FieldWatch Celebrates 10 Years of Advancing Technology

Originally launched in 2008 by the Purdue University Agriculture and Biological Engineering Department, the initial FieldWatch web-based program allowed farmers and applicators in Indiana to communicate where specialty crops were grown as part of ongoing stewardship activities. Today, FieldWatch offers an online national registry that is compatible with technology platforms used in agriculture, which facilitate communication between commercial applicators, growers of sensitive crops and beekeepers.

“The primary reason I joined FieldWatch was to expand the accessibility of our tools and data to a larger audience,” said Bob Walters, FieldWatch Director of Business Development. “One of the most significant advancements we’ve had since expanding outside of Purdue was the ability to export and streamline our data with other mapping systems, so farmers can easily integrate vital field data with their agriculture tools.”

FieldWatch’s first registry, DriftWatch Specialty Crop Site, focused on sensitive crop locations. A major shift occurred when FieldWatch created its second registry to meet the needs of beekeepers. BeeCheck Apiary Registry is built on a software platform that is used across many industries, allowing access not just to commercial applicators, but also to other entities interested in avoiding beehive locations.

Data integrity is one of FieldWatch’s main priorities. About four years ago, FieldWatch implemented a process of validating the data included in the registry to ensure the information entered into the system is timely and accurate.

FieldWatch strives to be responsive to the needs of its users. As more tools can be accessed through mobile devices, FieldWatch reacted accordingly, launching two new mobile apps, FieldCheck and BeeCheck, in April 2018. FieldCheck is designed to give applicators more functionality from their mobile device while in the field. BeeCheck is designed specifically for beekeepers and will provide the same functionality as the online platform, but will make it easier for beekeepers to change the location of beehives entered in the registry.

Both apps are available free of charge on Android and iOS, and provide streamlined data input and access for FieldWatch members. Explore our helpful how-to videos to start mapping your hives, sites and alert areas today, click here.