Kiwifruit & orchards

Spray diary records for kiwifruit and orchards

Kiwifruit growers record spray applications in Zespri’s Spray Diary in Canopy, and Zespri says the diary must be audited before fruit can be picked. Zespri also expects fertiliser records, invoices for agrichemicals and annual calibration records. Other orchard crops follow their own programme rules, so check with your packer or marketer.

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Last updated 17 October 2026. General information only, not legal or compliance advice. Rules differ by product, region and programme, so check the label, your regional plan and your programme’s current requirements.

The Zespri Spray Diary

Zespri’s Canopy site describes the Spray Diary as the place where you record all your orchard’s spraying activities, and says your spray diary must be audited before you can pick fruit.

Zespri’s GAP requirements for contractors also say you must keep full records of all agrichemical applications in the spray diary, and of any other substances applied to the water, soil or irrigation system on the orchard, along with records of any justified approvals.

Zespri’s Crop Protection Standard sets the detailed rules. According to the current standard we reviewed, all applications of agricultural compounds are recorded, including orchard floor, shelter and boundary sprays, with a demonstrated need entered for each one, and the diary is submitted for audit after the last application and before harvest. Zespri says you can ask for a copy of the standard at spraydiary@zespri.com. Always check your own copy, because standards change each season.

Fertiliser records for kiwifruit

Zespri says records must be kept of all fertiliser applications. Each record includes:

  • KPIN (Kiwifruit Property Identification Number)
  • The block reference
  • Date of application
  • Name and type of fertiliser
  • Quantities applied (rate or concentration as applicable)
  • Method of application
  • Name of the individual applicator
  • Name of the contractor, with their PMO number

These go in the Zespri fertiliser diary system or the grower’s own fertiliser record. Our fertiliser records guide covers this in more detail.

Equipment, invoices and contractors

  • Invoices. Zespri says you must be able to show invoices or procurement documents for all agrichemicals at your inspection.
  • Calibration. Zespri says records of annual calibration must be kept for application equipment, and the person calibrating needs to show they are competent to do so.
  • Contractors. Zespri’s Canopy site says contractors who apply sprays or fertiliser need to be GAP certified and registered with Zespri.
  • Job sheets and spray plan. Zespri says growers must develop a Property Spray Plan for each KPIN, and a spray contractor needs a job sheet from the grower for each application covering things like drift prevention measures, notifications, sensitive areas and the current orchard map.

Apples, avocados and other orchard crops

Other orchard crops have their own marketing and assurance rules, and we have not summarised them here. NZGAP is the base programme for many horticulture growers, and its “Am I Ready?” checklists and guidelines are public. NZGAP also publishes guidance on off-label use of agrichemicals for minor crops. Ask your packhouse, marketer or NZGAP adviser exactly what your programme needs.

The legal records covered in our spray diary requirements guide apply to orchards the same way they apply to arable farms.

Orchard rates are often “per 100 litres”

Many orchard products are labelled per 100 litres of spray, and the total you apply depends on how much water you put on each hectare. Keeping the water rate and tank details with the entry lets you check totals later. We explain the maths in orchard spray rates per 100 litres.

Where Sowsay fits alongside Zespri’s system

Log the job in the orchard, not at night

Say it once on the headland: block, product, rate per 100 litres, water rate and who sprayed. Sowsay understands per-hectare and per-100-litre rates and keeps the crop and variety against each block.

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Questions and answers

Does Sowsay replace the Zespri Spray Diary?

No. Sowsay does not connect to Zespri’s system or submit your diary. It is a quick way to capture each job at the time and export it, so you have your own record and a tidy list to copy from.

When does my spray diary have to be audited?

Zespri’s Canopy site says your spray diary must be audited before you can pick fruit. The Crop Protection Standard sets out the submission timing, which at the time of our review was after the last application and before harvest. Check the current standard for your season.

Do I need to record fertiliser for kiwifruit?

Yes. Zespri says records must be kept of all fertiliser applications, in the Zespri fertiliser diary system or your own record, with the details listed above.

Do contractors need to keep records too?

Zespri’s contractor requirements say contractors keep records of equipment maintenance and annual calibration, and they work from a job sheet that matches the grower’s Property Spray Plan. GROWSAFE also says to get a copy of a contractor’s spray record before they leave your property.

Where can I get the Zespri Crop Protection Standard?

Zespri’s industry site says to contact spraydiary@zespri.com for a copy of the standard and the list of other allowable compounds.

Sources

Checked 17 October 2026. Programme rules and legislation change, so check the current source. General information only, not legal or compliance advice. Rules differ by product, region and programme, so check the label, your regional plan and your programme’s current requirements.

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