January 15, 2010

Check Before you Spray

NDA Develops Online Pesticide-Sensitive Crop Locater

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has developed a new Web site to help pesticide applicators identify sensitive crops located near where they plan to apply pesticides (i.e., herbicide, insecticide, fungicide, etc).

Pesticide applicators are encouraged to use the pesticide-sensitive Crop Locater to identify any sensitive crops near a planned pesticide application site, and adjust their procedures (timing or application method) accordingly.

Commercial growers of pesticide-sensitive crops can enter their crop locations and contact information, which can then be viewed by pesticide applicators from a list queried from the database, or viewed from an interactive map of the state.

While corn, soybeans, wheat, grain sorghum, and forage/pasture still make up the majority of our agricultural acres, in the last decade or so, organic crops, vineyards, and other “pesticide-sensitive” crops have been dotting the landscape in increasing numbers. Markets are being created by consumer demand for these products, and sales from these crops are contributing to agriculture’s economic diversity.

While all agricultural crops can be damaged by accidental pesticide drift, many of these crops are especially sensitive to pesticides, causing drastic economic impacts to individual growers.

Growers with crops that are particularly sensitive to pesticides are encouraged to list their plantings in the locater. This service is only as good as the information provided, so new information should be updated as soon as possible. In addition, growers should take the time to contact their neighbors and/or local pesticide dealers/co-ops to let them know of concerns about the potential for pesticide damage. Good communication is the key to avoiding these problems.

Applicators are encouraged to use this service and document known locations in their application records, or simply print out a view from this locater. It also would be a good idea to scout the area beforehand to become familiar with the landscape.

NDA encourages commercial growers of pesticide-sensitive crops to register their locations at this Web site, so pesticide applicators can access information for their area. Sensitive crops in the following categories will be accepted:

• fruits or vegetables,
• grapes (vineyards),
• honey,
• nursery (ornamental plants, plants for seed, flowers/cut flowers, etc),
• orchard (trees for fruit/nuts),
• organic, and
• other crops grown commercially that may be sensitive to pesticides.

Access to the grower data input page, the database search page, and the interactive map page can be found at NDA’s pesticide-sensitive Crop Locater Web page (http://www.agr.ne.gov/division/bpi/pes/psci.htm). These Web sites are also being modified and improved based on feedback from growers and applicators, and should be completed by the 2010 application season.

This project was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Nebraska Winery and Grape Board, with oversight provided by NDA and the University of Nebraska Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies.

Craig Romary
Environmental Programs Specialist
Pesticide Program, Nebraska Department of Agriculture