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Access to Specialized Crop Maps
Farmers of specialty crops, like vineyards and organic farms, often face damage from chemical pesticides used on traditional crops like corn and soybeans. The Illinois Department of Agriculture hopes to prevent that in the future.

The department is developing maps based on global information systems to easily locate specialty crops. People who apply chemicals to fields will then have access to the maps through the internet.

Jean Payne, president of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, supports the idea. She says the program is based on a similar successful design in Indiana. The Illinois program allows farmers to voluntarily contact the department with their GIS coordinates. Applicators then have the responsibility to check the maps before spraying neighboring fields.

Payne says the groups needed a better system of communication and believes the new program provides that solution. She says the department hopes to have the program up and running by 2011.

(Illinois Radio Network)
06 01 10 by Newsroom
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