FieldWatch, the non-profit company focused on improving communications between growers, beekeepers, and pesticide applicators, will soon be launching a new pilot program in Iowa. This new system will be called SeedFieldCheck and will be a site where seed companies and pesticide applicators can communicate about the location of fields where workers are present. This will increase pesticide stewardship and better ensure seed field worker safety.

SeedFieldCheck will provide broad communication to pesticide applicators that accurately describes where and when seed field workers will be present in seed production fields. The new functionality will more effectively communicate the location of field workers, eventually replacing less efficient means of conveying this information. The data will be made available in near real-time, allowing seed companies the ability to make edits or update plans quickly, and broadly share current and planned worker locations with pesticide applicators. A major benefit to seed companies is that SeedFieldCheck will make this information available to any pesticide applicator doing business in their area, provided that applicator has registered on FieldWatch, and eliminate the need to anticipate who might be doing applications in the vicinity of seed field workers.

The SeedFieldCheck system will be added to the existing FieldWatch platform. Seed companies will work directly with FieldWatch to upload seed field sites and identify “data stewards” to help ensure data accuracy. All pesticide applicators, that haven’t already, will need to register at http://www.fieldwatch.com in order to access SeedFieldCheck, as well as the other information available on FieldWatch. They will then be able to see sites that have a “planned” or “active” status. A seed field that has a “planned” status indicates that workers are planned for that seed field the following day. A field with an “active” status indicates that workers are currently working in that seed field.

The program will operate as a pilot in the state of Iowa in the 2020 growing season with the intention of expanding the program in 2021 and beyond. SeedFieldCheck is a joint effort of the Iowa Seed Association, the Iowa Agricultural Aviation Association and FieldWatch, and made possible by the generous financial support of members of ISA and IAAA. For a demonstration on how to sign up as an applicator go to: http://www.fieldwatch.com/applicatordemo. NAAA strongly encourages all aerial applicators to register on FieldWatch. The only way SeedFieldCheck and the other registries on FieldWatch are available is if you register for them.