Clean Agriculture USA

Cleaner Air 

Over Greener 

Fields 

National Clean Diesel Campaign

www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/agriculture

Recycled/Recyclable — Printed with vegetable oil based inks on 100% postconsumer, process chlorine free recycled paper.

August 2010

EPA-420-F-10-017 

For More Information

To learn more about Clean Agriculture USA, visit 

www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/agriculture. 

About the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC)

EPA established NCDC to promote strategies that reduce harmful emissions from 

America’s diesel engines. Through regulatory and innovative approaches, NCDC 

addresses new diesel engines as well as the millions already in use. 

The Diesel Emissions Reduction provisions in the Energy 

Policy Act of 2005 are a significant funding source to 

bring verified and emerging, cost-effective technologies 

to communities nationwide.

“Through EPA’s Clean Agriculture USA program, we 

were able to replace our old, inefficient tractors. The new 

tractors are more fuel efficient and burn far cleaner than the 

old ones, which were nearly 30 years old. They have made 

a significant difference in improving air quality, which helps 

our employees and the environment.” 

David McMullin, South Shore Farms	

Payson, Utah
Clean Agriculture USA: 

Greener Fields and Cleaner Air

Diesel-powered machines help make American farmers among the most productive in the world. During 

the last few years, stakeholders representing the 

agricultural sector, including agricultural engine and 

equipment makers, have been valuable contributors 

to the development of new regulations that ensure 

new engines will be the cleanest in the world.

There is, however, a legacy fleet of more than 

2 million agricultural diesel engines in the fields 

today that contribute significant levels of harmful 

emissions. They use older diesel engines that produce exhaust containing ozone-forming nitrogen 

oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), or soot, in 

addition to other air toxics. 

Clean Agriculture USA provides businesses in the 

agriculture sector with tools and resources, funding opportunities, and information regarding best 

practices to reduce diesel emissions.

Providing Cleaner Solutions

Clean Agriculture USA helps farmers, agricultural 

corporations, equipment manufacturers, and other 

related groups reduce diesel emissions from farm 

equipment, resulting in cleaner engines and improved 

air quality. This program identifies proven strategies to 

reduce diesel emissions, including:

■ Switching to cleaner fuels, such as biodiesel, liquid petroleum gas, and compressed natural gas.

■ Retrofitting existing diesel equipment with verified technologies.

■ Replacing older diesel engines, or entire 

machines, with newer, cleaner engines. 

■ Maintaining equipment. 

■ Minimizing idling. 

■ Implementing multi-tillage tools. 

Clean Agriculture USA also offers support to help 

implement these strategies. For example, Clean 

Agriculture USA provides:

■ Detailed specifications, performance analyses, 

and manufacturer data on EPA- and CARB-certified technologies.

■ State and local information on funding options 

and financial incentives.

■ Tools and resources, such as emission calculators 

and case studies from peers and stakeholders.

Miami-Dade County Finds Savings With 

Repowered Pumps

With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, farmers in Miami-Dade 

County now have a financial incentive to update 

their old irrigation equipment with cleaner pump 

engines. The new Tier 3 engines not only produce 

fewer emissions but they also use less fuel. By installing the new engines, farmers will reduce average 

fuel used by 3 to 6 gallons per hour, saving almost 

1,000 gallons of fuel per year. Qualified growers receive additional savings, with reimbursements from 

the county for up to 65 percent of the cost of a new 

irrigation pump.

Repowering San Joaquin Agricultural Vehicles 

The Air Pollution Control District in San Joaquin 

Valley received $2 million to repower 30 off-road 

agricultural vehicles with new engines that meet or 

exceed EPA’s Tier 3 emission standards. Using ARRA 

funds, EPA funded this project because of its longterm economic and immediate health benefits for 

the community. The repowered engines are 

expected to reduce NOx emissions by more 

than 33 tons and PM by more than 1 ton annually.

Through NCDC, EPA provides grants and innovative financing mechanisms to assist eligible partners 

in building diesel emission reduction programs. 

Case Studies: 

www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/agriculture www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/agriculture www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/agriculture