NCGA Joins AMP to Help Modernize EPA’s Pesticide Drift Model Software
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has joined a national initiative to modernize pesticide drift modeling software used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aiming to ensure more accurate assessments of spray drift and its environmental impact.
“The National Corn Growers Association is joining a project with the goal to modernize the pesticide drift model software used by the EPA to model the movement of spray in the environment after being released from a sprayer. The software was developed by the U.S. Forest Service in the 1980s and the modernization effort’s goal is to update and improve the software.”
The Agricultural Dispersion Modernization Project (AMP), formed in 2023, is leading this update. Its mission is to rewrite the outdated AGDISP code using modern programming languages, enabling more accurate modeling and future innovations in application technology.
“According to the National Agricultural Aviation Association, ‘A modernized Agricultural DISpersion (AGDISP) will more accurately estimate off-target spray movement for all types of pesticide applications when EPA conducts ecological, endangered species, and human health risk assessments. It will also allow the drift reduction benefits offered by new application technologies and techniques to be recognized by EPA, which in turn should result in less restrictive and more flexible application requirements on labels. A key feature of the modernized version of AGDISP is that it will continue to be available to the public and an open source. This means the EPA can use it for risk assessments and companies developing new application technologies can incorporate it into their research.'”
By participating in AMP, NCGA and its partners are helping ensure that updated risk assessments reflect real-world advancements in pesticide application, promoting both environmental protection and agricultural efficiency.
“AMP was established by the National Agricultural Aviation Association and contributions have been made by the National Corn Growers Association, the Cotton Foundation, the American Mosquito Control Association and the National Agricultural Aviation Research and Education Foundation.”
With open-source access, the modernized AGDISP will serve both public agencies and private developers, balancing regulatory needs with technological progress in modern agriculture.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.