Reminders for Private Pesticide Applicators in Iowa: Part 3 Using FieldWatch as a Tool in Your Toolbox

This is the final article in a 3-part series for private pesticide applicators.  Part 1 focused on remaining continuing instruction courses to maintain certification requirements.  Part 2 focused on methods to renew your certificate if it has expired.

This final part covers how private pesticide applicators can register and utilize the FieldWatch® website to help make more informed decisions about applying pesticides.  FieldWatch® is a voluntary registration tool that promotes communication, cooperation and collaboration between crop producers, pesticide applicators, specialty crop producers and beekeepers.  Owners of specialty crops and apiaries register their sites annually, and you as a private applicator can sign up to receive notifications when sites are registered so you know if you are spraying near sensitive crops or apiaries.  This website is a tool that can potentially help mitigate impacts off-target movement of pesticides.  As a pesticide applicator you only need to sign-up once to receive notifications

The following steps and screen shots will assist you in how to register as a pesticide applicator.

 1. Go to FieldWatch.com

 2. Click on FieldCheck for Applicators

 3. Complete the form as shown in Figure 1. 

Figure. 1 FieldCheck registration web form.

  4. Once you create an account, you sign up to receive notifications by the entire state, specific counties, or you can custom draw your area of interest.      

  5. You will receive a message asking you to confirm your email.

  6. Each time someone registers a specialty crop or apiary in the area you designated, you will receive an email notification (Figure 2). 

Figure 2. Example email message alerting applicators to a new site. 

   7. Each email message will contain a link to a map showing where the specialty crop or apiary is located (Figure 3). 

Figure 3. An example of a FieldCheck map for central Iowa showing registered beehives and specialty crops.  

Private pesticide applicators registered with FieldCheck may add additional sensitive sites (e.g. private gardens, ornamentals, non-dicamba tolerant soybeans, sensitive species) that may be sensitive to chemical drift but don’t meet the criteria to be listed publicly on FieldWatch®. These sites are visible only to the applicator who added them but are useful in preparing for and making pesticide application.

In addition to the FieldWatch® website, there are two mobile apps that can be used to access and input data. The FieldCheck by FieldWatch® app gives applicators easy access to specialty crop information and beehive locations from their mobile devices. The BeeCheck® app allows beekeepers to easily make changes in the location of their beehives. Both apps are available free of charge for Android and iOS devices.

Putting this tool in your toolbox allows you to make good decisions when spraying pesticides and allows communication between growers and applicators.