County-Level Nitrogen Fertilizer Sales Estimates for the Contiguous United States in 1985

Estimates of nitrogen-fertilizer sales for each county in the conterminous United States, primarily reflecting 1985 amounts. The data was generated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a researcher from West Virginia University, using state sales data and county expenditure ratios from the 1987 Census of Agriculture.

Use Cases

• Map relative rates of fertilizer sales across U.S. counties using the county polygon and tons-sold data.
• Estimate regional nitrogen fertilizer sales for environmental modeling by aggregating county-level tonnage estimates.
• Analyze the relationship between county agricultural expenditures and fertilizer sales using the derived expenditure ratio data.
• Study historical patterns of inorganic nutrient sales (nitrogen, phosphate, potash) at a sub-state geographical level.

Strengths

• Data covers the entire conterminous United States at the county level.
• Estimates are derived from two authoritative sources: state regulatory agency reports and the 1987 U.S. Census of Agriculture.

Limitations

• Data primarily reflects 1985 amounts and is not current.
• County-level estimates are subject to sampling variability, reporting errors, and disclosure rules from the source Census.
• Boundaries near original map section edges were adjusted, and water polygons are arbitrary.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1990) and Jerald Fletcher (West Virginia University).

Collection Method

Generated by multiplying annual state sales tonnage by the ratio of county-to-state fertilizer expenditures from the 1987 Census of Agriculture.

Time Range

Estimates generally reflect 1985 amounts, using expenditure data from the 1987 growing year.

Freshness

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Geography

Contiguous United States (conterminous U.S.) at the county level.