Planned Annual CEAP Highlights Published by NASS

NASS Highlights

Month 20XX

•

No. 20XX-X

Conservation Effects Assessment
Project, 2024
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in cooperation with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS), conducted the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) to ascertain farmers’ and ranchers’
conservation practices across the nation’s working lands. The CEAP Survey is conducted to measure conservation
efforts related to cropland, grazing land, wetlands, and wildlife.
About xx.x% percent of farms reported using conservation practices. Of those farms, xx.x% reported having a
written conservation plan. XXXXXXXXXXXX farms reported having a written conservation plan but did not report
conservation practices.
Structural Practice (% of survey respondents utilizing)

Terraces
Streamside forrest bu er
Streamside herbaceous bu er
Field border
Filter strip
Vegetative barriers (in- eld)
Grassed waterways
Windbreak
Herbaceous wind barrier
Contour bu ers
Critical area planting
Grade stabilization bu ers
Drainage water management
Irrigation tailwater recovery system
Contour farming
Strip cropping
Other

x.x%

xx.x

Of the XX.X% of
respondents who
reported using
structural practices,
the two most
commonly used were
XXXXX (XX.X%) and
XXXXX (XX.X%).

xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x

Structural Practice Groups and Types of Practices

Proportion of respondents
utilizing a conservation
practice used a cover crop.
XX.X% used variable rate
technology, XX.X% used
manure, and XX.X% used
precision technology to
change seeding rate within
the field.

Five structural practice groups were established based on their primary conservation objective to facilitate evaluating change
between the CEAP survey periods. The groups and example practices include:
Field border—Strips of permanent vegetation (grasses, legumes, forbs, or shrubs) established on one or more sides of a field
Edge-of-field buffering and filtering—Riparian forest buffers, riparian herbaceous buffers, filter strips, critical area planting
Wind erosion control—Windbreaks or shelterbelts, herbaceous wind barriers, hedgerow plantings
Concentrated flow control—Grassed waterways, grade stabilization structures, diversions, structures for water control
Overland flow control—Terraces, contour buffer strips, contour farming, strip cropping, in-field vegetative barrier.

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service

www.nass.usda.gov

Pest Management Practices (% of survey respondents utilizing)
No-Till/Minimum To Mgn Pests

xx.x

Field Edges Chopped, Moved, Burned

xx.x

Use Crop Variety For Resistance

xx.x

Cleaned Equipment/Field Implements

xx.x

Maintained Ground Covers, Mulches

xx.x

Rotated Crops During Past 3 Years

xx.x

Plowed Down Crop Residues

xx.x

Planting/Harvest Dates Adjusted

xx.x

Cultivated For Weed Control

xx.x

Adj Space/Direct/Plant Density Adjusted

xx.x

Adjusted Grazing
Not Planted Crop in Certain Areas

Of the XX.X% of
respondents who reported
using pest management
practices, XX.X% used
tillage practice. Among
respondents who reported
using pest management
practices, tillage practices
were applied to XX.X% of
cropland.

xx.x
xx.x

Grew Trap Crop xx.x
Released Beneficial Organisms xx.x

Conservation Practices (% of survey respondents utilizing)
Fencing
Grassed Waterways
Drainage Water Management
Field border
Terraces
Prescribed grazing
Contour Farming
Stream Forest Buffer
Stream Herbage Buffer
Windbreak
Filter Strips
Veg Barriers
Strip Cropping
Grade Stabilization
Contour Buffers In Field
Herbaceous Wind Barrier
Hedgerow Plantings
Critical Area Planting
Tailwater Recovery
Other

xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x

Of the XX.X% of
respondents who reported
using conservation
practices, XX.X% reported
having a written
conservation plan. The
most commonly used
practice was XXXXX
(XX.X%).

xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x
xx.x

About the Survey
In 2024, approximately XXXX producers across the nation received a survey. Data collection was conducted from XXXXXXXX until XXXXXXXXXXXXX of
2024.
Selector operators were interviewed to determine their tillage and irrigation practices, application of fertilizer, manure, and pesticides, and use of
conservation practices. Results of the survey will provide data to guide the implementation of NRCS and other USDA programs in the future.
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