UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Pennsylvania corn and apple growers may be asked to participate in a survey tracking how they use pesticides and pest management tactics. The survey is being conducted in October and November by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Statistics Service, in cooperation with Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

The 2001 Fruit Chemical Use Survey and 2001 Agricultural Resources Management Study will survey pesticide use and pest management tactics. "It's important that growers cooperate because this information could help protect the tools the state's growers depend on," says Bill Hoffman, senior extension associate in Penn State's Pest Management Information Center.

"Also, for the first time, growers will receive one core pesticide credit for responding to the survey," he adds.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency will include survey data in a national database of information on how agricultural chemicals are used, as well as the quantities used for specific crops.

"The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 instituted much higher food safety standards related to pesticide residue," Hoffman says. "Without good data, the EPA may assume farmers use more pesticides than they actually do. This could lead to pesticides being banned or restricted unnecessarily."

Approximately 200 apple growers and 200 corn growers will receive letters telling them they have been selected for the survey. Survey personnel will call to set up a time to visit the farm or residence to conduct the interview.

"Typically, the interview lasts an hour," Hoffman says. "Producers should have their seed, fertilizer and/or pesticide records near at hand so the interview goes quickly and smoothly."

He emphasizes that all information from individual growers will remain confidential.

Hoffman also points out that information on usage patterns often influences manufacturers' decisions to submit a product for re-registration and approval with regulatory agencies.

State and national estimates of agricultural chemical use by the surveyed groups will be published in mid-2002.

Visit the Pennsylvania Pest Management Information Center on the Web at http://www.pested.psu.edu/infocenter/.

###

EDITORS: For more information, contact Bill Hoffman at 814-865-1074.

Contacts:

Kim Dionis KDionis@psu.edu 814-863-2703 814-865-1068 fax