More than 1,400 Oregon and Washington fruit growers will be interviewed this fall to gather information for the USDA’s Fruit Chemical Use Survey.

The survey, conducted every other year, collects information on fertilizer and pesticide applications.

“One thing the data has shown is that farmers are not using these chemicals at the maximum label rate,” said Dennis Koong, Northwest regional director for the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The survey illustrates that fruit farmers are excellent stewards of the land and growing food that’s safe to eat, Koong said.

“This is about the only source for this kind of data,” he added.

Without those figures, some policymakers might make assumptions about the amount of fertilizer and pesticides being used, Koong said.

Though the survey is voluntary, the USDA guarantees confidentiality, leading to trustworthy data, he said.

Acres treated and application rates will be collected for seven target fruit crops in Oregon and Washington — apples, sweet cherries, tart cherries, pears, raspberries, blueberries and grapes.

Fruit growers in 10 other states also will be contacted for the survey, according to a news release.

To conduct the survey, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service representatives will call farmers to arrange for interviews.

Survey respondents should have spray records available for reference.

If these services were contracted, growers will be asked to give the interviewer consent to access these records.

Data from the survey will be published online next year.