The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) has announced its collaboration with FieldWatch, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing communication and stewardship among beekeepers, crop producers and pesticide applicators. This partnership will enable Georgia’s beekeepers and crop producers to use FieldWatch’s technology, providing a secure online registry to map apiaries and crop fields. That will ensure safer pesticide application practices.
“The state of Georgia is excited to partner with FieldWatch to make their innovative technology available to Georgia farmers and beekeepers alike,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “This partnership gives our farmers another tool … to ensure the continued success of Georgia agriculture and make our No. 1 industry more sustainable by promoting safe, effective and efficient pesticide usage.”
“The goal is to get beekeepers and crop producers registered through FieldWatch so applicators can get accurate information before spraying,” said FieldWatch President and CEO Bob Walters. “This model has been proven to build good stewardship and communication in agriculture.”
GDA’s partnership with FieldWatch is the state’s latest step in an ongoing effort to reduce pesticide drift and encourage safe usage through the Using Pesticides Wisely program (UPW). UPW, a collaboration between the department and University of Georgia Extension, is the nation’s largest pesticide safety and education program. It has successfully trained more than 17,000 Georgians.
GDA’s decision was driven by the needs of crop producers and beekeepers who wanted to register the locations of their apiaries and crops. FieldWatch’s tools, such as DriftWatch and BeeCheck, will be free and available to all Georgia beekeepers and crop producers. Those tools will enable agriculturists to register their locations easily and securely and promote sustainable pesticide usage practices.
FieldCheck is an online and mobile portal that pesticide applicators can use to improve decision-making and avoid damage from spray drift to crops and beehives.
Source: Georgia Department of Agriculture
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