USGS Releases Pesticide Use Maps

The U.S. Geological Survey has developed detailed maps illustrating the annual usage of 459 pesticides, including glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, in the United States from 1992-2009. The maps, released May 16, were developed for use in national and regional water-quality assessments, according to a statement released by USGS. Pesticide-use data collected from surveys of farm operations and Agriculture Department statistics on annual harvested-crop acreage were used to calculate use rates for each crop and year. USGS also released a supporting national database featuring county-level use estimates for each pesticide. The new USGS estimates were found to be consistent with national pesticide ...