Table 49. Fertilizers and Chemicals Applied: 2012 and 2007 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Item 
2012 
2007 
Item 
2012 
2007 
Any fertilizer, manure, or chemicals used 
farms 
1,049,897 
1,195,772 
Chemical expenses 
....farms 
999,806 
918,604 
$1,000 
16,459,840 
10,074,914 
Manure used 
farms 
275,420 
307,073 
Acres treated to control- 
acres treated 
22,072,968 
22,096,315 
Insects 
....farms 
361,286 
354,357 
acres 
100,719,008 
90,947,822 
Any fertilizer or chemical expenses 
farms 
1,187,446 
1 ,288,360 
Weeds, grass, or brush 
....farms 
794,320 
703,884 
$1,000 
44,992,553 
28,182,108 
acres 
285,510,954 
226,295,783 
Nematodes 
....farms 
58,865 
34,992 
Commercial fertilizer, lime. 
acres 
14,454,000 
7,560,158 
and soil conditioners used 
farms 
877,907 
1,022,036 
Diseases in crops and orchards 
....farms 
121,682 
97,333 
acres treated 
247,802,465 
265,995,497 
acres 
35,006,868 
22,693,212 
Commercial fertilizer, lime. 
Chemicals used to control growth, thin fruit. 
and soil conditioners expenses 
farms 
1,011,896 
1,148,218 
ripen, or defoliate 
....farms 
53,200 
44,638 
$1,000 
28,532,713 
18,107,194 
acres on which used 
13,136,568 
12,125,799 
Table 50. Land Use Practices by Size of Farm: 2012 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Land use practices 
Farms 
Acres 
Land use practices 
Farms 
Acres 
Land drained by tile 
217,931 
48,566,201 
Cropland on which no-till practices were used - Con. 
Average per farm 
(X) 
223 
No-till practices used: - Con. 
Acres drained: 
200 to 499 acres 
44,998 
14,288,421 
1 to 9 acres 
31,840 
139,477 
500 to 999 acres 
25,968 
18,033,313 
1 0 to 49 acres 
64,753 
1,550,343 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
15,386 
21,037,301 
50 to 99 acres 
30,888 
2,093,823 
2,000 acres or more 
9,324 
33,324,426 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
28,587 
3,829,161 
Cropland on which conservation tillage, excluding no till. 
200 to 499 acres 
33,025 
10,090,313 
practices were used 
195,738 
76,639,804 
500 to 999 acres 
17,610 
11,881,526 
Average per farm 
(X) 
392 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
8,572 
11,188,185 
2,000 acres or more 
2,656 
7,793,373 
Conservation tillage used: 
1 to 9 acres 
22,970 
88,014 
Land artificially drained 
216,314 
42,175,207 
1 0 to 49 acres 
37,905 
999,891 
Average per farm 
(X) 
195 
50 to 99 acres 
25,459 
1,819,801 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
28,786 
4,080,786 
Acres drained by ditches: 
1 to 9 acres 
46,120 
191,746 
200 to 499 acres 
37,532 
12,055,185 
1 0 to 49 acres 
77,678 
1 ,787,856 
500 to 999 acres 
22,741 
15,947,850 
50 to 99 acres 
28,455 
1,899,777 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
13,529 
18,471,965 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
22,601 
2,953,704 
2,000 acres or more 
6,816 
23,176,312 
200 to 499 acres 
20,789 
6,145,020 
Cropland on which conventional tillage practices were used 
405,692 
105,707,971 
500 to 999 acres 
10,098 
6,774,534 
Average per farm 
(X) 
261 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
6,652 
8,934,075 
2,000 acres or more 
3,921 
13,488,495 
Conventional tillage used: 
1 to 9 acres 
84,716 
316,222 
Land under conservation easement 
76,441 
13,186,093 
1 0 to 49 acres 
107,766 
2,675,558 
Average per farm 
(X) 
173 
50 to 99 acres 
53,310 
3,753,514 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
50,251 
7,040,341 
Acres under easement: 
1 to 9 acres 
17,715 
70,711 
200 to 499 acres 
54,038 
17,063,566 
1 0 to 49 acres 
26,498 
634,734 
500 to 999 acres 
29,230 
20,357,295 
50 to 99 acres 
10,927 
759,099 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
17,350 
23,723,594 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
9,512 
1,297,650 
2,000 acres or more 
9,031 
30,777,881 
200 to 499 acres 
7,146 
2,140,479 
Cropland planted to a cover crop (excluding CRP) 
133,124 
10,280,793 
500 to 999 acres 
2,471 
1,672,229 
Average per farm 
(X) 
77 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
1,272 
1,675,529 
2,000 acres or more 
900 
4,935,662 
Cover crop acres (excluding CRP): 
1 to 9 acres 
39,959 
154,889 
Cropland on which no-till practices were used 
278,290 
96,476,496 
1 0 to 49 acres 
53,145 
1,215,572 
Average per farm 
(X) 
347 
50 to 99 acres 
16,738 
1,108,086 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
11,146 
1,450,096 
No-till practices used: 
1 to 9 acres 
39,886 
149,407 
200 to 499 acres 
8,198 
2,351,498 
1 0 to 49 acres 
67,591 
1,732,705 
500 to 999 acres 
2,595 
1,691,924 
50 to 99 acres 
37,512 
2,641,694 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
999 
1,276,141 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
37,625 
5,269,229 
2,000 acres or more 
344 
1,032,587 
50 United States 
2012 Census of Agriculture - UNITED STATES DATA 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
