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Spray records in vegetable and greenhouse production: sets and houses

Successive plantings, greenhouses and tank mixes complicate spray records in horticulture. How to record sets, houses, EPPO crop groups and mixes correctly.

PhytAI editorial teamPublished 7 min read

Key points

  • Each set counts separately: with successive plantings that have different sowing or planting dates, each set counts as a separate crop according to the plant protection service of Lower Saxony.
  • Type of use: open field, greenhouse or storage has been a mandatory detail since 2026.
  • Georeference: internal names such as "House 1" remain allowed, but each area also needs a georeference, such as a GPS point.
  • EPPO code: record it the way the product is authorised, for example NNNZZ for ornamentals; if only a single crop was treated, its own code makes sense.
  • Tank mix: each product needs its name, authorisation number and application rate; certain mixes can count as hazardous to bees.
  • Target pest: not mandatory, but recommended for tracking effectiveness.

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In arable farming a field usually carries one crop and one application is one line. In vegetables, ornamentals and nurseries it is different: one area holds several sets with different planting dates, in greenhouses individual houses or compartments are treated, and several products often go out in one pass. Extended mandatory details have applied since 1 January 2026, and from 2027 everything must be electronic. Based on guidance from German plant protection services, this article shows how to record sets, houses, crop groups and tank mixes so that the records are complete and verifiable. The EU requirements are the same in every member state; the practical guidance comes from Germany.

Mandatory details since 2026

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/564 sets out what a record contains. The Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia summarises the details in an overview. Already required before were the operator, crop name, date, full product name, application rate and area name. Since 1 January 2026 the following have been added:

  • the EPPO code of the crop
  • the BBCH stage, where relevant
  • the time at the start of treatment if the instructions set a time restriction, for example bee protection B2
  • the authorisation number
  • the type of use: open field, greenhouse or storage
  • location and georeference of the area
  • size or extent of the treated area or unit

An overview of all fields with examples is in Plant protection records: required fields.

Sets: each planting date is a crop

The plant protection service of Lower Saxony makes it clear: for crops in successive planting systems with different sowing or planting dates, each set counts as a separate crop. If an area with three sets of lettuce is treated in one pass, three records result, each with its own area and stage.

There is a practical reason: the sets are at different growth stages, and pre-harvest intervals run per set. Anyone combining sets can no longer show later which set was treated when and whether the interval was respected.

Greenhouses and protected cropping

In greenhouses, names such as "House 1" or "Compartment 3" can still be used. What is new is that every area must be given a georeference. The Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia recommends one GPS point per area, as central as possible, for example taken with a smartphone and a map app. According to the chamber, a more precise description is not needed, and records do not have to be more detailed than before. Farms submitting CAP applications use their IACS numbers.

The type of use is recorded as "greenhouse". The size refers to the treated area or unit, and for space treatments possibly to the volume. What matters is that it matches the application rate, i.e. quantity per hectare, per square metre or per cubic metre, as authorised.

EPPO codes for crop groups

The EPPO code is a standardised short code system of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. It can be looked up in the EPPO Global Database, which also contains crop groups. The Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia gives examples:

  • ornamentals: NNNZZ
  • nursery stock: NNNBA
  • deciduous woody plants: NNNWL
  • conifers: NNNWN
  • ornamental woody plants: NNNZG
  • fruit trees: NNNOG

The chamber's recommendation: record the EPPO code the way the product is authorised. If it is authorised for ornamentals, NNNZZ fits. If the authorisation is limited to one crop, use that crop's code. If only a single crop was treated, it makes sense to record it even if the product is authorised for the group.

Tank mixes

In a tank mix several products are applied together. Because name, authorisation number and application rate are mandatory per product, each product belongs in the record with its own details. A shared identifier for the pass is useful so that it remains clear which products were applied together. Additives can also be recorded.

Two points deserve attention. According to the conditionality brochure of the Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia, certain tank mixes of products not hazardous to bees may be classified as hazardous to bees. And for resistance management it pays to keep an eye on the modes of action of the mix partners. More on conditions in Conditions of use for plant protection products in Germany.

Target pest: not mandatory, but useful

According to the overview of the Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia, the purpose of the application, i.e. the pest, does not have to be recorded. The chamber still recommends recording it in your own interest, for long-term tracking of effectiveness and for resistance management. It does not have to be presented during inspections.

Example: one pass in lettuce

On 12 September at 7:30 pm a farm treats three sets of lettuce in the open field with a tank mix of a fungicide and an insecticide classified B2. This results in six record lines: three sets times two products. Each line contains the operator, type of use "open field", date and time, product with authorisation number and application rate, area with name, georeference and size of the set, crop with EPPO code and the BBCH stage of the respective set where the authorisation requires it. A shared identifier links the six lines to the pass.

Common mistakes

  • several sets recorded as one crop with one area
  • greenhouse without georeference, only as "House 2"
  • group code used although the product is authorised only for a single crop
  • tank mix recorded as one line with one product name
  • time not noted for B2 products
  • application rate noted per hectare although the product is authorised per square metre or cubic metre

How to proceed on the farm

  1. Set up areas: record houses, compartments and field blocks with name and GPS point.
  2. Keep sets: create each set with its sowing or planting date as a separate crop.
  3. Choose codes: select the EPPO code per crop according to the authorisation.
  4. Record mixes: each product as its own line with a shared identifier.
  5. Check restrictions: consider time restrictions, bee protection and pre-harvest intervals per set.

Horticulture in PhytAI

PhytAI creates each set as its own crop cycle with planting date and area, so treating several sets automatically results in one record per set, with the quantity split by area. Greenhouses and compartments are kept as areas with a georeference. A tank mix is saved as one record per product and linked by a shared identifier. Besides a single stage, a BBCH range from and to can be recorded. The target pest can be noted voluntarily. Before the application, PhytAI checks the modes of action of the mix partners and the conditions from the register. Exports are available as CSV and JSON.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really have to make 20 records for 20 sets? According to the plant protection service of Lower Saxony, each set counts as a separate crop. Software that knows about sets creates the lines automatically.

Is an address enough as a georeference for a greenhouse? The Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia recommends one GPS point per area. Farms with a CAP application use their IACS numbers.

Which EPPO code applies to mixed cropping in a bed? Record the code under which the product is authorised, or the codes of the crops actually treated.

Sources

This article reflects the situation on the date shown, based on the sources named, and is not legal advice. Laws, approvals, official decisions and the guidance of the competent authorities prevail.

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