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Abstract
The integrated crop management (ICM) practice, also known as special practice 53 (SP-53), was instituted on a trial basis in 1990 under the Agricultural Conservation Program. The Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service administers the program, which'provides cost sharing to encourage farmers to adopt systems incorporating integrated pest management and nutrient management practices. Analysis of the first year of ICM, based on a sample of four crops (corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton) grown in four States (Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, Mississippi), indicates some limited success. The primary effect of ICM appears to have been reduced nitrogen fertilizer use. Use of other fertilizers and pesticides, however, remained generally unaffected. ICM had little or no effect on crop yields. Leaching and runoff potential for pesticides was apparently reduced in some instances, while increased in others.