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USDA-NASS Cropland Data Layer
Introduction
The United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) Illinois Cropland Data Layer is a raster, geo-referenced, categorized land cover data layer produced annually using satellite imagery from the Thematic Mapper (TM) instrument on Landsat 5 and the Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) on Landsat 7. The ground resolution is 30 meters by 30 meters. The Illinois Cropland Data Layer is aggregated to 13 standardized categories for display purposes with the emphasis being agricultural land cover. Please note that no individual farmer's reported data is included or derivable from the Cropland Data Layer.
The Illinois Cropland Data Layer is part of a series in which several states are categorized annually based on the extensive field observations collected during the annual NASS June Agricultural Survey (JAS). This is a national survey based on a stratified random sample of land areas selected from each state's area frame. An area frame is a land use stratification based on percent cultivation. Our field enumerators are given questionnaires to ask farmers what, where, when and how much they are planting. Our surveys focus on cropland, but the enumerators record all land covers within the sampled area of land whether it is cropland or not. NASS uses broad land use categories to define land that is not under cultivation, including; non-agricultural, pasture/rangeland, waste, woods, and farmstead. To view product examples, metadata, FAQ's or to learn more about the program methodology, please visit the NASS Cropland Data Layer website .
Purpose
The purpose of the Illinois Cropland Data Layer Program is to use satellite imagery on an annual basis to (1) provide supplemental acreage estimates for the state's major commodities and (2) produce digital, crop specific, categorized geo-referenced output products.
These data are intended for geographic display and analysis at the state level. The cropland data layers are provided "as is". USDA-NASS does not warrant results you may obtain using the data.
Copyright Restrictions
There are NO copyright restrictions with the NASS Cropland Data Layer imagery. The categorized imagery is considered public domain and free to redistribute. However, NASS would appreciate acknowledgment or credit for the usage of our categorized imagery.
Attributes
The following is a cross-reference list of the categorization codes and land covers used in all states involved in the Cropland Data Layer Program. Note that not all land cover categories listed below will appear in an individual state. (For example, the Illinois Cropland Data Layer uses 13 of these categories.)
| Categorization Code | Land Cover |
|---|---|
| "1" | Corn |
| "2" | Cotton |
| "3" | Rice |
| "4" | Sorghum |
| "5" | Soybeans |
| "6" | Sunflowers |
| "10" | Peanuts |
| "11" | Tobacco |
| Categorization Code | Land Cover |
|---|---|
| "21" | Barley |
| "22" | Durum Wheat |
| "23" | Spring Wheat |
| "24" | Winter Wheat (AR,IL,MS,NM) |
| "25" | Other Small Grains & Hay (Oats, Millet, Rye & Winter Wheat, Alfalfa & Other Hay) |
| "26" | Winter Wheat/Soybeans Double Cropped |
| Categorization Code | Land Cover |
|---|---|
| "41" | Beets |
| "42" | Dry Edible Beans |
| "43" | Potatoes |
| "44" | Other Crops (Canola, Flaxseed, Safflower & very small acreage crops) |
| "50" | State 560 CRP |
| "51" | State 561 Popcorn |
| "52" | State 562 Snap Beans |
| "53" | State 563 Green Peas |
| "54" | State 564 Pumpkins |
| "55" | State 565 Apples |
| "56" | State 566 Peaches |
| "57" | State 567 Sweet Corn - fresh |
| "58" | State 568 Sweet Corn - processing |
| "59" | State 569 Other Crops |
Attribute Domain Values and Definitions: OTHER LAND 61-80
| Categorization Code | Land Cover |
|---|---|
| "61" | Fallow/Idle Cropland |
| "62" | Pasture/Range/CRP/Non Ag (Permanent & Cropland Pasture, Waste & Farmstead) |
| "63" | Woods |
| Categorization Code | Land Cover |
|---|---|
| "81" | Clouds |
| "82" | Urban |
| "83" | Water |
| "84" | Roads/Railroads |
| "85" | Ditches/Waterways |
| "86" | Buildings/Homes/Subdivisions |
| "87" | Wetlands |
| "88" | Grassland |
| "90" | Mixed Water/Crops |
| "91" | Mixed Water/Clouds |
Classification accuracy is generally between 85% to 95% correct for agricultural-related land cover categories. Detailed classification statistics are available on the official CD-Rom, which can be obtained at the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service.
For additional information, please visit the Cropland Data Layer website https://www.nass.usda.gov/Data_and_Statistics/index.php.