overview
Farmers combine land, water, commercial inputs, labor, and their
management skills into practices and systems to produce food and
fiber. To sustain production over time, farmers must make a profit
and preserve their resource and financial assets. Society wants
food and fiber products that are low-cost, safe to consume, and
aesthetically pleasing, and wants production systems that preserve
or enhance the environment. These often competing goals and pressures
are reflected not only in the inputs made available for production,
but also in how the inputs are selected, combined, and managed at
the farm level.
Increasingly, farmers are facing pressures to change from conventional
production practices to more environmentally friendly practices
that encompass critical aspects of crop production, including pest
management, nutrient
management, soil
management, and sustainable
production systems. ERS research examines the critical role
of economic and environmental factors in the adoption of management
practices and technologies, including the use of conservation tillage,
integrated pest management, precision farming, nutrient testing,
organic farming, and biotechnology. More
overview...
features
Economic and Policy
Implications of Wind-Borne Entry of Asian Soybean Rust into the
United StatesAmerican soybean producers and the research,
regulatory, and extension institutions supporting them are preparing
for the potential wind-borne entry of Asian soybean rust into the
United States. This report examines how the economic impacts of
soybean rust establishment will depend on the timing, location,
spread, and severity of rust infestation and on how soybean and
other crop producers, livestock producers, and consumers of agricultural
commodities respond to this new pathogen. (April 2004)
U.S.
Agriculture
Depends Increasingly on Imported FertilizerU.S. farmers
use about 21 million tons of the nutrients nitrogen, phosphate,
and potash each year in the form of chemical fertilizers, helping
to sustain high U.S. crop yields. But the sources of these nutrients
have changed markedly in recent years from domestic to foreign suppliers,
making the U.S. increasingly dependent on fertilizer imports. Increasingly
depending on the import would result in changing of the current
fertilizer distribution and storage system, which was constructed
around the U.S. supply base, to supply fertilizers to meet farmer
demand. (01/04)
Managing
Manure:New Clean Water Act Regulations Create Imperative for Livestock
ProducersNew Clean Water Act Regulations Create Imperative
for Livestock Producers-Nutrients from livestock and poultry manure
are key sources of water pollution. Ever-growing numbers of livestock
and poultry per farm and per acre have increased the risk of water
pollution, with manure being disposed of in ways not adequately
addressed in the original 1972 regulations. The Administrator of
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA signed new regulations
on December 15, 2002 that would compel operations with the largest
number of animals to manage their manure according to a nutrient
management plan. Amber Waves (2/03).
Crop Production PracticesPhase
II of the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) is USDA's
primary source of information about the current status and trends
in crop production practices for major crops (corn, soybeans, wheat,
and cotton). This survey also obtains data on U.S. farmers' agricultural
resource use, as well as data to assess potential environmental
impacts associated with crop production practices. The ARMS survey
yields annual data summaries for field-level data by crop, including:
irrigation technology and water use, nutrient use and nutrient management
practices, crop residue management practices, pest management practices
and pesticide use, and crop seed variety. Data summaries are available
for production years 1996-2000 (1996-98 and 2000 for wheat). (1/03).
recommended readings
Adoption of Bioengineered CropsThis
report uses USDA survey data to examine the extent to which US farmers
have adopted bioengineered crops, factors affecting adoption of
these crops, and the impacts of bioengineered crops on input use
and farm-level net returns.
Pest Management in U.S. AgricultureDescribes
the use of pest management practices, including integrated pest
management (IPM), for major field crops and selected fruits and
vegetables.
See all recommended readings...
recommended data products
ARMS Data
Highlight Trends in Cropping PracticesSince 1996, U.S. farmers
have responded to a number of industry-altering changes, including
lower crop prices, the availability of genetically engineered seed,
and environmental incentives embodied in farm legislation. How have
these shocks affected farming and conservation practices used by farmers?
Amber Waves (02/03).
Data that highlight important information
associated with ERS research on agricultural chemicals and production
technology.
recent research developments
Meetings, conferences, and activities
of researchers in the ag chemicals and production area.
related briefing rooms
Agricultural Biotechnolgy
Agricultural Research and Productivity
Agricultural Resource Management Survey
(ARMS)
Conservation and
Environmental Policy
Organic Farming and Marketing
Information Policy
Traceability in the U.S.
Food System
questions and answers
Important research questions and answers about pest
management, nutrient
managment, soil
management, genetically
engineered crops, and sustainable
production systems.
related links
Environmental Protection
AgencyInformation on pesticides.
USDA's Agricultural Research
ServicePrograms related to soil, water, and the environment
See all related links...
glossary
Crop residue management and tillage definitions
maps and images gallery
Maps
related to the pattern of ag chemical and production technology
use.
poll
Are there other agricultural chemicals and production technology.
topics not addressed here in which you would be interested?
email us...
for more information, contact: Lee
A. Christensen
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: August
17, 2004
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