USDA released pesticide use data on fruits in 2011

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service recently released the latest survey data of 2011 for pesticide use and pest management practices on fruits.

In fall 2011, NASS collected data about pesticide use and pest management practices on 23 fruit crops planted for the 2011 crop year. The survey was conducted in 12 states; results are based on 4,075 responses. For each commodity, the states surveyed account for the majority of U.S. acres of the crop.

Respondents applied a total of 331 unique pesticide active ingredients to the surveyed crops in 2011, up 10% from 2009. The 331 active ingredients are categorized into four pesticide classes: insecticides (96), herbicides (80), fungicides (70), and other chemicals (85).

This report highlights results for apples, blueberries, and peaches, which are each produced in at least six geographically diverse states. The seven states in which apple growers were surveyed represent 82% of the U.S. apple acreage. The six blueberry states surveyed make up 82% of the nation’s blueberry acreage, and the seven peach states account for 81% of U.S. peach acres.

Pesticide Use

The growers surveyed applied fungicides to 84% of their apple acres, 87% of blueberry acres, and 81% of peach acres. They applied insecticides to 84% of apple, 84% of blueberry, and 61% of peach acres. Herbicides and other chemicals were used less extensively.

Based on percent of planted acres treated, mancozeb was the most widely used fungicide on apples, applied to 40% of planted acres at an average rate of 10.117 pounds per acre for the crop year. Sulfur ranked second, applied to 39% of planted acres.

For blueberries, fenbuconazole was the most widely used fungicide, applied to 55% of acres at an average rate of 0.218 pounds per acre for the crop year. This was followed closely by pyraclostrobin, applied to 50% of acres. For peaches the most widely applied fungicides were sulfur, propiconazole, and chlorothalonil, covering 56, 34, and 26% of the acreage, respectively.

Among insecticides, apple growers in the surveyed states applied carbaryl to 46% of the acreage (at an average rate of 1.566 pounds per acre for the crop year), chlorantraniliprole to 45%, and chlorpyrifos to 44%. Blueberry growers applied phosmet on 38% of blueberry acres at an average rate of 1.683 pounds per acre for the crop year. Peach growers applied esfenvalerate to 31% of acres at an average rate of 0.114 pounds per acre.

For all three fruits, growers used herbicides less widely than fungicides or insecticides. On apples, growers applied glyphosate isopropylamine salt to 25% of acres at an average of 1.604 pounds per acre for the crop year. Blueberry growers applied diuron to 19% of acres, followed closely by oryzalin (18% of acres) and paraquat (16%). Glyphosate isopropylamine salt and oxyfluorfen were each applied to 16% of peach acres.

Pest Management Practices

The survey asked growers to report on the pest management practices they used on their operation’s total fruit acres in 2011. Pests are defined as weeds, insects, or diseases. Fruit growers reported practices in three categories of pest management strategy: prevention, monitoring, and suppression. Prevention practices keep a pest population from infesting a crop or field. Monitoring practices involve observing or detecting pests through systematic sampling, counting, or other forms of scouting.

Suppression involves controlling or reducing existing pest populations in order to mitigate crop damage.

Irrigating crops was the most widely reported prevention practice, used on 93% of fruit acres. Among monitoring practices, scouting for diseases and insects were both used on 96% of fruit acres. The most widely used pest suppression practice was alternating pesticides having different mechanisms of action, used on 74% of fruit acres.