Agricultural Chemical Usage - Field Crop Methodology and Quality Measures

ISSN: 2166-983X

Agricultural Chemical Usage - Field
Crop Methodology and Quality
Measures

Released May 15, 2014, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA).

Agricultural Resource Management Survey: Methodology and Chemical Usage Statistics
Scope and Purpose: The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) collects data about chemical use and pest
management practices for selected field crops. These field crop data have been collected annually since the 1990 crop
year. Up to four target field crops are selected each year, chosen on a rotational basis. The states involved (referred to as
“program states”) are selected based on NASS acres planted estimates. NASS aims to cover at a minimum 80 percent of
acres planted to each target commodity. The data are collected as Phase II of the Agricultural Resource Management
Survey (ARMS II). The ARMS is a cooperative agreement between NASS and USDA’s Economic Research Service
(ERS).
One or both ARMS II components may be conducted each year: the Production Practices Report Survey (PPR) and the
Production Practices and Costs Report Survey (PPCR). The PPR is conducted in support of NASS’s chemical usage
program exclusively. The PPCR is conducted in cooperation with ERS as part of the ARMS costs of production program.
The ARMS is conducted in three phases. The initial screening phase identifies in-business, in-scope operations, multiple
operating arrangements, and operations having commodities of interest for Phase II and III. The ARMS II PPR collects
data on chemical use and pest management practices. The ARMS II PPCR collects data on agricultural production
practices, chemical and other resource use, and variable costs of production for each crop for which an ARMS Phase III
cost of production survey is conducted. ERS is responsible for estimating cost of production for major commodities and
determines the PPCR commodity rotation.
Survey Timeline: Data collection may begin on October 1 and continue through mid December to ensure completion of
the crop year. NASS Regional Field Offices (RFOs) along with NASS Headquarters (HQ) spend the next several months
reviewing reported data for reasonableness and conduct producer follow-ups, as necessary. The estimates are released to
the NASS Quick Stats 2.0 system during the third week of May.
Sample Size, Sampling Frames, and Methods: The ARMS II is selected as a follow-on survey to the ARMS Phase 1
(ARMS I) Screening Survey. The ARMS I sample is selected from the NASS list frame using Sequential Interval Poisson
Sampling to minimize overlap between the current year’s ARMS I sample, last year’s ARMS I sample, and other NASS
surveys. Each eligible operation on the list frame is given a positive probability of selection. A given operation’s
probability of selection is calculated based on farm value of sales (FVS) strata membership and acreage levels of the
ARMS II commodities. After the screening phase, operations which report positive acreage for ARMS II target
commodities are subsampled for the ARMS II. Multiple operating arrangements are further subsampled so that only one
suboperation is included in the ARMS II sample. The sampling weights are adjusted upwards to account for this
subsampling.
Data Collection and Editing: All federal data collections require approval by the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). NASS must document the public need for the data, show the design applies sound statistical practice, ensure the
data do not already exist elsewhere, and show that the public is not excessively burdened. The ARMS II questionnaires
must display an active OMB number that gives NASS the authority to conduct the survey, a statement of the survey
purpose and the use of the collected data, a response burden statement that estimates the time required to complete the
form, a confidentiality statement that the respondent’s information will be protected from disclosure, and a statement that
response to the survey is voluntary and not required by law. Using these questionnaires, chemical use and pest
management data are collected only by personal visit from an enumerator. Postcards are mailed to producers prior to field

contact stating the importance of cooperation and that contact will be made in the coming weeks. Once contact is made by
the field enumerator, an appointment is made to collect data. Data are collected for one field randomly chosen from all the
operation’s fields planted to the ARMS II field crop. The field enumerator returns the questionnaires to the NASS RFO
for editing and data entry. Questionnaire responses are captured and edited for consistency using automated systems, and
a report of questionnaires with errors is generated. NASS statisticians will correct the errors on the report or comment to
their validity if the data are deemed to be correct.
Analysis Tools: Chemical use data are processed through an interactive data analysis tool which displays data for all
reports by product or commodity. This application tool provides various scatter plots, graphs, tables, charts, and listing
tools that allow the analyst to compare an individual record to other similar records within a state or at the program state
level. Outliers and unusual data relationships are investigated by RFO and HQ statisticians to determine validity. Suspect
data found to be in error are corrected.
Nonsampling Errors: Nonsampling errors are present in any survey process. These errors include reporting, recording,
editing, and imputation errors. Steps are taken to minimize the impact of these errors, such as comprehensive interviewer
training, validation and verification of processing systems, detailed computer edits, and the analysis tool. Re-contact with
respondents is conducted on an as needed basis.
Nonresponse Adjustment: Response to the ARMS II is voluntary. Some producers refuse to participate in the survey,
others cannot be located during the data collection period, and some submit incomplete reports. These nonrespondents
must be accounted for to make accurate estimates of total chemical usage. For ARMS II, item level nonresponse is
accounted for by imputing data where there are missing values. Imputed rates of application for chemicals are calculated
through an automated imputation system that calculates an unweighted mean for an imputation group based on
commodity, state, and product. When a group lacks other responses, groups are collapsed by state to preserve as much of
the homogeneity as possible.
Calibration: Calibration is a weighting technique used in survey sampling to adjust the survey weights for sampled
elements so that the weighted sum of a set of benchmark variables equals a pre-determined set of values for the
population. The input to the calibration algorithm is the weights generated from the sampling procedures. Sampling
weights are calculated based on selection probability so that the samples are representative of the entire population of
farms at the state level for the target field crop(s) in that state. Due to survey nonresponse, weights are adjusted through a
calibration algorithm. Calibration adjusts the sampling weights so the expanded data will match planted acreage totals
from the January Crop Production report [http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProdSu/CropProdSu-01-102014.pdf]. This ensures that the chemical use and pest management data collected will accurately represent the chemical
usage and practices for all target field crops for the entire target population.
Estimators: The ARMS II utilizes direct expansions and/or ratio expansions for all survey indications. Direct expansions
are calculated by summing the reported or imputed chemical data values by the calibrated weights. Similarly, ratios are
calculated by applying calibrated weights and nonresponse adjustments to data when both the numerator and denominator
are reported. Variance estimates are computed for all expansions.
Outliers: NASS conducts a review of outliers found in the chemical use data by reviewing application rates for all records
for the same product and commodity combinations. The RFOs and HQ statisticians work together to ensure the data are as
accurate as possible. The RFO statisticians review outliers within their regions, and the HQ statistician examines outliers
across all program states for the published categories. A determination is made as to whether an adjustment to the
application data is required. Most outliers trace back to unique situations that do not exist in the target population as much
as the survey weight would indicate.
Estimation: HQ statisticians execute a summary that generates state level and program state level indications. RFOs are
responsible for performing a detailed review of their survey results and providing comments that justify their survey
results. HQ statisticians conduct a final review of survey results from all program states. Any irregularities revealed by the
summary must be investigated and, if necessary, resolved. After final review, state and program state level summary
results are adopted as official estimates.

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Agricultural Chemical Usage - Field Crop Methodology and Quality Measures (May 2014)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

There are three main types of data that NASS estimates for these surveys - fertilizer application, pesticide application, and
pest management data. For the application data, NASS collects information about the commercial fertilizers and pesticides
applied during the crop year. For fertilizer, these applications are collected as either actual pounds or percent analysis of
Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P2O5), Potash (K2O), and Sulfur (S). Fertilizer data are then published in actual pounds of
nutrient used. For pesticides, these applications are collected at the product level, generally per application. These product
level data are converted to pounds of active ingredient (or the acid or metallic equivalent, where applicable), summarized,
and published. If there are not a sufficient number of reports, the data are suppressed from publication, along with any
needed complementary suppression.
For both fertilizer and pesticide application data, NASS estimates area applied (percent of planted acres treated), number
of applications, rate per application (pounds of active ingredient or acid equivalent per acre), rate per crop year (number of
applications multiplied by rate per application), and total amount applied.
The standard deviation for each active ingredient is calculated to determine data distribution for each crop. Chemical
distribution rates are given by active ingredient for the percent of acres treated, number of applications, rate per
application, and rate per crop year. Rate distribution tables include the median, the 10th and 90th percentiles, the mean,
and the coefficient of variation (CV) for an active ingredient when a sufficient number of farm operators report applying it
on the specified crop.
The pest management data are generally a series of yes/no questions pertaining to specific pest management practices.
Pest management data are collected for the randomly chosen field. From these data, NASS releases the percent of
operations using the practice as well as the percent of acreage. The percent of acreage assumes that the operation treats all
fields of a particular commodity in the same way.
Selected Terms and Definitions
Active Ingredient: The specific pesticide ingredient which kills or controls the target pest(s) or other target material(s), or
otherwise results in the pesticide effect(s). All pesticide-use estimates in report are published per active ingredient (rather
than per product); one or more active ingredients are present in known amounts in the pesticide products reported in
survey.
Rate and Total Applied estimates were reported in a single unit of equivalence, per active ingredient. For salt, ester, or
amine active ingredients, estimates were published in the parent acid equivalents. For example, the acid derivatives
glyphosate isopropylamine salt and 2, 4-D, 2-ethylhexyl ester were published in the glyphosate and 2, 4-D equivalents,
respectively. For copper compounds, estimates were published in the metallic copper equivalent.
Active Ingredient Code: A unique code assigned to each active ingredient upon registration with the Environmental
Protection Agency’s Office of Pesticide Programs, to facilitate pesticide regulation.
Area Applied, Percent: Percent of total planted acres which received one or more applications of a specific fertilizer
nutrient or pesticide active ingredient. (In Quick Stats: Treated, Measured as Percent of Area Planted)
Avoidance: A strategy in which the detrimental effects of pests on crops are mitigated or eliminated solely through
various cultural practices. Avoidance is one of four classes of pest-management practices for which data are included in
the report.
Beneficial Insects: Insects (small invertebrate animals, mostly of arthropod classes Insecta and Arachnida), which are
collected and introduced onto crop acres because of their value in biological control as predators on harmful insects and
parasites.
Chemigation: Application of agricultural chemicals, including pesticide products, by injection into irrigation water.
Crop Year: The period starting immediately after harvest of the previous year’s crop and ending at harvest of the current
year’s crop.
Agricultural Chemical Usage - Field Crop Methodology and Quality Measures (May 2014)
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3

Farm: Any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have
been sold, during the year. Government payments are included in sales.
Fertilizer: A soil-enriching agricultural input which contains one or more plant nutrients. Data for three primary
macronutrients nitrogen (N), phosphate (P2O5), and potash (K2O), and the secondary macronutrient sulfur (S) are included
in report.
Fungi: Various organisms of the kingdom Fungi, which obtain nutrients by decomposing plant or other organic life. This
pest group includes mushrooms, molds, mildews, smuts, rusts, and yeasts. Fungal infestations have the potential to reduce
crop production and/or lower the grade quality of the host crop.
Mechanism of Action (MOA): The method or biological pathway by which the pesticide or active ingredient kills or
controls the target pest(s) or other target material(s).
Monitoring: A strategy involving the observance or detection of pests through systematic sampling, counting, or other
forms of scouting. Monitoring may include prediction of pest population levels through the observance of environmental
factors such as weather or soil and crop quality. Monitoring is one of four classes of pest-management practices for which
data are included in the report.
Nematodes: Unsegmented, parasitic worms of the phylum Nematoda. Prominent animal pest of field crops with the
potential to be highly destructive, lowering crop production and grade quality significantly.
Number of Applications: The average number of times a treated acre received a specific fertilizer nutrient or pesticide
active ingredient. (In Quick Stats: Applications, Measured in Number)
Pesticide: Defined by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) as “(1) any substance or mixture
of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest, (2) any substance or mixture of
substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant, and (3) any nitrogen stabilizer…”(Title 7, U.S.
Code, 136). Under FIFRA, pesticides are registered and regulated through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office
of Pesticide Programs. Four classes of pesticides are included in report: (1) herbicides targeting weeds, (2) insecticides
targeting insects (3) fungicides targeting fungi, and (4) other chemicals targeting all other pests or other materials
(including extraneous crop foliage).
Pheromone: A chemical substance produced by an insect which serves as a stimulus to other individuals of the same
species for one or more behavioral responses.
Prevention: A strategy in which a pest population is kept from infesting a crop or field, by taking various preceding
actions. Prevention is one of four classes of pest-management practices for which data are included in the report.
Rate per Application: Ratio indicating pounds (lbs) of a fertilizer primary nutrient or pesticide active ingredient (or
associated acid or metallic equivalent) applied, per single application, per planted acre. (In Quick Stats: Applications,
Measured in Lb/Acre/Application)
Rate per Crop Year: Ratio indicating pounds (lbs) of a fertilizer primary nutrient or pesticide active ingredient (or
associated acid or metallic equivalent) applied, counting all applications per crop year, per planted acre. (In Quick Stats:
Applications, Measured in Lb/Acre/Year)
Suppression: A strategy which involves the control or reduction of existing pest populations in order to mitigate crop
damage. May include physical or biological controls, or management of resistance build-up through pesticide rotation.
Suppression is one of four classes of pest-management practices for which data are included in the report.

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Agricultural Chemical Usage - Field Crop Methodology and Quality Measures (May 2014)
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Quality Metrics for Agricultural Chemical Usage
Purpose and Definitions: Under the guidance of the Statistical Policy Office of the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), NASS provides data users with quality metrics for its published data series. The metrics tables below describe the
performance data for the survey contributing to the publication. The accuracy of data products may be evaluated through
sampling and non-sampling error. The measurement of error due to sampling in the current period is evaluated by the
coefficient of variation for each estimated item. Non-sampling error is evaluated by response rates.
Sample is the number of observations selected from the population to represent a characteristic of the population.
Operations that did not have the item of interest or were out of business at the time of data collection have been excluded.
Response rate is the proportion of the sample that completed the survey. This calculation follows Guideline 3.2.2 of the
Office of Management and Budget Standards and Guidelines for Statistical Surveys (Sept. 2006).
Coefficient of Variation provides a measure of the size for the standard error relative to the point estimate and is used to
measure the precision of the results of a survey estimator.
Peanut Chemical Usage: Sample Size and Response Rate – Program States: 2013
State

Sample size

Response rate

(number)

(percent)

Alabama ....................................................................
Florida .......................................................................
Georgia .....................................................................
North Carolina ...........................................................
South Carolina ...........................................................
Texas ........................................................................

191
87
190
81
97
179

74.3
36.8
63.7
72.8
54.6
45.8

Program States ..........................................................

825

59.3

Rice Chemical Usage: Sample Size and Response Rate – Program States: 2013
State

Sample size

Response rate

(number)

(percent)

Arkansas ...................................................................
California ...................................................................
Louisiana ...................................................................
Mississippi .................................................................
Missouri .....................................................................
Texas ........................................................................

286
196
189
92
96
100

65.0
62.8
74.6
93.5
64.6
72.0

Program States ..........................................................

959

69.9

Agricultural Chemical Usage - Field Crop Methodology and Quality Measures (May 2014)
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Peanut Pesticide Usage Coefficient of Variation – Program States: 2013
Active ingredient

Percent of planted
acres treated

Number of
applications

Rate per
application

Rate per crop
year

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

Herbicides
2,4-DB dimethylamine salt ............................
Acifluorfen sodium .........................................
Bentazon .......................................................
Diclosulam ....................................................
Ethalfluralin ...................................................
Flumioxazin ...................................................
Glyphosate isopropylamine salt .....................
Imazepic .......................................................
Imazepic-ammonium salt ..............................
Paraquat .......................................................

4.2
8.9
7.9
10.6
10.3
3.3
9.5
24.1
4.7
6.0

4.1
0.1
0.3
1.4
0.8
2.1
7.9
2.8
3.9
5.4

2.7
3.4
3.7
4.7
5.2
2.4
3.1
3.5
1.3
3.0

4.1
3.4
3.8
4.8
5.4
1.3
9.5
2.9
4.4
7.7

Pendimethalin ...............................................
S-Metolachlor ................................................

6.4
6.0

1.1
2.1

1.6
3.8

1.9
5.6

Insecticides
Lambda-cyhalothrin .......................................
Phorate .........................................................

10.9
9.6

3.1
0.3

4.2
3.9

5.0
4.1

Fungicides
Azoxystrobin .................................................
Chlorothalonil ................................................
Flutolanil .......................................................
Propiconazole ...............................................
Prothioconazole ............................................
Pyraclostrobin ...............................................
Tebucanazole ...............................................

14.1
3.1
10.0
8.0
7.5
8.4
3.2

10.7
2.5
8.1
8.1
6.2
8.8
2.6

3.6
2.1
8.3
10.2
4.5
5.9
2.4

11.9
3.5
11.1
11.7
4.8
9.9
3.1

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Agricultural Chemical Usage - Field Crop Methodology and Quality Measures (May 2014)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Rice Pesticide Usage Coefficient of Variation – Program States: 2013
Active ingredient

Percent of planted
acres treated

Number of
applications

Rate per
application

Rate per crop
year

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

Herbicides
2,4-D dimethylamine salt ...............................
Bensulfuron-methyl ........................................
Bispyribac-sodium .........................................
Carfentrazone-ethyl .......................................
Clomazone ....................................................
Cyhalofop-butyl ..............................................
Glyphosate isopropylamine salt .....................
Halosulfuron ..................................................
Imazethapyr ...................................................
Imazehtapyr ammonium salt ..........................

12.5
11.4
11.1
12.2
2.1
9.8
5.6
4.4
8.6
3.2

2.1
3.8
0.0
1.6
1.3
4.4
2.3
2.7
2.2
2.1

5.2
5.9
4.5
10.6
2.5
0.7
1.5
4.6
4.2
1.1

4.2
6.6
4.5
10.7
2.4
4.5
2.8
4.2
4.6
2.2

Pendimethalin ................................................
Penoxsulam ...................................................
Propanil .........................................................
Quinclorac .....................................................
Thiobencarb ...................................................
Triethylamine triclo .........................................

10.4
7.8
3.0
3.5
7.9
5.2

11.1
0.0
1.7
1.1
1.3
0.1

2.8
1.4
2.1
3.0
2.7
7.8

13.1
1.4
2.1
3.2
2.9
7.8

Insecticides
Lambda-cyhalothrin .......................................

4.8

4.4

1.8

5.2

Fungicides
Azoxystrobin ..................................................
Propiconazole ................................................
Trifloxystrobin ................................................

3.6
3.2
8.0

0.9
0.9
0.8

3.4
1.5
1.7

3.5
1.9
1.7

Agricultural Chemical Usage - Field Crop Methodology and Quality Measures (May 2014)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

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Information Contacts
Process

Unit

Environmental, Economics,
Estimation..................................................................
and Demographics Branch .......................................
Data Collection ..........................................................
Survey Administration Branch ..................................
Questionnaires ..........................................................
Data Collection Branch.............................................
Sampling, Editing, and Imputation
Sampling and Editing .................................................
Methodology Branch ................................................
Summary, Estimation, and Disclosure
Summary and Estimators ...........................................
Methodology Branch ................................................
Dissemination ............................................................
Data Dissemination Office ........................................
Media Contact and Webmaster ..................................
Public Affairs Office .................................................

Telephone
(202) 720-6146
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(202) 720-6201

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

(202) 720-5805

[email protected]

(202) 720-4008
(202) 720-3869
(202) 720-2639

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

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For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways:
 All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov
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For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540,
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: [email protected].

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