Farm sprayer of the year

James Stafford of Corsham, near Chippenham, is the UK’s top farm sprayer operator.  He was presented his prestigious accolade as the overall winner of the Syngenta Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year at the International Sprays and Sprayers event, held as part of Cereals 2012 in Lincolnshire last week (13-14 June).The acclaimed Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year (FSOOTY) Award is sponsored by Syngenta, in association with Farmers Weekly.

Mr Stafford is a highly experienced sprayer operator, responsible for spraying up to 2500 hectares a year for the family partnership at Pickwick Lodge Farm. He covers a diverse range of arable crops, including wheat, barley, oats, and oilseed rape, along with grassland.

To achieve high levels of performance and consistent results Mr Stafford uses a trailed Knight sprayer with 24m booms. He has designed and built a range of dedicated tools to ensure the sprayer loading process is more efficient and to protect the environment.    

Skilled operator

FSOOTY judge and Syngenta Area Manager, Scott Cockburn, said: “Today’s sprayers are capable of delivering incredible accuracy, with a wealth of new technology available. But it's down to the skills of the operators working to very high standards to achieve the best possible results.

James has consistently shown outstanding skills as a sprayer operator. He has proved a worthy winner by demonstrating that best practice can deliver efficient, cost effective and, above all, safe crop spraying. Syngenta recognises that the skills of the sprayer operator are paramount in achieving the potential from all our crop protection products,” he added.