Devizes arable farm manager, Andrew Woolley, has won the prestigious accolade of Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year 2018 (FSOOTY).
The competition’s finalists were rewarded at the International Sprays & Sprayers, held in Lincolnshire this week.
This year’s winner
Woolley is responsible for spraying the arable cropping for the Wiltshire farming business of Puckshipton Farms, Marden, including wheat, barley and oilseed rape.
He operates a 24m mounted Lemken sprayer, with front and rear mounted combination tanks to give a balanced unit with 3,000L capacity.
Although he has been spraying for more than 35 years, Woolley said he is always keen to learn new things and look into the latest technology and techniques.
He impressed judges with his ideas to help improve efficacy and efficiency – such as mounting water-sensitive paper on fencing stakes to assess how the spray is penetrating the crop, and adjusting his techniques to get desired results.
He also now uses two whiteboards to monitor his spray stock, one in store and a portable one so he can cross products off as they are used.
This is also kept outside the store, in a safe place, in case of emergencies, such as a fire.
A host of practical tips and ideas for safe and effective spraying from Andrew and the other FSOOTY finalists can be viewed here.
Other finalists for the 2018 FSOOTY award included:
- Rob Holmes – M Holmes & Sons, Ashbourne, Derbyshire;
- Simon Reading – A W Mortier, Woodbridge, Suffolk;
- Steve May – Fromant & Sanders, Kislingbury, Northampton;
- Mark Turner – Skirlaugh, Hull; and
- Dayle Warren – L E Barnes, Marston Mortaine, Bedfordshire.
Presenting the Awards, Syngenta application specialist, Scott Cockburn, said: “The FSOOTY Awards judge all aspects of farm spraying to identify the very best operators across the UK, and to share their understanding and expertise.
“Having been a finalist on two previous occasions, Andrew has demonstrated consistently outstanding skills and ability to constantly improve.
“He works to very high standards to achieve the best possible results. He has proved a worthy winner by demonstrating that best practice can deliver efficient, cost-effective and, above all, safe crop spraying.”
