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What a New Zealand spray diary needs to record
A spray diary is your written record of every agrichemical you apply. GROWSAFE says keeping spray records for all applications is good practice, and for some products the rules require a written record. Each entry should show the product, the date and time, how much, where, the wind, and who applied it. GROWSAFE says to keep records for three years.
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.
Do I have to keep a spray diary?
Sometimes the law requires it, and often your market or regional council does. It depends on the product, so it helps to know the three layers.
- The law, for certain products. The EPA says the person in charge of an application must keep a written record when certain agrichemicals are used as part of work and are likely to leave the application area and enter air or water. The EPA lists the hazard classifications that trigger this, and you can find a product’s classification on its safety data sheet.
- Good practice, for everything else. GROWSAFE says keeping spray records for all agrichemical applications is good practice. It lists reasons that include showing withholding periods are met, satisfying your regional council, and helping your response if there is a spray drift complaint.
- Your market programme. Assurance programmes such as Zespri GAP and NZGAP expect application records. See our guides on kiwifruit and orchard records and records for audits.
In practice, recording every application is simpler than working out job by job which rule applies.
What to put in each entry
These are the details GROWSAFE and the EPA list for spray records. The right-hand column shows which are listed and which are extras that growers commonly keep.
| Detail | Why it is there | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Product name | Says exactly what went on. The EPA’s record list also asks for the HSNO approval number of the substance, which is on the label. | GROWSAFE and EPA |
| Date and time | Each application, not just the day. | GROWSAFE and EPA |
| Amount used | How much product, with units. | GROWSAFE and EPA |
| Location | The paddock, block or orchard it went on. | GROWSAFE and EPA |
| Wind speed and direction | Shows conditions when you sprayed. The legislation asks for it where a substance is applied to air. | GROWSAFE, EPA and regulation 13.4 |
| Name of the user | Who applied it. The EPA list adds the user’s address. | GROWSAFE and EPA |
| Measures to avoid drift or harm beyond the boundary | Required for certain products, such as organophosphate or carbamate insecticides under regulation 13.4. GROWSAFE lists it for highly ecotoxic products. | GROWSAFE, EPA and regulation 13.4 |
| Crop, target pest or weed, and timing | Not in the lists above, but it makes the record useful later and is what many programmes ask about. | Good practice |
| Rate, area treated and water volume | Lets you check the total against the label and repeat a job accurately. | Good practice |
How long should I keep spray records?
GROWSAFE says spray records can be on paper or electronic and must be kept for three years. Products that must be tracked (the most hazardous classes) have their own tracking records, kept for at least 12 months after transfer or three years after use, treatment or disposal, according to GROWSAFE.
If you are not sure how long your programme wants records, keep them longer. A spreadsheet or a diary export costs almost nothing to store.
Records people mix up with the spray diary
- Hazardous substances inventory. A list of what you store: product name, UN number if available, the maximum quantity likely to be there, where it is, and storage needs (regulation 3.1). It is not a spray diary.
- Tracking records. Only for the most hazardous agrichemicals. They follow the product from possession through use and disposal.
- Contractor records. If a contractor sprays for you, GROWSAFE says to get a copy of their spray record before they leave the property.
Where spray diaries usually go wrong
- Writing it all up days later from memory, so wind and times are guesses.
- Missing units, such as “2” with no “litres per hectare”.
- Different names for the same paddock across the year.
- Nobody recorded who actually did the spraying.
- Records kept only in a ute notebook that gets wet or lost.
A record made at the time of the job, in one place, with the same paddock names each time, avoids most of these.
Record it at the time, by voice
Sowsay turns what you say in the paddock into a record with the product, rate, area, date and time, timing, weather and who applied it. You check it, confirm it, and export a PDF or CSV when you need it.
30 days free. Then NZ$19 a month or NZ$189 a year per farm. See how Sowsay works.
Questions and answers
Is a spray diary a legal requirement in New Zealand?
For some products, yes. The EPA says a written record must be kept when certain agrichemicals are applied as part of work and are likely to leave the application area and enter air or water. For other products it is good practice that GROWSAFE recommends, and many assurance programmes and regional councils expect records anyway. Check the product’s safety data sheet and your regional plan.
How long do I keep spray records?
GROWSAFE says three years, on paper or electronically. Tracking records for the most hazardous products have their own time frames.
Do I need to record wind speed and direction?
GROWSAFE and the EPA both list wind speed and direction for spray records, and the regulations ask for it where a substance is applied to air. Sowsay fills in wind from weather model data for your location and time. It is not a measurement from your farm, so write your own reading in the notes if your programme wants a measured one.
Do I have to record fertiliser too?
The EPA’s definition of an agrichemical includes fertiliser, but its written-record rule applies only to the hazard classes it lists. Many programmes ask for fertiliser records regardless. See our guide to recording fertiliser applications.
Can I keep spray records on my phone instead of paper?
Yes. GROWSAFE says records can be paper or electronic. Make sure you can get them out, for example as a PDF or CSV, when an auditor or council officer asks.
What if a contractor does my spraying?
GROWSAFE says to get a copy of the contractor’s spray record before they leave the property, and keep it with yours.
Sources
- GROWSAFE: Record keeping
- EPA: Agrichemicals guidance for business (keep records)
- NZ Legislation: Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017, regulation 13.4
- NZ Legislation: regulation 3.1, hazardous substances inventory
- WorkSafe: Working safely with chemicals and fuels on farms
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.
More guides
- Free templateA free spray diary templateA print-ready spray diary page and CSV templates for sprays and fertiliser. No sign-up.
- ExamplesA spray diary example, filled inFour filled-in example entries: arable spray, orchard spray, fertiliser pass and contractor job.
- AuditsGetting your spray and fertiliser records ready for an auditA practical checklist for audit-ready records, with what Zespri and NZGAP say about reviewing them.
Say it once. Keep the record.
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