Overview
ISO/TS 11356:2011 - "Crop protection equipment - Traceability - Spray parameter recording" defines the spray-operation parameters and recording principles needed to support traceability, regulatory compliance and automated agricultural data collection. It specifies what information should be recorded for each spray operation (field identity, crop, product, dose, application technique, weather, operator, etc.), the acceptable modes of collection (manual, automatic, GNSS/GIS) and the three recommended levels of data detail (basic, complementary, automatic). The Technical Specification is intended for machine manufacturers, farmers, the food industry and regulators.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and purpose: Parameters are chosen to support food-chain traceability, operator and bystander safety, environmental protection and contract or legal obligations.
- Levels of recording: Each parameter should be recorded at one of three levels:
- Level 1 - required/basic (often manual)
- Level 2 - complementary/optional
- Level 3 - detailed/automatic (computer-collected)
- Precision and measurement: Recording precision must be proportionate to the parameter’s importance; legislative or quality-scheme requirements dictate minimum precision and measurement guidance.
- Data elements covered (selected):
- Field identification (producer identity, field ID, treated area, boundaries)
- Protected areas, buffer zones and windbreaks
- Crop type and variety
- Reason for treatment and target organisms
- Spray liquid and dosage
- Application technique and sprayer passes
- Date/time of treatment, weather conditions
- Handling of product and operator identity
- Data capture modes: Manual records, GNSS/GIS-based mapping, and ISO 11783-10 compliant electronic interfaces for sprayer controllers and management information systems are referenced for automatic data interchange.
- Annex: Example record structure is provided to support implementation.
Applications and who uses it
- Farmers and contractors: To document pesticide/foliar treatments for traceability, compliance with local regulations and quality assurance schemes.
- Machine and electronics manufacturers: To design sprayer controllers, onboard recorders and ISOBUS-compatible systems that capture required spray parameters.
- Food industry and supply chain: To verify production history, support audits and fulfill traceability requirements.
- Regulators and auditors: To assess compliance with environmental, food-safety and pesticide-use directives (e.g., sustainable-use frameworks).
- Research and precision agriculture: For agronomic analysis, drift assessment and optimization of application techniques.
Related standards
- ISO 11783-10 (ISOBUS Task Controller/MIS data interchange) - referenced for recording formats and electronic interfaces.
- ISO 22005 - related traceability principles (noted in the document for cross-reference).
Keywords: ISO/TS 11356:2011, crop protection equipment, traceability, spray parameter recording, pesticide application, sprayer data logging, GNSS, ISO 11783, agricultural data collection.