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Kathy Brunetti, Agriculture Program Supervisor
California Department of Pesticide Regulation
1020 N Street Room 161, Sacramento, California, USA 95814-5624
voice (916) 324-4100, FAX (916) 324-4088, brunetti@empm.cdpr.ca.gov
Our Web site: http://www.cdpr.ca.gov
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December 23, 1996
DPR RELEASES SUMMARY OF 1995 PESTICIDE USE DATA
SACRAMENTO - Cal/EPA's Department of Pesticide Regulation has released its
1995 Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data. The 427-page data summary
includes the reported amounts of various pesticides used, and types of
crops or places (e.g., structures, roadsides) treated.
In 1990, California became the first state to require that all
agricultural pesticide use be reported. A key concern was that regulatory
decisions are based on accurate information on pesticide use. DPR uses the
data to help estimate dietary risk and to ensure compliance with clean air
laws and ground water regulations. The site-specific use report data,
combined with geographic data on endangered species habitats, also helps
county agricultural commissioners resolve potential pesticide use
conflicts.
DPR also uses the data to learn what pesticides are used on
different crops. Reduced-risk pest management alternatives can then be
developed considering the different regions of the state and commodities
grown in these regions.
Pesticide use data for 1995 breaks down into these general categories:
Type of Use Pounds of Pesticide Active Ingredient* Reported Use
1994 1995
Production agriculture 183,443,578 192,471,136
Postharvest commodity
treatment 3,769,741 5,626,171
Structural fumigation 5,178,177 6,170,938
Landscape maintenance 1,322,459 1,380,030
All other reported uses* 5,781,235 6,150,477
Total reported use 199,495,190 211,798,752
* The term "pesticide" is an umbrella term for substances that kill
or control pests. Therefore, pesticides include insecticides, herbicides,
rodenticides, fungicides, and sanitizers. A pesticide active ingredient is
the chemical component of any pesticide product that kills, or otherwise
controls, target pests. Included in "all other reported uses" are weed
control along roads and other rights-of-way; public health applications,
including mosquito abatement; vertebrate pest control; fumigation of
nonfood and nonfeed materials such as lumber and furniture; pesticides used
in research; and regulatory pest control of pest infestations.
The Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data is available in two
formats. One is indexed by the name of each pesticide active ingredient,
under which is a line-by-line listing of the commodities treated, number of
applications, amount of acreage or units (e.g., bins) of each commodity
treated, and pounds of pesticide used. The other format contains the same
information but is indexed by commodity headings, under which are listed
the pesticides used.
Printed copies are available from DPR for $10 for either the
commodity or chemical version, or on diskette for $2.50 each. To order,
send payment to: Cashier, California Department of Pesticide Regulation,
1020 N Street, Sacramento 95814-5624. After January 5, the data summaries
can also be downloaded at no cost from the publications section of DPR's
Web page (www.cdpr.ca.gov). Another useful DPR publication, Pesticide Use
Reporting: An Overview of California's Unique Full Reporting System, can
also be downloaded.
For information about obtaining the complete database on computer
tape, call the DPR Information Systems Branch, (916) 445-4110.
The media contact is: Veda Federighi (916) 445-3974.