Lodi Rules Sustainable Viticulture: Compliance Guide

By VitiScribe Editorial·July 24, 2025·Updated August 29, 2025

Lodi Rules requires annual pest management audit with documented spray records and scouting logs -- that's the documentation foundation of the program, and it's more demanding than many growers expect when they first pursue certification. VitiScribe's IPM records feed directly into Lodi Rules documentation requirements, so the records you're creating for compliance and program management also satisfy what the annual audit process requires.

TL;DR

Lodi Rules pest management chapter (PM-1 through PM-6) requires scouting records linked to spray decisions, FRAC/IRAC rotation records, economic threshold comparisons, and a written IPM plan updated annually -- the audit reviews all of these, not spray records alone
No-spray decisions documented when populations are below threshold are as important to a Lodi Rules audit as application records -- they demonstrate threshold-based management rather than calendar spraying
FRAC and IRAC rotation must be visible in your records without consecutive same-mode applications by block -- VitiScribe's rotation report makes this reviewable rather than requiring manual reconstruction from individual records
The annual audit includes a site visit where the auditor asks you to walk through a specific spray decision from your records and explain the rationale -- records that don't connect to scouting data fail this review even if all required fields are present
Pre-audit review should begin six weeks before the audit date to export and check records for completeness, run the FRAC/IRAC rotation report, and update the written IPM plan to reflect the season's actual conditions
Lodi Rules is CINA-accredited and administered locally by the Lodi Winegrape Commission -- auditors have deep local knowledge of Lodi pest pressures and spot gaps in program documentation that generic farm software records can't fill

This guide explains what Lodi Rules certification requires, what documentation you need to build and maintain, and how to prepare for the annual audit.

What Lodi Rules Is

Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing is the first sustainable viticulture program in the US to be CINA-accredited (California Institute for Natural Agriculture). Developed by the Lodi Winegrape Commission, it's based on a workbook-style assessment across six chapters of sustainable practice: ecosystem, soil, water, pest management, air, and human resources.

The pest management chapter -- which is where spray records, IPM documentation, and scouting logs are central -- is the most document-intensive part of the certification for most growers. The program uses a point-based scoring system within each chapter, with minimum threshold scores required for certification.

Lodi Rules is grower-focused and administered locally through the Lodi Winegrape Commission with support from certified farm advisors. Unlike some national sustainability programs, Lodi Rules has deep local knowledge of the Lodi appellation's specific pest and disease pressures, variety mix, and growing conditions.

Pest Management Documentation Requirements

The Lodi Rules workbook's pest management chapter evaluates how you monitor for pests, make spray decisions, and keep records. Specific documentation requirements include:

Pest monitoring records:

Who scouts, when, and what they look for
Scouting results by block, pest, and date
Economic threshold comparisons (for insect pests)
Evidence of threshold-based decisions (spray or no-spray with rationale)

Spray program records:

Product applied, rate, block, and date for every application
FRAC and IRAC group data for rotation tracking
PHI and REI compliance documentation
IPM rationale for each application (pest observation, weather conditions, infection model data)

Pesticide resistance management:

Documentation of FRAC/IRAC rotation
Evidence that the same mode of action is not applied consecutively

IPM plan documentation:

A written pest management plan that identifies primary pests, monitoring methods, thresholds, and control tactics
Updated annually to reflect actual conditions and program changes

Record retention: Lodi Rules requires records to be available for audit review. The program's annual audit covers the most recent full season of records.

What the Annual Audit Looks Like

Lodi Rules certification audits are conducted by certified third-party auditors affiliated with the Lodi Winegrape Commission. The audit process:

Pre-audit submission: You submit your workbook with self-assessed scores for each practice area. The auditor reviews your submission before the site visit.

Site visit: The auditor visits your vineyard blocks, reviews records, and asks questions about your management practices. For pest management, this means reviewing spray records, scouting logs, and how spray decisions were made.

Common audit questions:

"How did you decide to spray on this date?"
"What monitoring did you conduct before this application?"
"Show me your scouting records for this block."
"How did you track FRAC group rotation this season?"

If your spray records show applications but don't connect to scouting data or IPM rationale, the auditor can't verify that your program is threshold-based. This is the most common documentation gap in Lodi Rules audits.

Scoring and certification: Auditors score your responses and documentation in the workbook. Operations that meet the minimum threshold scores in all chapters receive certification.

Building an Audit-Ready IPM Record in VitiScribe

VitiScribe's IPM documentation for sustainable certification covers the broader certification framework. For Lodi Rules specifically, your spray and scouting records need to demonstrate the connections auditors look for:

Scouting record to spray record connection: Every spray decision should be traceable to either a scouting observation (insect pests, visible disease) or a conditions-based rationale (weather conditions meeting infection criteria, growth stage at critical window). VitiScribe links scouting observations to subsequent spray records, creating that connection in your documentation. For block-level pest pressure context, the Lodi appellation vineyard management guide covers how Lodi's Central Valley climate drives mealybug, leafhopper, and powdery mildew timing.

No-spray decisions documented: A scouting record showing "leafhoppers at 12 nymphs/leaf, below 20 nymph threshold -- no application" is equally important for Lodi Rules as records that trigger applications. It demonstrates you're managing by threshold.

FRAC/IRAC rotation visible: Your spray records should show that you used different FRAC groups for powdery mildew, different IRAC groups for GBM, and didn't apply the same mode consecutively. VitiScribe's rotation report makes this immediately visible rather than requiring manual reconstruction. For the full explanation of FRAC group assignments and rotation requirements, see the FRAC groups vineyard fungicides guide.

IPM plan written and updated: Lodi Rules requires a written IPM plan. VitiScribe doesn't write this for you, but the block data, pest history, and spray records in the system provide the source material for keeping it current.

What to Do in the Months Before Your Audit

Four to six weeks before audit:

Export your full season spray records and review for completeness. Check that every application has a target pest, FRAC/IRAC group, and weather conditions.
Run your FRAC and IRAC rotation report. Identify any gaps or consecutive same-mode applications.
Export your scouting records. Review whether no-spray decisions are documented.
Update your written IPM plan to reflect this season's actual conditions and program changes.

Two weeks before audit:

Complete your Lodi Rules workbook self-assessment for pest management chapter.
Identify any questions about how to score specific practices and contact your Lodi Winegrape Commission farm advisor.
Compile supporting materials: scouting records, spray records, and any monitoring data (degree day accumulations, weather records).

Audit day:

Have records accessible and organized by block.
Be prepared to walk through a specific spray decision from your records and explain the rationale.
Don't be surprised if the auditor asks about a specific application from mid-July -- know where your July records are and what they show.

Lodi Rules Pest Management Chapter: Key Practices

The Lodi Rules workbook scores specific practices within pest management. Practices that most directly depend on VitiScribe records include:

PM-1: Pest monitoring conducted and documented
PM-2: Economic thresholds used for insect pest decisions
PM-3: Pesticide resistance management (FRAC/IRAC rotation)
PM-4: Integrated use of cultural, biological, and chemical controls
PM-5: Pesticide application records maintained (all required fields)
PM-6: PHI compliance documented

Achieving certification-level scores in these practices requires documentation, not just good management. Management without records isn't verifiable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the IPM documentation requirements for Lodi Rules certification?

Lodi Rules requires: documented pest monitoring records showing who scouted, when, what was found, and the comparison to economic thresholds; spray records with product, rate, block, date, weather conditions, pest target, and FRAC/IRAC group data; evidence of threshold-based spray decisions including documented no-spray decisions when thresholds weren't met; pesticide resistance management records showing FRAC and IRAC rotation without consecutive same-mode applications; and a written IPM plan identifying primary pests, monitoring methods, thresholds, and management tactics. All records must be available for review at the annual certification audit.

How do I prepare for a Lodi Rules annual audit?

Six weeks before your audit, export all spray and scouting records and check for completeness -- missing fields like target pest, FRAC group, or weather conditions are quick fixes before the audit but create problems on audit day. Run your FRAC and IRAC rotation report and verify the rotation is defensible. Update your written IPM plan to reflect the season's actual pest pressure and management responses. Two weeks before, complete your workbook self-assessment. On audit day, have records organized by block and be prepared to explain the rationale for any spray application the auditor asks about.

Can VitiScribe generate Lodi Rules-compliant IPM documentation?

VitiScribe's spray records and scouting module generate the documentation that Lodi Rules pest management audits require. Spray records include all required fields (product, rate, block, date, weather, pest target, FRAC/IRAC group). Scouting records document monitoring observations with threshold comparisons and spray/no-spray decisions. The FRAC and IRAC rotation report shows your resistance management history by block in a format auditors can easily review. At audit time, VitiScribe exports block-level spray and scouting reports that organize your season's records in a reviewable format. The written IPM plan must be created separately -- VitiScribe provides the records that support it but doesn't generate the plan document itself.

What happens if my Lodi Rules self-assessment scores are lower than the certification threshold in the pest management chapter?

If your self-assessed scores fall below the certification threshold, the most common issue is documentation gaps rather than actual program deficiencies. Growers who are running threshold-based IPM programs but not recording the scouting-to-decision connection often score below threshold on PM-1 and PM-2 practices even when their actual management is sound. Before concluding that your program needs to change, review whether the records reflect what you're actually doing. If you're scouting but not logging observations in a structured format, if you're making threshold-based decisions but not noting the comparison explicitly in your spray record, those gaps are fixable without changing your management program. Contact your Lodi Winegrape Commission farm advisor -- they can help interpret scoring requirements and identify the specific documentation gaps that are reducing your chapter score.

Does Lodi Rules certification require documenting beneficial insect activity, or only pest populations?

The Lodi Rules PM-4 practice, which addresses integrated use of cultural, biological, and chemical controls, benefits from documentation of beneficial insect activity. For insect pest decisions in Lodi, this most often means documenting Anagrus epos parasitoid activity when making leafhopper spray decisions and recording whether parasitism rates were factored into the threshold comparison. If your scouting record shows leafhopper counts at 14 nymphs/leaf (below the 20 nymph threshold) with high Anagrus activity noted, that record supports both PM-2 scoring (threshold-based decision) and PM-4 scoring (biological control consideration). Mealybug records in Lodi should also note whether any parasitoid wasps were observed -- this is relevant both for PM-4 and for the leafroll virus vector management connection that Lodi Rules auditors understand when reviewing mealybug programs.

How does the Lodi Rules written IPM plan differ from a standard pesticide use plan?

A standard pesticide use plan lists what products you intend to apply, at what rates, and on what schedule. The Lodi Rules written IPM plan goes further: it must identify primary pests by block or variety, describe the monitoring methods and frequency you'll use for each pest, specify economic thresholds that trigger decisions, and outline the full range of control tactics you'll consider -- cultural, biological, and chemical -- before defaulting to a spray application. The written plan functions as your management intention document; your spray and scouting records for the season then demonstrate whether you followed that intention. Lodi Rules auditors compare the plan against the records -- if your plan says you'll scout for mealybugs at 14-day intervals and your records show one scouting visit per month, that gap will be noted in your PM-1 scoring. Update the plan at the start of each season to reflect any changes in pests, practices, or thresholds.

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Washington WSDA Vineyard Pesticide Compliance Guide

Sources

California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR)
UC Cooperative Extension Viticulture
American Vineyard Foundation
Wine Institute
American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV)

Get Started with VitiScribe

Lodi Rules certification audits require scouting records linked to spray decisions, FRAC/IRAC rotation documentation by block, and no-spray decisions documented when populations are below threshold -- the complete IPM chain that generic farm software records don't capture. VitiScribe's connected scouting, threshold comparison, and application record system builds the Lodi Rules audit trail from your normal field workflow, and the block-level rotation report makes your resistance management history reviewable in minutes before your annual audit. Try VitiScribe free and generate your first Lodi Rules-formatted IPM documentation package today.