Minnesota growers of sweet corn, carrots and green peas will be interviewed during the next couple of months about their use of fertilizers and chemicals, and their strategies for pest management.
The effort is part of the Vegetable Chemical Use Survey, conducted annually by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
The survey "will help ensure that USDA and other agencies have the most accurate, up-to-date fertilizer and chemical use information, straight from the source – producers themselves," said Dan Loftus, state statistician of the NASS Minnesota field office.
A different federal agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, makes decisions about registration of pesticides after reviewing the potential environmental and human health effects of using the chemicals.
The NASS survey will occur between Oct. 10 and Dec. 5, and will include 259 Minnesota growers and 196 Wisconsin operators, as part of 2,814 who will be interviewed nationwide.
Information obtained in all NASS surveys is confidential by law. The Statistics Service publishes only state and national data, ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified.
Results will be published next August.
