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Pesticide and Fertilizer Use and Trends in U.S. Agriculture

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  • Lin, Biing-Hwan
  • Padgitt, Merritt
  • Bull, Len
  • Delvo, Herman
  • Shank, David
  • Taylor, Harold

Abstract

Pesticides used on major crops more than doubled during 1964-82 (from 233 to 612 million pounds of active ingredients). Nitrogen, phosphate, and potash use for all purposes (agriculture and nonagriculture) rose from 7.5 million pounds in 1960 to a record high of 23.7 million pounds in 1981. These increases in pesticide and fertilizer use were a result of a larger crop acreage, higher application rates per acre, and increased proportions of acres treated with chemicals. Since the early 1980's, pesticide and fertilizer use in U.S. agriculture has declined with crop acreage, and amounted to 574 million pounds of pesticides and 20.7 million tons of fertilizers in 1992. Corn leads other crops, by a substantial margin, in the total quantity of pesticides and fertilizers used. Insecticide use on corn can be greatly reduced by rotating crops and significant reductions in herbicide and nitrogen use can be achieved by adjusting application timing and method.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin, Biing-Hwan & Padgitt, Merritt & Bull, Len & Delvo, Herman & Shank, David & Taylor, Harold, 1995. "Pesticide and Fertilizer Use and Trends in U.S. Agriculture," Agricultural Economic Reports 308423, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uerser:308423
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.308423
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Aldy, Joseph E. & Hrubovcak, James & Vasavada, Utpal, 1998. "The role of technology in sustaining agriculture and the environment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 81-96, July.

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