Why keep a spray diary
In Australia, all agricultural chemical applications must be recorded in a spray diary as required by state and territory regulations (e.g., the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act). For wine grapes, this is especially important because chemical residue levels affect export eligibility, organic certification, and Geographical Indication (GI) compliance. Wine Australia and major buyers may request spray records at any time.
What to record
Each spray diary entry must capture:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Date and time | When the application was made |
| Block / vineyard | Which vineyard block was treated |
| Product name | Commercial name of the chemical |
| Active ingredient | The active constituent (e.g., copper hydroxide, sulfur) |
| Rate | Application rate (L/ha or kg/ha) |
| Volume of water | Total spray volume per hectare |
| Area treated | Hectares sprayed |
| Withholding period (WHP) | Days before harvest when the product can no longer be applied |
| Operator | Name of the person who applied |
| Weather conditions | Wind speed, temperature, humidity at time of application |
| Equipment | Sprayer type and calibration date |
Step by step
1. Access the spray diary
In the sidebar, under the Vineyard tab, click Spray Diary. The list of entries for the current season is displayed.
2. Create a new entry
Click + New Entry. The spray diary form opens.
3. Fill in application details
Select the vineyard block from the dropdown. The variety, area, and GI region auto-fill from the block configuration.
Enter the product name. If the product is in your chemicals register, the active ingredient and label rate auto-fill. If not, add the product to the register first from Settings > Chemicals.
Enter the rate applied, water volume, area treated, and weather conditions.
4. Set the withholding period
Cepaos calculates the earliest safe harvest date based on the WHP of the product. If you are close to harvest, the system displays a warning if the WHP extends past your planned pick date.
5. Record the operator
Select or type the name of the person who carried out the application. This is a legal requirement in most states.
6. Save
Click Save. The entry appears in the spray diary with a timestamp and is linked to the vineyard block.
Withholding period alerts
Cepaos generates automatic alerts when:
- A spray application has a WHP that overlaps with the planned harvest date for the block.
- The WHP is about to expire, meaning the block is now safe to harvest.
- A product is applied within the WHP of a previous application (potential MRL exceedance).
Export and compliance
From Vineyard > Spray Diary, click Export:
- PDF: formatted for buyer or auditor review.
- CSV: for import into external systems or submission to Wine Australia.
- Organic audit format: if your vineyard holds organic certification, the export includes only approved inputs.
Frequently asked questions
Does Cepaos track Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs)?
Cepaos tracks the WHP for each product. MRL testing is performed by accredited laboratories. You can link lab results to spray diary entries for a complete audit trail.
Can I log biological or organic inputs?
Yes. Add them to your chemicals register with the appropriate category (biological, organic-approved). They appear in the spray diary the same way.
Is the spray diary available offline?
Yes. The PWA works offline in the vineyard. Entries sync when you reconnect.