As part of the 2020 Agricultural Resource Management Survey, USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service will gather information about soybean production practices.

“The information gathered will give producers the opportunity to explain how they use agricultural chemicals and manage pests responsibly,” said Greg Thessen, Director of NASS’s Upper Midwest Regional Field Office.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducts a review of tolerance levels for re-registration of pesticide products. “We need the data provided by farmers so the EPA has actual pesticide usage data from farmers to make decisions rather than just assuming maximum label rates are being applied,” Thessen explained. “The results will also help agricultural leaders and decisionmakers better understand how producers cope with risks and make decisions about chemical use, new technologies and other aspects of farming."

This year, NASS is reaching out to over 4,000 soybean producers across the country, including nearly 300 in Iowa. NASS will conduct the survey starting in October, and recommends that soybean farmers have their fertilizer and pesticide spray records available in order to accurately report applications and reduce the data collection time.

To protect the health and safety of producers, partners, and employees, NASS has suspended in-person data collection until further notice. Interviewers will be calling producers to complete the survey.

The information provided by farmers is protected by federal law (Title V, Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347), which keeps the respondent’s identity, operation, and answers confidential.

ARMS is a joint effort of NASS, USDA’s Economic Research Service, and the Office of Pest Management Policy. For more information about the Agricultural Resource Management Survey, visit nass.usda.gov/go/arms.

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