The United States Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the MDA's Minnesota Agricultural Statistic Service (MASS) collect pesticide use information through interviews with farmers and pesticide applicators. Approximately 100 to 500 interviews are conducted for each survey to calculate statewide averages of pesticide use on the state’s major crops including corn.
Collection of NASS data on acetochlor use in corn in Minnesota started in 1994, the year acetochlor was first introduced. Due to budget constraints and other program considerations, data for pesticide use on corn was not collected on a yearly basis beyond 2003. The pesticide use information on corn was collected on a rotational basis with other crops through 2021. The MDA does not collect pesticide use data in the same year for the same crops as USDA NASS.
Between 1994 and 2021, NASS data show the percentage of Minnesota corn acres receiving acetochlor has fluctuated between 13% and 59% (Figure 2). During the same period, acetochlor application rates have fluctuated between 1.3 and 1.98 pounds per acre (Figure 3), and the total amount of acetochlor applied in the state has ranged between 1.8 million and 6.4 million pounds (Figure 4).
NASS data also show that the percentage of Minnesota soybean acres receiving acetochlor has increased from 3% in 2017 to 13% in 2020. During the same period, acetochlor application rates have fluctuated between 0.68 and 1.04 pounds per acre, and the total amount of acetochlor applied in the state has increased from 0.16 to 1.01 million pounds.
Figure 2: Percent of Minnesota corn acres treated with acetochlor, 1994 - 2021
Figure 3: Average statewide Minnesota acetochlor application rates on corn, 1994 - 2021
Figure 4: Total amount (in pounds) of acetochlor applied to Minnesota corn, 1994-2021
