Are you keeping a record of your spraying activities? You should be! There are several compelling reasons

• Employees have a right to know which fields can be entered and which have been recently sprayed, a copy of your spray records with detailed REI’s (re-entry intervals) should be posted in a location where employees can easily check them
• Many food processors and buyers are now requiring spray records as a verification tool to demonstrate that labels and procedures where properly followed
• Record keeping allows the farmer to check back to previous years for reference on what products were used to target specific issues and how effective they were.
• Many products have a maximum number of times they can be applied, or will adversely affect each other.
• Record keeping allows the farmer to estimate chemical needs for the year, enabling them to make bulk purchases in the spring for cost savings, and also reducing the amount of product left to overwinter in chemical sheds.
• Spray records can be used as a legal defense if accusations of improper spraying arise.

So all this is evidence that spray records are a good thing, what kind of information should you be keeping track of on your spray record? Information kept will vary depending on the specific needs of the farmer but these are some common important items

• what is being sprayed – the product name and MSDS# (MSDS should also be kept on record for reference)
• the classification code or active ingredient of the product and the maximum number of times it can be applied within a season.
  
• how much material is being applied per acre/hectare (use whatever units you are comfortable with, but keep it consistent, switching back and forth can create confusion)
• the date and time of starting and finishing the spray
• the location and size of the field/area being sprayed
• the name of the sprayer operator
• the REI of the spray material

Remember that this is your own record, feel free to make notes and take down  other information that can help you establish a pattern and give you valuable information for future reference, items might include

• why your using this product
• how effective you found it to be after the spray
• the stage of growth of your crop at the time
• the wind, temperature and weather at the time of application
• the stage of infestation you are treating (preventative, light, moderate, heavy, sporadic)

Records should be kept on file for a minimum of two years. If you keep a detailed record of your spray activities you will have a useful tool for future referencing that will help you run your operations more effectively.