Interviewers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will interview 150 vegetable growers in Illinois to gather information for the 2022 Vegetable Chemical Use Survey this fall.
The survey will collect information on bearing acreage, pest management practices, acres treated, and application rates, fertilizer and pesticide applications, acres treated, and rates applied to pumpkins and snap beans. In addition to Illinois, vegetable growers in 16 other states will also hear from NASS as the agency collects comprehensive information on U.S. vegetable production practices.
"Growers benefit from providing their information because the results will illustrate the industry's environmental practices and assure the quality of U.S. food to consumers here and around the world," said Mark Schleusener, Illinois state statistician. "I encourage every grower to take the time to respond if they receive this survey."
The data will paint a detailed picture of fertilizer use, pesticide use, and other pest management practices used by vegetable growers across the nation. To conduct the survey, NASS representatives will call growers to arrange a phone or in-person interview. Growers are encouraged to have their spray records available for reference. If these services were contracted, growers should be prepared to give consent to access these records.
NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents. The information growers provide will be used for statistical purposes only. In accordance with federal law, responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in identifiable form.
The data will be published online in NASS's Quick Stats database next year.
For more information, contact the NASS Heartland Regional Field Office at (800) 551-1014 or nassrfohlr@usda.gov.
Categories: Illinois, Crops, Fruits and Vegetables, Government & Policy