Pesticide Sensitive Crop Locater

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is pleased to announce the development of the Pesticide Sensitive Crop Locater, a web site designed to provide pesticide applicators with information on sensitive crops located near the sites they plan to apply pesticides (i.e., herbicide, insecticide, fungicide, etc). Commercial growers of pesticide sensitive crops can enter their crop locations and contact information, which can then be viewed by pesticide applicators from a list queried from the database, or viewed from an interactive map of the state.

In the last decade or so, organic crops, vineyards, and other “pesticide sensitive” crops have been dotting the landscape in increasing numbers. Markets are being created by consumer demand for these products, and sales from these crops are contributing to agriculture’s economic diversity. While all agricultural crops can be damaged by accidental pesticide drift, many of these crops are especially sensitive to pesticides, causing drastic economic impacts to individual growers.

Pesticide applicators are encouraged to use this web site to determine if any sensitive crops are near a planned pesticide application site, and adjust their procedures (timing or application method) accordingly. Keep in mind, however, that listings in this locater are voluntary, and not all sensitive crop locations may be listed at any one time. Applicators are encouraged to use this service and document known locations in your application records, or simply print out a view from this locater. It would also be a good idea to scout the area beforehand to become familiar with the landscape. Stop and visit with neighbors, who may have sensitive crops to let them know of your intentions, and try to allay any concerns they may have.

NDA encourages commercial growers of pesticide-sensitive crops to register their locations at this web site, so pesticide applicators can access information for their area. Sensitive crops in the following categories will be accepted: fruits or vegetables, grapes (vineyards), honey, nursery (ornamental plants, plants for seed, flowers/cut flowers, etc), orchard (trees for fruit/nuts), organic, and other crops grown commercially that may be sensitive to pesticides.

This service is only as good as the information contained here, so new information should be updated as soon as possible. In addition, growers should take the time to contact their neighbors and/or local pesticide dealers/co-ops to let them know of concerns about the potential for pesticide damage. Good communication is the key to avoiding these problems.

Access to the grower data input page, the database search page, and the interactive map page can be found at NDA’s Pesticide Sensitive Crop Locater web page (http://www.agr.ne.gov/division/bpi/pes/psci.htm). Currently, the database contains only locations for vineyards, but it will be promoted to growers of other sensitive crops this fall and winter. These web sites are also being modified and improved based on feedback from growers and applicators, and should be completed by the 2010 application season.

This project was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Nebraska Winery and Grape Board, with oversight provided by NDA and the University of Nebraska Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies.