Trends Indicated by the New Jersey Pesticide Use Survey

In the state of New Jersey, pesticide application has been essential for crop production, reducing vector-borne diseases, maintaining right-of-ways, etc. However, the applied chemical residues left behind after pesticide application may have a significant impact on the environment and human health. Therefore, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has conducted a pesticide use survey of licensed pesticide applicators in the state of New Jersey every three years since 1985 for the purposes of tracking pesticide use amounts and patterns. These surveys target pesticide use for agricultural operations, golf courses, lawn maintenance, right-of-way, and mosquito control. The information collected indicates a slow increase with golf course, right-of-way, and mosquito control pesticide use, and a slow decrease in agricultural use over the past twenty years, with lawn care pesticide use remaining relatively even. New Jersey's program is a reasonable model for other states and provinces to better assess pesticide use and associated environmental concerns.