European farmers are on the cusp of navigating a wave of new agricultural laws and regulations. While many of these regulations are still in development, there's a clear understanding of their direction. One undeniable aspect of this evolving agricultural landscape is the critical importance of properly documenting the use of plant protection products.
The need for documentation
The upcoming regulatory changes aim to achieve several crucial goals: improving food quality, enhancing traceability, and reducing the environmental impact of farming practices. To kickstart progress toward these goals, the first and fundamental step is to establish comprehensive documentation of current farming operations. At the heart of this documentation effort lies the “spray log.”
The familiar concept of the spray log
The concept of a spray log is not new to most farmers, as keeping records of plant protection product usage has long been a mandatory requirement in many countries. These logs must be readily available for inspection by auditors upon request. While the core idea remains consistent, there are some significant changes on the horizon.
Key changes in spray log documentation
Timely Reporting: Under the new regulations, product usage must be reported within 30 days of application. This ensures that data is current and accessible for regulatory compliance.
Strict Data Formats: The data formats for spray logs are becoming more stringent, with parameters defined in a structured JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) file. This standardized format allows for consistency and compatibility with authorities’ databases. In short, your spray log needs to be maintained in an electronic format.
Understanding the JSON format
Here’s a simplified example of what a JSON spray log might look like. This is not for you as a farmer to worry about, this is just what needs to happen in the background so that your spray log can be shared with Authorities and other stakeholders.
{
"sprayingJob":{
"id":"UniqueIdentifier",
"jobStatus":"Status",
"driversWithEquipmentConfig":[
{
"driver":{
"id":"DriverID",
"email":"DriverEmail",
"firstName":"FirstName",
"lastName":"LastName",
// Other driver details...
},
"equipment":{
"id":"EquipmentID",
"name":"EquipmentName",
"equipmentType":"EquipmentType",
// Other equipment details...
}
}
],
"jobCauses":[
{
"id":"CauseID",
"name":"CauseName",
"causeType":"CauseType",
// Other cause details...
}
],
// Other job-related information...
}
}
What does the ideal spray log include
Spray logs in paper or spreadsheet formats have been audited for decades now, so it’s straightforward to define what they need to include. However, the interpretation of the requirements are becoming slightly stricter as technology enables new ways of acquiring information.
Content | Meaning now | Meaning before | |
1 | Fields included | Geoshape | Field name or id |
2 | Cause for treatment | Select from “approved” list of causes | Any type of note will do |
3 | Products used | Product name, application rate, and ingredients | Product name and application rate |
4 | Author of job | Name and id (digital signature) | Farmer name |
5 | Operator of job | Name, id, certificate id | Crew name |
6 | Approver of job | Name, id, certificate id | Not required |
7 | Compliance with product labels | Information readily at hand | Can be reproduced in retrospect |
8 | Equipment used | Name, id, certificate id | Name |
9 | Weather | Actual observation of wind, temp, humidity, delta T | Any type of note will do |
10 | Plant development stage | Actual observation of BBCH development stage | Not required |
All of this information is gathered through the use of modern farm management software, and the information is put into the JSON format as exemplified above, so it’s shareable with anyone who needs to see it. At the farmer’s discretion, of course.
The benefits of the ideal spray log for your business
Farming regulation is a hot topic these days, especially in the EU. Obviously, the use of chemicals is top of the list of important topics as they discuss their way through the world of “sustainability”. The best thing you, as a farmer, can do is get ahead of the discussions and just get your documentation in order.
Once your plant protection treatments are correctly documented, the rest of regulatory compliance will be very easy. Also, any future improvements promised through variable rate spraying, use of autonomous machinery, or other tech will require that you have your basic farm and field data in order.
Lastly, you should definitely expect and be prepared for the CAP payments to be related to the timeliness and quality of your mandatory reporting.
Conclusion
As European agriculture prepares for a new era of regulations, the proper documentation of farm operations through spray logs becomes paramount. Farmers will need to adapt to timely reporting requirements and standardized data formats. Embracing these changes will not only ensure compliance but also contribute to healthier food production, enhanced traceability, and reduced environmental impact in the agricultural sector.
In the end, the spray log serves as a foundational tool in the pursuit of more sustainable and accountable farming practices in Europe.
Curious how to easily generate compliant digital spray logs?
Farmable Pro is an example of what Farmable offers any farm for just 99 EUR/ year. Check >> Farmable Pro page
Some info for you
Farmable was originally founded on the premise of simplifying on-farm work processes through digital tools developed on our own farm in Norway. Over the past five years, we have received valuable feedback from farmers worldwide, particularly in our focus countries such as Spain, Germany, the UK, Australia, and South Africa. Today, we stand as a leading farm management software provider with more than 35 000 farms registered.
Farm Management Software (FMS), at its core, is about streamlining daily agricultural activities and meticulously documenting essential data from these activities. A prime example is the precise mixing of spray tanks for plant protection treatments, a critical process for farm operations. Farmable empowers farmers by ensuring they correctly mix spray tanks, adhere to product label limits, and maintain high health, safety, and environmental (HSE) standards. These are just a few examples of the significance of FMS in modern agriculture. Whether you use Farmable software or another digital tool, we are happy to see digital progress in the horticulture industry. Are you wondering about effective approaches to data management for your farm? Check out our series on Organizing Your Farm Data and Automating Your Documentation.
