12 / SEEDWORLD.COM FEBRUARY 2019 PROTECTINGPOLLINATORS ThisseriesissponsoredbyOperationPollinator, aSyngentaglobalinitiative. SPRING IS ALMOST IN THE AIR. The spring bloom for some specialty crops is on the horizon and the growing season for corn and soybeans will follow shortly after. It might be early, but it’s never too soon to think about pollinators and pesticide stewardship. Caydee Savinelli, Syngenta pollinator and integrated pest management stew- ardship lead says farmers, crop advisors and applicators should think about pol- linators and pesticide stewardship now as they prepare for the spring and summer growing seasons. “We want to keep reminding people as they prepare for planting, and then as the year progresses,” she says. “Farmers are so busy, and now is the time to start taking those steps toward product stewardship.” The No. 1 piece of advice from anyone in the industry is to simply read and follow the pesticide label or seed tag directions. The next step is communicating with local beekeepers to understand local pollinator visitation habits. Tag Tells All Whether a seed tag or a pesticide label, Savinelli says the labels are always the place to start. “First, if you’re reading a seed tag, it will tell you the active ingredient or ingredients the seeds have been treated with, and it will include any pollinator precautions, stating that a certain active ingredient is highly toxic or toxic to bees, so farmers and applicators know right away they need to be mindful of potential exposure,” she says. Jim Perrin, aerial applicator and owner of Agricair Flying Service, Inc., says that reading the label might actually give more freedom if the product label doesn’t include that pollinator protection language. “A lot of the products we spray now are not a concern for pollinators, and reading the tag gives us the information to determine how and when we can spray,” Perrin says. Savinelli says the labels also include personal protective equipment guide- lines and instructions for following local or state disposal guidelines for spilled or leftover seed. “It’s important to check with local Extension offices for those local guide- lines,” she says. One myth is that farmers or applicators can skip reading the tag if the product is the same as they’ve used before. Perrin says all products have to go through a recertification process every seven years, so even older products have updated labels with clear pollinator pro- tection language and guidelines for how and when to spray. It’s never too early to start thinking about pesticide stewardship. Melissa Shipman melissanshipman@gmail.com SPRINGBRINGSSTEWARDSHIP Technology Adds Efficiency As awareness for pollinators and pes- ticide stewardship grows, so does the technology available to support it. Savinelli says lubricants and other technological improvements for seed treatments help reduce dust off, in addi- tion to newer equipment designed for reducing dust, while Perrin says all their airplanes are now night vision goggle (NVG) equipped and certified for pollina- tor protection. “When it comes to drift reduction, there have been a number of develop- ments to better the application, such as GPS technology, shortening the booms, multiple shut off valves to ensure accu- racy,” Perrin says. “Those things help reduce a lot of the drift we used to see.” “We spent $57,000 per airplane to equip them to be able to fly at night, and a lot of our spray schedule is dictated by the bees’ foraging habits, so this lets us spray some in the morning, then go home Aerial applicators, such as Agricair Flying Service, monitor weather patterns, wind speed and bees’ foraging habits looking to find the ideal time to spray.