The ag community needs to work together to keep fieldworkers, apiaries and specialty crops safe during the growing season. The Iowa Department of Agriculture with the nonprofit FieldWatch are providing free communications tools to facilitate collaboration among farmers, beekeepers, seed companies and pesticide applicators.

The centralized communications platform is intended to protect beehives, sensitive crops and seed fieldworkers from accidental pesticide exposures. FieldWatch is piloting a program in Iowa allowing seed companies to register the locations of their field crews daily. Users mark registered fields as “planned” or “occupied” to alert pesticide applicators when there may be crews in the area.

Register hives, specialty crops

“Iowa has always been a leader in agricultural innovation, and the FieldWatch SeedFieldCheck registry is an example of that legacy,” says Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig. “I commend the Iowa Seed Association and Iowa Agricultural Aviators Association for recognizing a need and working with FieldWatch to develop a solution to protect field crews. Working together, we can all have a safe growing season.”

FieldWatch offers three additional registries to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between various ag groups:

This level of transparency benefits all stakeholders and empowers farmers and applicators to do business in a responsible, sustainable way.

Sign up for free

Applicators, growers and beekeepers can sign up at fieldwatch.com. Applicators need to register with FieldWatch to see SeedFieldCheck site locations in 2020. Once users create an account, they can update their contact and site information anytime. Smartphone apps make it easy for users to update their locations from the fields.

Agriculture communities in 22 states use FieldWatch. Iowa has more registered pesticide applicators than any other state: 

Questions about FieldWatch registries can be directed to Paul Ovrom, state horticulturist at the Iowa Ag Department, at [email protected] or 515-242-6239. More information is also on the Iowa Sensitive Crops Registry website.

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