DriftWatch, a voluntary online registry program created by Purdue University Agriculture and Biological Engineering has been given a new home with a new company called FieldWatch, Inc which will lead to a nationwide online crop registry for high-value pesticide sensitive crops.

The university’s successful web based program, launched in Indiana in 2008, has been effective in allowing both farmers and applicators to identify, map and communicate where high-value pesticide-sensitive crops are being grown as part of ongoing stewardship activities. Driftwatch has quickly caught the attention of other state departments of agriculture and has currently been adopted by nine states, primarily in the Midwest, plus Colorado and Montana.

With DriftWatch, producers of high-value specialty crops, such as tomatoes, fruit trees, grapes and vegetables, register their sites on-line and provide contact information about their operation. Likewise, pesticide applicators utilize the site to help determine the scope and location of specialty crops in their trade areas. DriftWatch provides the platform to facilitate better awareness, communication and interaction between all parties as one part of ongoing stewardship activities.