Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/31248
DriftWatch shows sensitive crops An online reporting system indicates farms that are sensitive to pesticide drift, such as vineyards. by Richard Lehnert M idwestern farmers are finding a new way to ease some of the tensions caused by conflicting interests between field crop growers and specialty crop producers. It’s called Drift- Watch, a voluntary “sensitive crop” reporting system that notifies other farmers and pesticide applicators about locations where spray drift may be a major concern. The Pesticide Sensitive Crops and Habitats Registry program began in Indiana in 2008, and now, the map on the DriftWatch Web site is filled with multicolored electronic pushpins—pop-up balloons—identifying grape vineyards and other fruit orchards; locations of bee yards; fields growing vegetables, nursery plants, or organic crops; and ecologically sensitive habitats where pesticides might not be desired. In the two years of operation, the Web site has recorded 10,000 unique visitors. Leighanne Hahn, water quality and endangered species specialist with the Office of the Indiana State Chemist, which regulates pesticides, These pushpin-like balloons identify sites that are sensitive to ill effects from spray drift. Growers register the sites so neighbors and custom pesticide applicators can exercise special care when spraying. fertilizers, and feeds in Indiana, said she’s just finished registering field number 1,442 on the day Good Fruit Grower called her—and was working on a big expansion outside of Indiana as well. Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois joined the program this spring. Minnesota is constructing its site now. Ohio is considering join- ing. Illinois had its own registry system and brought its own database to the site. “There are more pushpins in Illinois than in Indiana now,” Hahn said. Almost all the Illinois sites are beekeepers, but many are grapes. 8 MAY 15, 2011 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com driftwatch.org