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 
57,814 
61,429 
Chemical expenses 
... farms 
57,741 
53,136 
$1,000 
1,152,179 
618,336 
Manure used 
farms 
19,443 
21,877 
Acres treated to control- 
acres treated 
2,347,716 
2,331,503 
Insects 
... farms 
27,915 
29,357 
acres 
9,204,573 
7,703,762 
Any fertilizer or chemical expenses 
farms 
60,517 
63,467 
Weeds, grass, or brush 
... farms 
53,988 
47,451 
$1,000 
3,739,238 
1,962,936 
acres 
23,200,379 
19,289,715 
Nematodes 
... farms 
4,353 
3,546 
Commercial fertilizer, lime, 
acres 
1,045,726 
671,571 
and soil conditioners used 
farms 
54,093 
56,012 
Diseases in crops and orchards 
... farms 
5,302 
3,909 
acres treated 
19,641,333 
19,009,410 
acres 
1,702,624 
864,595 
Commercial fertilizer, lime, 
Chemicals used to control growth, thin fruit, 
and soil conditioners expenses 
farms 
56,317 
58,664 
ripen, or defoliate 
... farms 
352 
279 
$1,000 
2,587,059 
1,344,600 
acres on which used 
13,981 
19,087 
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 
40,926 
12,631,135 
Cropland on which no-till practices were used - Con. 
Average per farm 
(X) 
309 
No-till practices used: - Con. 
Acres drained: 
200 to 499 acres 
5,342 
1,702,056 
1 to 9 acres 
2,968 
14,168 
500 to 999 acres 
2,812 
1,928,438 
1 0 to 49 acres 
8,416 
212,987 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
1,145 
1,488,002 
50 to 99 acres 
5,555 
382,600 
2,000 acres or more 
293 
898,446 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
6,476 
878,486 
Cropland on which conservation tillage, excluding no till, 
200 to 499 acres 
8,996 
2,812,482 
practices were used 
24,911 
8,760,348 
500 to 999 acres 
5,597 
3,801,522 
Average per farm 
(X) 
352 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
2,426 
3,102,374 
2,000 acres or more 
492 
1,426,516 
Conservation tillage used: 
1 to 9 acres 
1,044 
4,681 
Land artificially drained 
10,084 
1,669,073 
1 0 to 49 acres 
3,496 
97,615 
Average per farm 
(X) 
166 
50 to 99 acres 
3,370 
242,879 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
4,601 
659,961 
Acres drained by ditches: 
1 to 9 acres 
1,352 
5,755 
200 to 499 acres 
6,753 
2,178,416 
1 0 to 49 acres 
3,292 
79,478 
500 to 999 acres 
3,808 
2,653,416 
50 to 99 acres 
1,586 
105,878 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
1,535 
2,007,404 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
1,585 
204,273 
2,000 acres or more 
304 
915,976 
200 to 499 acres 
1,373 
390,128 
Cropland on which conventional tillage practices were used 
25,559 
7,882,556 
500 to 999 acres 
587 
383,664 
Average per farm 
(X) 
308 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
236 
296,543 
2,000 acres or more 
73 
203,354 
Conventional tillage used: 
1 to 9 acres 
2,331 
10,396 
Land under conservation easement 
3,301 
332,222 
1 0 to 49 acres 
4,611 
124,922 
Average per farm 
(X) 
101 
50 to 99 acres 
3,763 
271,527 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
4,337 
617,885 
Acres under easement: 
1 to 9 acres 
758 
3,325 
200 to 499 acres 
5,609 
1,799,299 
1 0 to 49 acres 
1,337 
30,336 
500 to 999 acres 
3,098 
2,134,827 
50 to 99 acres 
418 
28,919 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
1,496 
1,967,914 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
368 
50,273 
2,000 acres or more 
314 
955,786 
200 to 499 acres 
265 
75,179 
Cropland planted to a cover crop (excluding CRP) 
7,195 
379,614 
500 to 999 acres 
112 
77,370 
Average per farm 
(X) 
53 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
36 
45,493 
2,000 acres or more 
7 
21,327 
Cover crop acres (excluding CRP): 
1 to 9 acres 
1,638 
(D) 
Cropland on which no-till practices were used 
22,621 
6,950,836 
1 0 to 49 acres 
3,563 
81,880 
Average per farm 
(X) 
307 
50 to 99 acres 
1,045 
69,990 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
593 
77,619 
No-till practices used: 
1 to 9 acres 
1,293 
6,308 
200 to 499 acres 
275 
76,700 
1 0 to 49 acres 
4,246 
115,262 
500 to 999 acres 
63 
43,096 
50 to 99 acres 
3,499 
247,301 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
17 
20,443 
1 00 to 1 99 acres 
3,991 
565,023 
2,000 acres or more 
1 
(D) 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data Iowa 39 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
