What Must a Vineyard Spray Log Include? Complete Field List

By VitiScribe Editorial·November 16, 2025·Updated January 27, 2026

Most states require at minimum: operator, date, pesticide, rate, acres, and application method. That's the floor. But most California, Oregon, and Washington vineyards operate in regulatory environments that require more -- applicator license numbers, weather conditions, target pest documentation, and for restricted-use pesticides, additional certification records. And if you're pursuing sustainable or organic certification, the requirements go further still.

VitiScribe's spray log automatically includes all required fields with state-specific variations applied based on your registered vineyard location. You don't have to know the difference between what Napa County requires versus what Walla Walla County requires -- the system applies the appropriate fields when you set up your vineyard profile.

TL;DR

Every US wine state requires at minimum: operator name, applicator name, pesticide product name and EPA registration number, application date, location (county, farm, field/block), acres treated, application rate and total quantity, application method, and target pest; these fields form the universal minimum that all other state requirements build on
California DPR adds mandatory weather conditions (wind speed, direction, temperature), applicator license number for all RUP records, proactive monthly submission to the County Agricultural Commissioner, and 24-hour filing deadlines in most major wine counties -- more demanding than any other US wine state
Oregon ODA requires 5-year record retention -- the longest of any major US wine state -- compared to California's 2-year and Washington's 2-year minimums; CCOF-certified operations must also meet the 5-year NOP standard regardless of state minimum
Organic certification programs (CCOF, NOFA-NY, Oregon Tilth) add OMRI listing status documentation, application rationale, and cumulative copper input tracking per block per season beyond state compliance minimums -- these are not required by state regulators but are required for certification maintenance
VitiScribe auto-populates EPA registration numbers, active ingredients, PHI, REI, FRAC/IRAC groups, RUP flags, and OMRI-listed status from the product library -- reducing the most error-prone fields to auto-fill rather than manual entry
Applicator license number is the most commonly missing field in California DPR records and the most frequently cited violation; VitiScribe stores license numbers in applicator profiles and applies them automatically to every record that applicator creates

Fields Required in Every State

Regardless of where you're farming, a defensible vineyard spray log needs these fields:

Who:

Operator/grower name and contact information
Applicator name (the individual who made the application)

What:

Pesticide product name (exact label name, not a nickname or abbreviation)
EPA pesticide registration number (printed on the label)
Active ingredient(s)

Where:

Farm/vineyard name and address or legal description
County
Field, block, or specific location identifier
Acres treated

When:

Date of application

How much:

Application rate per acre (with units -- oz/acre, lbs/acre, fl oz/acre)
Total amount of pesticide used (product units)

How:

Method of application (airblast sprayer, backpack, ground rig, aerial, drip injection)

Why:

Target pest(s) (powdery mildew, botrytis, grape leafhopper, etc.)
Crop treated

Fields Required in California (Beyond Minimum)

California DPR adds several requirements beyond the national minimum:

Applicator license number: Required for all restricted-use pesticide records. Must be the California-issued license number (PCO, PCA, or Qualified Applicator Certificate). Missing this field is the #1 cause of DPR citations in California vineyard records.

Weather conditions at application: Required fields include wind speed, wind direction, and temperature. Some CAC offices also require relative humidity.

Application time: Some California counties require the time of application in addition to the date, particularly for restricted-use pesticides with daylight-only application restrictions.

County-specific filing deadline: California DPR records must be filed with the County Agricultural Commissioner. Filing deadline is 24 hours for most restricted-use pesticide records in major wine counties (Napa, Sonoma, Monterey) or 7 days in some counties. Check with your county CAC for current requirements.

Fields Required in Oregon (ODA)

Oregon's requirements from ODA include:

Applicator license number: ODA commercial pesticide applicator license number required for commercial applications.

County: Oregon's records are organized by county.

Section, Township, Range or address: Site-specific location requirement.

Retention period: 5 years (longer than California's 2-year requirement).

Fields Required in Washington (WSDA)

Applicator license number: Washington State commercial pesticide applicator license number.

Commodity treated: Grapes (specify variety if relevant to label restriction).

Retention period: 2 years.

Note: Washington does not have the same proactive submission requirement as California. Records are kept by the applicator and must be available for WSDA inspection on request, rather than filed with a state agency on a scheduled basis.

Fields That Differ Between California and Other States

Several fields that California DPR requires specifically are not universally mandated in other states:

|-------|-------------|-------------|-------------|

| Application time | Some counties | No | No |

| CAC submission | Yes | No (ODA) | No |

| Applicator license | Yes (for RUP) | Yes | Yes |

| 24-hour filing | Some counties | No | No |

| Monthly filing (non-RUP) | Yes | No | No |

Additional Fields for Certification Programs

For CCOF organic certification:

OMRI listing status of each product
Application rationale (what pest observation or risk condition triggered the application)
Product lot number (sometimes required)
Total cumulative copper inputs per block per season (for copper-based materials)

For SIP Certified:

IPM threshold comparison (was economic threshold exceeded before application?)
FRAC/IRAC group for each product
Connection between scouting observations and spray decisions

For Lodi Rules:

Same as SIP Certified requirements for pest management documentation
Annual pest management plan documentation connecting records to program design

What VitiScribe Auto-Populates

VitiScribe's product library pre-loads several of the hardest-to-track fields:

EPA registration number (auto-populated when you select a product from the library)
Active ingredient(s) (auto-populated from product selection)
PHI and REI (auto-populated and calculated)
FRAC/IRAC group (auto-populated for fungicide and insecticide records)
Restricted-use pesticide flag (auto-populated, requiring license number entry)
OMRI-listed status (flagged for organic-registered products)

Your vineyard location profile pre-loads:

State-specific required fields
County-specific filing deadlines
Applicable compliance format

Fields you enter at time of application:

Date and time
Block and acres treated
Rate and total volume
Weather conditions (can be pulled from connected weather station)
Target pest
Applicator name and license number (stored in user profile for auto-population)

See how VitiScribe's spray log handles required field completion for your state.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fields are always required in a vineyard spray log?

Across all US wine states, every vineyard spray log needs: operator/grower name, applicator name, pesticide product name and EPA registration number, application date, location (county, farm name, field/block identifier), acres treated, application rate and total quantity used, application method, and target pest. These fields form the universal minimum. State-specific requirements add applicator license numbers, weather conditions, application time, and specific filing or retention requirements beyond this minimum.

Which spray log fields differ between California and other states?

California requires more fields than most other states: mandatory weather conditions (wind speed, direction, and temperature), applicator license number for restricted-use pesticide records, proactive submission to the County Agricultural Commissioner (rather than just maintaining records for inspection), and 24-hour filing deadlines in many wine counties. Oregon requires a 5-year record retention period (vs California's 2 years). Washington doesn't require proactive submission to a state agency -- records are maintained by the applicator for WSDA inspection availability. Organic certification programs (CCOF, NOFA-NY, Oregon Tilth) add OMRI status documentation and application rationale requirements beyond state compliance minimums.

Does VitiScribe automatically include all required spray log fields?

VitiScribe's spray log includes all required fields for the state in which your vineyard is registered, applied automatically based on your vineyard location profile. California vineyards see weather condition fields, applicator license number requirements, and DPR filing deadline alerts. Oregon vineyards see ODA-formatted fields with the 5-year retention flag. Washington vineyards see WSDA-formatted fields. The product library auto-populates EPA registration numbers, PHI, REI, FRAC/IRAC groups, and restricted-use pesticide flags for all products in the VitiScribe database. State-specific formats export correctly for submission to the appropriate regulatory authority.

What is the difference between "required" fields and "recommended" fields in spray log guidance?

Required fields are mandated by state pesticide regulations -- missing them is a citable violation. Recommended fields are not mandated by state law but are expected by other stakeholders: winery buyers, sustainable certification auditors, organic certifiers, and crop insurance adjusters may all request information beyond the regulatory minimum. Weather conditions are required in California and recommended in Oregon and Washington -- in practice, Oregon and Washington operations that face drift complaints or certification audits wish they had documented weather conditions. The safest approach is to document weather conditions on every application regardless of whether your state requires it. VitiScribe prompts for weather conditions in all state profiles, not only in states where it is mandated.

What is What Must a Vineyard Spray Log Include? Complete Field List?

[FAQ_ANSWER_PLACEHOLDER: This answer needs to be generated by AI with specific data, examples, and actionable advice relevant to What Must a Vineyard Spray Log Include? Complete Field List. Target 50-150 words.]

How much does What Must a Vineyard Spray Log Include? Complete Field List cost?

How does What Must a Vineyard Spray Log Include? Complete Field List work?

What are the benefits of What Must a Vineyard Spray Log Include? Complete Field List?

Who needs What Must a Vineyard Spray Log Include? Complete Field List?

How long does What Must a Vineyard Spray Log Include? Complete Field List take?

What should I look for when choosing What Must a Vineyard Spray Log Include? Complete Field List?

Is What Must a Vineyard Spray Log Include? Complete Field List worth it?

Sources

California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR)
Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)
Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA)
UC Cooperative Extension Viticulture
USDA National Organic Program (NOP)

Get Started with VitiScribe

The difference between what a spray log must include and what a spray log should include to protect you in every compliance scenario is larger than most growers realize -- state minimums are the floor, not the ceiling. VitiScribe's state-specific profiles start at the regulatory minimum for your state and extend to the fields that certifiers, winery buyers, and auditors expect. Try VitiScribe free and build your first complete compliant spray record today.