backgrounder

	Nursery and Floriculture Chemical Use
United States Department of Agriculture		National Agricultural Statistics Service
		March 20XX

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts the Nursery and Floriculture Chemical Use Survey to provide detailed data on chemical use and pest management practices in the nursery and floriculture industries. The survey, which was last conducted in 2010, gives horticulture producers the opportunity to provide first-hand information on their production practices.

HOW ARE THE DATA COLLECTED?

The Nursery and Floriculture Chemical Use Survey is conducted in six of the largest nursery and floriculture producing states – California, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas. These states account for 70 percent of the total nursery sales and 50 percent of the total floriculture sales in the United States. NASS will interview producers representing more than 3,500 operations with gross sales in excess of $10,000.

NASS will contact producers between March 1 and August 10 and ask them to provide information on:

• Type, location and total area of plants treated with chemical applications.

• Product name, rate, frequency and method of application.

• Their operation’s pest management practices.

HOW IS THE INFORMATION USED?

NASS will publish survey results in the Nursery and Floriculture Chemical Use Summary in early 20XX. This report is a critical decision-making and educational tool for growers, consumers, international buyers and USDA and regulatory agencies. Data from the Nursery and Floriculture Chemical Use Survey will:

• Help the nursery and floriculture producers and distributors to establish facts about their industry’s use of agricultural chemicals and alternative pest management strategies.

• Allow USDA agencies and land grant universities to implement educational programs and provide production and economic guidelines.

• Supply growers and chemical manufacturers with information to assess market trends, future needs and product alternatives.

• Assist industry organizations and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in analyzing economic impacts, improving product labeling, and researching product registration issues.

• Provide statistics used by EPA to conduct risk analysis regarding environmental impact and worker exposure to chemicals.

The information provided by survey respondents is confidential by law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.

All reports are available through the NASS web site: www.nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540.