Trac^© FAQ’s #14

How is a spray mix, consisting of more than one pesticide, entered on the SprayData worksheet?

Each chemical in the spray mix must be entered in a separate row on the SprayData worksheet because the EPA registration number, REI, PHI, etc. are specific to each chemical. Some of the other information, such as Date Spray Applied, Block(s), Variety Sprayed, etc., will be the same on each row of the spray mix and can be copied or filled in using Excel’s features.

Below are three different methods (A, B, and C) for entering a spray mix. As you become proficient with using Trac and Excel, you may find easier ways to enter your farm’s spray mixes on the SprayData worksheet.

A. Enter each row of data for each material in the spray mix.

For each chemical applied in the spray mix, simply fill in an entire row of data. Enter information in every white cell in the row. The light blue colored cells will fill in automatically in columns (Formulation, Active Ingredient, EPA Registration Number, REI, PHI, Earliest Harvestable Date, Number of Acres Treated (TracApple only), Total Amount Applied, Spray Cost Per Applied Unit, and Total Cost). Always check information in the colored cells for accuracy, since pesticide label information may change, etc. If needed, change it by entering the correct information (FAQ #17). Earliest Harvestable Date will not calculate unless the Date Spray Applied and PHI information are correct and in the proper date and number formats, respectively. Total Cost will not calculate unless the cost per applied unit is entered on the Chem Table.

B. Enter one row of data for the first material in the spray mix, the Trade Names, Rates, Target Pest and Decision Support for the other materials and fill in the rest from the first row.

For the first chemical in the spray mix, fill in the entire row as outlined in Method A above. For the other chemicals in the spray mix enter the Target Pest, Decision Support, Pesticide Trade Name, Amount (Rate) per Acre, Number of Acres Treated, and Units in the appropriate columns. Check the information in the light blue colored cells for accuracy as outlined in Method A above. Then determine if the information in the remaining columns can be copied from the first row of the spray mix. For example, Date Spray Applied, Time Start Spray, Time Finish Spray, Farm, Applicator Name, Spray Equipment, etc., will be the same for all the chemicals in the spray mix. That data can be copied down through the spray mix rows by doing one of the following:

Select the cell(s) to be copied and the empty target cells to be filled in, and press Ctrl-D.

OR

Select the cell(s) to be copied, in first row of spray mix. Click on Edit then Copy on the menu bar. Select the cells to copy the information into. Click on Edit then Paste on the menu bar and hit OK, to paste the copied data into the cells without overwriting any formulas.

OR

Select the cell(s) to be copied. Position the cursor on the lower right corner of the selected cell(s) until the cursor turns into a crossbar. With crossbar showing, click and hold mouse button while depressing the Cntrl key and drag the crossbar down to the last row of spray mix to be filled in. Release mouse. Copied information will populate cells. Note: If using this technique without using the Cntrl key, Excel may sequentially “auto-number” the entries. Check to insure this did not occur.

C. A spray mix used repeatedly, once entered, can be copied and pasted:

If you are using the same spray mix repeatedly on different locations or at different times of the year, you can avoid re-entering all the information by copying and pasting it. If just the chemicals in the spray mix are the same, select the Pesticide Trade Name cells containing the chemicals in the mix. Click on Edit then Copy on the main menu. Click on the topmost cell in the Pesticide Trade Name column where you want to paste the copied spray mix list. On the main menu, click on Edit, then Paste to paste in the spray mix. Follow the instructions in Method B above to fill in the rest of the information.

Alternatively, you can copy and paste the entire set of SprayData information for the spray mix, from the Date Spray Applied column (A) to the Comments column (AE in TracApple and AF in TracGrape). Select the entire set of data by clicking on one corner cell and then holding the Shift key down while clicking on the opposite corner cell. Click on Edit then Copy on the main menu. Click on the top left cell of the location where you need to put the data set. On the main menu click on Edit then Paste and hit OK, to paste just the copied data into the cells without overwriting any formulas. Then in the top row change any information that is not correct, such as Date Spray Applied, Weather Conditions, etc., and copy into the other rows as described in Method B above.

Manage your spray mix records with any combination of copying and pasting sets of data using the methods described in B and C.