FieldWatch is an easy-to-use, reliable, accurate and secure on-line mapping tool intended to enhance communications that promotes awareness and stewardship activities between producers of specialty crops, beekeepers, and pesticide applicators. Originally developed at Purdue University, FieldWatch is now a non-profit company with support from producers, applicators, agricultural chemical companies and other organizations.
The program allows specialty crop producers and beekeepers to enter their locations on a secure on-line map. The map is viewed by pesticide applicators so they know what crops are in the area they intend to treat. For the past couple of years, applicators planning to apply the new dicamba products (XtendiMax®, FeXapan®, Engenia®) have been required to check Fieldwatch.
All you need to do to sign up is visit http://www.fieldwatch.com/ and follow the easy tutorials under the resources tab. Once you have an account, you should be asked to update your FieldWatch information each year. If you have not heard from FieldWatch recently, log on to to update your account information. The service is free. You can purchase signs at reasonable prices to post at your location as a visible notification to applicators. See signs below.
As most of you know, 2019 will likely be another challenging year for drift and off-target damage. The past two years, 2017 and 2018, saw a record number of drift complaints in Indiana and across the Midwest, mostly due to dicamba products used in soybeans (XtendiMax®, FeXapan®, Engenia®). A very large increase in the acreage of Monsanto’s Dicamba-Tolerant “Xtendimax®” soybeans is expected in the state this year. Millions of acres of DT beans may be sprayed with dicamba in May and June so the potential for off-target damage is enormous. Special training programs have been held for applicators and new label restrictions have been added. All dicamba applicators are required attend the training. A requirement of the dicamba product labels is to check FieldWatch to determine where sensitive crops exist. Your orchard, vineyard, blueberry farm, high tunnel, vegetable planting, etc is protected by product labels that restrict making an application if the wind is blowing toward your crop. But if the applicator doesn’t know you are there, they can’t make the right decision. So be sure to sign up on FieldWatch today or update your account information. The spray season for row crops is coming up soon.
Report Damage:
The Office of the Indiana State Chemist is attempting to monitor off target damage due to dicamba and other pesticides in 2019 to measure success of their training programs. They are interesting in reports of damage and will inspect a report even if an official drift complaint is not filed. This is a change from past years. This takes the “discomfort” out of reporting an incident. Your neighbors will not inspected if you report an incident, unless you decide to file an official complaint. So please help us keep track of the situation this growing season. Keep your eyes open and report incidences of off-target damage if you see them. Contact the State Chemist Pesticide Section at (765) 494-1582. Or just let me know and I’ll let them know so they can check out the report. They need your help in assessing the situation.