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 
44,143 
52,744 
Chemical expenses 
....farms 
44,536 
44,599 
$1,000 
2,190,674 
1,369,132 
Manure used 
farms 
6,794 
6,686 
Acres treated to control- 
acres treated 
712,975 
645,305 
Insects 
....farms 
25,064 
30,850 
acres 
5,293,093 
5,780,492 
Any fertilizer or chemical expenses 
farms 
49,254 
55,697 
Weeds, grass, or brush 
....farms 
32,402 
30,656 
$1,000 
3,996,736 
2,683,307 
acres 
6,116,162 
4,819,747 
Nematodes 
....farms 
4,485 
3,012 
Commercial fertilizer, lime, 
acres 
725,589 
412,659 
and soil conditioners used 
farms 
32,646 
43,321 
Diseases in crops and orchards 
....farms 
14,196 
14,877 
acres treated 
6,314,533 
6,728,011 
acres 
2,038,769 
2,168,502 
Commercial fertilizer, lime, 
Chemicals used to control growth, thin fruit, 
and soil conditioners expenses 
farms 
38,958 
48,395 
ripen, or defoliate 
....farms 
9,810 
7,018 
$1,000 
1,806,062 
1,314,175 
acres on which used 
1,460,135 
1,237,257 
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 
1,913 
476,794 
Cropland on which no-till practices were used - Con. 
Average per farm 
(X) 
249 
No-till practices used: - Con. 
Acres drained: 
200 to 499 acres 
105 
30,503 
1 to 9 acres 
678 
2,524 
500 to 999 acres 
41 
29,607 
1 0 to 49 acres 
561 
13,120 
1,000 to 1,999 acres 
36 
49,072 
50 to 99 acres 
207 
13,945 
2,000 acres or more 
11 
35,265 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
128 
17,051 
Cropland on which conservation tillage, excluding no till, 
200 to 499 acres 
152 
47,985 
practices were used 
1,945 
566,983 
500 to 999 acres 
69 
48,887 
Average per farm 
(X) 
292 
1,000 to 1,999 acres 
56 
81,048 
2,000 acres or more 
62 
252,234 
Conservation tillage used: 
1 to 9 acres 
818 
2,141 
Land artificially drained 
7,166 
1,872,676 
1 0 to 49 acres 
338 
7,482 
Average per farm 
(X) 
261 
50 to 99 acres 
140 
9,743 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
144 
20,730 
Acres drained by ditches: 
1 to 9 acres 
2,281 
8,226 
200 to 499 acres 
252 
81,963 
1 0 to 49 acres 
1,908 
43,516 
500 to 999 acres 
145 
108,276 
50 to 99 acres 
647 
44,016 
1,000 to 1,999 acres 
51 
66,231 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
614 
84,474 
2,000 acres or more 
57 
270,417 
200 to 499 acres 
831 
262,617 
Cropland on which conventional tillage practices were used 
11,762 
3,083,056 
500 to 999 acres 
469 
328,837 
Average per farm 
(X) 
262 
1,000 to 1,999 acres 
248 
340,184 
2,000 acres or more 
168 
760,806 
Conventional tillage used: 
1 to 9 acres 
3,671 
1 1 ,247 
Land under conservation easement 
1,603 
929,985 
1 0 to 49 acres 
2,691 
63,021 
Average per farm 
(X) 
580 
50 to 99 acres 
1,106 
78,012 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
1,202 
165,298 
Acres under easement: 
1 to 9 acres 
411 
1,383 
200 to 499 acres 
1,546 
486,299 
1 0 to 49 acres 
351 
8,505 
500 to 999 acres 
826 
568,604 
50 to 99 acres 
191 
13,229 
1,000 to 1,999 acres 
442 
610,313 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
216 
30,265 
2,000 acres or more 
278 
1,100,262 
200 to 499 acres 
185 
58,036 
Cropland planted to a cover crop (excluding CRP) 
4,899 
340,532 
500 to 999 acres 
119 
82,680 
Average per farm 
(X) 
70 
1,000 to 1,999 acres 
61 
79,728 
2,000 acres or more 
69 
656,159 
Cover crop acres (excluding CRP): 
1 to 9 acres 
2,437 
7,790 
Cropland on which no-till practices were used 
4,213 
205,383 
1 0 to 49 acres 
1,439 
32,541 
Average per farm 
(X) 
49 
50 to 99 acres 
397 
26,619 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
280 
38,050 
No-till practices used: 
1 to 9 acres 
2,967 
6,897 
200 to 499 acres 
215 
63,763 
1 0 to 49 acres 
657 
14,266 
500 to 999 acres 
73 
49,802 
50 to 99 acres 
214 
14,386 
1,000 to 1,999 acres 
34 
44,516 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
182 
25,387 
2,000 acres or more 
24 
77,451 
50 California 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
