Overview

Production decisions concerning how much effort and resources to invest in crop and livestock production, and which farming practices to follow, have consequences and create opportunities for the farm—affecting production levels, input costs, time constraints, and the potential size of the operation. They also may have implications for resource use and environmental quality.

ERS synthesizes information on field cropping practices used for all major commodities. The annual Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) provides field-level data for major crops. ARMS Crop Production Practices data can be used to find information at multiple levels of aggregation about:

Previous crops planted
Nutrient management
Pest management
Seed use
Land tenure
Conservation practices and field characteristics
Use of precision agriculture
Equipment use and field operations
Irrigation practices

ARMS also collects detailed information on hog, dairy, cow-calf, and broiler production practices. Over time, these data provide measures of changing livestock production practices that can be used to gain insight into some of the causes and consequences of these changes.

ERS analyzes trends in the adoption of a range of crop and livestock production practices and their effectiveness in reducing costs, increasing farming profitability, minimizing losses to the environment, and conserving natural resources.

Additional data on costs of production, also collected by the ARMS are available in the related Commodity Costs and Returns data product.

The Changing Landscape of U.S. Strawberry and Blueberry Markets: Production, Trade, and Challenges from 2000 to 2020 Structure, Management Practices, and Production Costs of U.S. Beef Cow-Calf Farms Characteristics and Trends of U.S. Soybean Production Practices, Costs, and Returns Since 2002 Increasing the Value of Animal Manure for Farmers U.S. Organic Production, Markets, Consumers, and Policy, 2000–21

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Most Row Crop Acreage Managed Using Auto-steer and Guidance Systems Innovations in Seed and Farming Technologies Drive Productivity Gains and Costs on Corn Farms U.S. Dairy Productivity Increased Faster in Large Farms and Across Southwestern States Adoption of Genetically Engineered Dicamba-Tolerant Cotton Seeds is Prevalent Throughout the United States Grass Cover Crops, Such as Rye and Winter Wheat, Are the Most Common Cover Crops Used Before Planting Corn, Soybeans, and Cotton

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ARMS Farm Financial and Crop Production Practices Commodity Costs and Returns Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S. Organic Production Fertilizer Use and Price

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Environmental Quality Climate Change Conservation Programs Irrigation & Water Use Organic Agriculture

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