Digital field notebook apps in Spain: what's available and how to choose

Updated on 4 October 2026

From 1 January 2027, plant protection treatments must be recorded digitally, so it is time to choose what to record them with. Here are the kinds of field notebook apps available in Spain and what to look at to pick the one that suits you.

In short

Free apps from your autonomous community: enough to comply, at no cost.
Free apps from private organisations: those that some banks, cooperatives and advisory firms offer to their customers or members.
Farm management software: paid; besides the notebook it covers costs, stock, maps and teamwork.

1. The free apps from the autonomous communities

The authorities must offer a free digital notebook to anyone who holds a farm. Each community has its own. You sign in with a digital certificate or electronic ID from your community's agriculture website.

They are the logical choice if you only want to comply with the record. They usually do not help with the rest: what each plot costs you, what is in stock or who does which job.

2. The free ones from private organisations

Some banks, cooperatives and advisory firms offer a digital field notebook at no cost to their customers or members, or keep the notebook for you: ask yours.

3. Farm management software

You log each job when you do it and the notebook writes itself; for a fee you get more than the notebook: costs, stock, a map of your plots and teamwork. Terrinde is one of them. There are several in Spain, and their features and prices change: compare them with the checklist below in hand.

How to choose: what to look at

What you want it for. Only to comply, or also to know what each plot costs you and what it earns you.
That it checks the product. The most common mistake is using a plant protection product not authorised for that crop, or exceeding the dose. See whether the app works with the Ministry's official register and warns you.
That it loads your plots from SIGPAC without typing them in one by one.
That it can be used in the field, from a phone, and by several people if more than one of you works the farm.
That you can get your data out. Export the notebook to Excel and take your information with you if you ever switch.
How the notebook reaches the authorities. Ask each one whether it sends it or leaves it ready for you to hand in.
The price, everything included, and whether you can try it first without giving card details.

And a practical tip: try two or three with your own plots and this autumn's treatments, not on 2 January.

What Terrinde does, and what it doesn't

Terrinde is a digital field notebook and farm management program built by a farmer. What it does:

When you record a treatment you pick the product from the Ministry's official catalogue (about 2,000 products and 62,000 authorised uses) and it checks that it is authorised for that crop and that the dose is correct.
It loads your plots from SIGPAC with one click on the map.
It generates the field notebook and the fertilisation notebook in Excel, and the «Qué falta» (what's missing) screen tells you what your notebook still lacks.
It keeps track of stock, machinery and staff costs and the profitability of each plot.
The application is available in Spanish and Catalan.

What it does not do yet: it does not send the notebook to the authorities. It leaves it complete and ready to download or hand in.

Try it free for 30 days, no card →

Frequently asked questions

Which digital field notebook apps are there?

There are three kinds: the free ones from the autonomous communities, those that some organisations, cooperatives and advisory firms offer at no cost to their customers or members, and paid farm management software such as Terrinde.

Is there a free field notebook app?

Yes. The autonomous communities must offer a free digital notebook to farm holders, and some private organisations offer theirs at no cost. They are enough to comply; they usually do not include costs, stock or profitability.

Which is the best field notebook app?

It depends on what you need. If you only want to comply, your region's free app may be enough. If you also want to know what each hectare costs you, keep track of stock or work with several people, farm management software is worth it. The best thing is to try two or three with your own plots before deciding.

Can I switch apps later?

Yes. So that switching does not mean starting from scratch, check before you choose that the app lets you export your data.

Keep reading

When is the digital field notebook mandatory? Dates and regulations checked against the official gazette (BOE).
Free field notebook template in Excel.