A Beginner's Guide to HortiPeMS

Switching to a pesticide management system offers numerous benefits for businesses and organizations involved in agriculture, landscaping, or any industry that requires the use of pesticides. Implementing a pesticide management system can enhance operational efficiency.

HortiPeMS is such a Pesticide Management System. Its extensive database includes EPA-registered products, current and historical labels, and the ability to effortlessly add custom products like fertilizers or other non-EPA registered items.

While the initial setup may seem like a hurdle, it's actually a small investment of time to maximize the long-term value of HortiPems. By following this guide, you'll be setting yourself up for a lifetime of seamless pesticide management and effortless compliance. 

Want to see it in action? Each chapter includes a link to a video that breaks down the concepts for you!

Chapter 1: Creating an account

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAw6RDfwe0k

The first step towards streamlined pesticide management is creating your HortiPems account. Head over to https://www.hortibits.com/collections/all and explore the different plans to find the perfect fit for your team. Consider everyone who will be involved in applying, mixing, or ordering pesticides a user when selecting the right plan.

On the registration page, you'll be asked to fill in some basic information. For those looking for added convenience and savings, we offer a 5% discount on automated payments. However, if you're just dipping your toes into the world of HortiPems, feel free to skip this step for now. You can always add it later once you've experienced the benefits firsthand.

Before finalizing your registration, be sure to review our Terms and Services. Once you agree, simply click "Sign Up."  You'll receive an email prompting you to create a secure password, and then you'll be ready to log in and explore the full power of HortiPems.

We're excited to have you join our community of growers committed to efficient and responsible pesticide management!

TIP: Do you just want to try out hortipems? Use coupon code "AUG2024" to get 1 extra month for free!

Chapter 2: Setting up the users

Video link: https://youtu.be/VY3_9Kk_6E0

If your plan allows for multiple users, now's the perfect time to invite your team. While not mandatory, setting up additional users now will streamline collaboration and maximize the benefits of our platform.

To get started, navigate to the "User Management" section on the left side of the menu. This will open a page where you can easily add and manage users.

Click "New User" in the dropdown menu (as seen in figure 1), and you'll be prompted to enter their information (as seen in figure 2).

 

Figure 1: Example of new user

 

Figure 2: How to add a new user

Note that the "Function" and "License #" fields are optional. The license number refers to the user's spraying license, so HortiPems will automatically include it on any spray application they create.

You can also designate a user as an admin, granting them full access to all areas of the platform, including user management and plan subscriptions. Non-admin users will not be able to view or modify these sections.

Further, refine each user's permissions using the table below. For instance, a user with "View" permission for applications can see all applications but cannot create or edit them. This allows you to tailor access to fit each team member's role and responsibilities. Please see the picture below for one example:

Chapter 3: Import your regularly used pesticides!

video link: https://youtu.be/VU-KCU2lbsA

With HortiPems, you can easily manage your favorite pesticides without having to dig through our massive database (trust me, with over 140,000 EPA registration number, nobody wants to scroll through that!).

There are 2 way's to add a pesticide to your HortiPeMS account. You can import them all manually, one by one. Or you can bulk import (figure 3) , which we will explain first.

Head over to the "Labels" section of our website and click "Import Multiple Labels" (or simply visit http://www.hortipems.com/importer). 

Figure 3: Bulk import button

Next, download our easy-to-use import template (the link is on the bottom of the page as seen in figure 4).

Figure 4: Download template

It's a simple CSV file with three columns for you to fill out:

• Column A (Mandatory): Enter all the EPA registration numbers you want to track. If you have digital spray records, you can copy and paste them directly into this column.
• Column B (Optional): Customize the names for each EPA registration number. If you leave this blank, the system will use the primary registered name.
• Column C (Optional): Add your inventory for each pesticide. Simply use a number and abbreviation (e.g., "1 gal," "1 gallon," or even "1G").

Once you've filled out the template, save it as a CSV file and return to HortiPems. Click the "Select file for import" button and choose your newly created file. If everything looks good, you'll see a preview of the loaded data. Take a moment to make any final adjustments or add REI values (if desired). See an example in figure 5

Figure 5: Final check import

When you're satisfied, click "Process and Import labels." You'll then see a list of the EPA numbers successfully added to your HortiPems account. If there were any errors, such as duplicates, they'll be highlighted for you to review.

Congratulations! You've just taken a significant step towards simplifying your pesticide management with HortiPems.

Chapter 4: Manually adding and editing your pesticide labels

video link: https://youtu.be/Tph-yj2Z2nY

Head over to the "Labels" section in the left-hand menu. This is where the magic happens – you can search our extensive database, browse your saved pesticides, and make edits as needed.

The screen is divided into two sections:

1. Search: Find any pesticide by product name, EPA registration number, or active ingredient.
2. Saved Pesticides: Your personalized list of pesticides saved to your account. Click on any item to view or edit its details.

For example, let's say you want to add "Daconil SDG" (EPA registration number 100-1694) to your list. Simply type the EPA number into the search bar, select "EPA reg-no," and click "search." If there's only one match, you'll be taken directly to the pesticide's details page. If there are multiple matches (like when searching for "Daconil" by name), you'll be presented with a list to choose from.

On the details page, you can see a wealth of information, including the signal word and alternate names (some pesticides have multiple registered names). Feel free to customize the product name to your liking in the "Product name custom" field. You can choose which name you want HortiPeMS to show for this pesticde throughout the program (including records) in the drowdown below ("use alternate name on reports/HortiPeMS").

You can also view the registered pesticide label, explore older labels, and even set a default label for easy access in other sections of HortiPems. Clicking on the active ingredient will show you all other pesticides containing that same ingredient.

Figure 6: Pesticide example

Feel free to edit or add an REI number, notes about PPE, and any other relevant comments. Once you're finished, click "Edit" or "Save," and you're ready to use this pesticide within HortiPems!

Congratulations! You're now well on your way to becoming a HortiPems pro. In our next blog post, we'll delve deeper into managing your inventory, creating spray recipes, and setting up helpful alerts for when your pesticide inventories are running low. Stay tuned!