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By: Peggy Kirk Hall, Wednesday, March 05th, 2014

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has announced that pesticide applicators, commercial sensitive crop producers and apiaries may now use the online Ohio Sensitive Crop Registry (OSCR).  ODA developed OSCR as a “voluntary informational tool designed to allow stakeholders an effective way to communicate and protect pesticide-sensitive crops and apiaries.”  The registry will enable applicators to determine whether there are any sensitive crops in an area before applying pesticides.

How does the registry work?

ODA designed the tool for registered apiaries and "commercial" sensitive crop producers who produce at least one-half acre of a single type of sensitve crop.  The ODA defines sensitive crops as follows:

Apiaries – any ODA-registered apiary
Aquaculture – a location with any fish and other aquatics grown outdoors
Brambles – aggregated total of fruit such as raspberries and blackberries of at least .5 acres
Certified Organic – an organic farm certified by a USDA-accredited agent; certified organic crops, forage, and livestock of at least .5 acres
Nurseries – nursery stock and flowers of at least .5 acres
Greenhouse/High Tunnels – must be for commercial use and produce at least .5 acre of any combination of crops annually
Orchards – fruit or nut-producing trees of at least .5 acres
Grapes – vineyards of at least .5 acres
Tomatoes – all tomato cultivars of at least .5 acres
Fruit (other) - non-tree simple, aggregate and multiple fruits of at least .5 acres, excluding tomatoes, grapes, and brambles
Herbs – herbs and plants for spices of at least .5 acres
Vegetables – root and leafy vegetables, legumes, and pumpkins of at least .5 acres
 

Registration on OSCR is completely voluntary; a sensitive crop producer may create an account on the OSCR website and map the locations of their crops.  ODA will then verify the producer's information before it is available on the registry.  Private and commercial pesticide applicators may also voluntarily register on the site.  If approved by ODA, an applicator may search the registry to identify the locations of sensitive crops and apiaries.  The registry includes a mapping tool with options to search by address, parcel number, township, county, city, village and other methods.

It is important to note that the information provided in the registry is not available to the general public.  It is only available to those who have registered on OSCR and have been verified by ODA.

Implications for crop producers and pesticide applicators

The registry offers a good risk management tool to sensitive crop producers.  By allowing producers to communicate the existence of sensitive crops, which are typically not as easily observed as other crops, the registry should reduce pesticide drift impacts.  One possible implication for sensitive crop producers is the risk of sharing crop information through the registry, but the ODA verification process should minimize potential misuse of registry information.

Reduced drift impacts will also benefit pesticide applicators who use OSCR.  However, the voluntary nature of the registry raises potential implications for pesticide applicators.  What is the liability exposure for an applicator who knows the registry is available but chooses not to use the tool?  Could a harmed party argue that an applicator "should have known" about a sensitive crop because it was registered?  Does the availability of the information create a new legal duty for  pesticide applicators--a duty to take the additional step to identify nearby sensitive crops?  Could an insurer refuse to cover an applicator who failed to consult the registry?   Until Ohio courts receive and answer these legal questions, we don't have clear answers.

The caution to pesticide applicators, then, is to take the OSCR seriously.  Don't overlook the registry because participation is "voluntary" rather than mandatory.   The registry can provide important information that could reduce pesticide exposure to sensitive crops; a pesticide applicator who fails to utilize the information might be increasing his or her potential liability if pesticide drift occurs.

To learn more about the Ohio Sensitive Crop Registry, visit: http://www.agri.ohio.gov/scr/.