State Agriculture Department Extends Deadline for Pesticide Use Survey to Aug. 15

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), which is responsible for enforcing the Maryland Pesticide Applicator’s Law, today announced that the deadline to completed the 2014 Pesticide Usage Survey has been extended to August 15. MDA encourages everyone who receives a survey in the mail to complete and return the form. The report is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

“This survey will provide us with comprehensive information about what pesticides are being used around the state and what trends are developing,” said Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “This crucial data will help agriculture and industry professionals understand what is being used, and it will provide public and environmental health experts with information that can help them focus their research and monitoring efforts.”

This is the tenth pesticide use survey MDA has conducted since 1985. The survey is sent to all farmers, private applicators, commercially licensed businesses and public agencies that obtain a permit from MDA to apply pesticides. Additionally, the survey is sent to a randomly sampling of farmers who are not certified applicators. While the survey is voluntary, high response is important to ensure the compilation of the most accurate information. NASS will be calling everyone who does not respond by August 15 to complete the survey.

Maryland is the only state in the Chesapeake Bay region to comprehensively survey pesticide use. The 2014 survey, for the first time, includes questions related to the time of year the product is applied and which crop is targeted for application. This additional information is being collected as a result of the Pesticide Use Information and Reporting Workgroup, which was formed following legislation passed in 2013.

Pesticides are defined as any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. They can take the form of bait, liquid, powder or spray. Commonly used pesticides include insecticides, herbicides (weed killers) and rodenticides.

All commercial applicators must be registered and permitted with MDA. Restricted use pesticides may only be applied by, or under the direct supervision, of a licensed applicator. For a searchable database of licensed applicators as well pesticides that can be applied in Maryland, see: http://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Pages/pesticide_db.aspx

For a brief overview of MDA’s Pesticide Regulation Section, see: http://mda.maryland.gov/Documents/ag_brief/AgBrief_PesticideReg.pdf

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