Announced in the Sprays & Sprayers Arena at this year’s Cereals Event, Syngenta has awarded the Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year (FSOOTY) 2023 award to Mark Jelley.
Mr Jelley is the lead sprayer operator at Brixworth Farming in Northamptonshire and has 45 years of experience handling sprayers. He currently operates a Chafer Interceptor self-propelled machine across 1,500 hectares of combinable crops, as well as 500 hectares under contract farming agreements.
As well as looking at his experience, the judges were impressed by Mr Jelley’s approach to progressing the skills of his colleagues, including sharing information and best practise to ensure they are all working the same way.
“Having been a previous finalist I was keen to give it another go,” Mr Jelley said. “The FSOOTY questions make you think, so it’s a good learning experience too.
“Entering FSOOTY is a good way to measure and further your knowledge, and to keep on learning.” He undertakes frequent work-based training, as well as taking every opportunity to increase his knowledge in his own time.
Making the presentation, Syngenta application specialist, Scott Cockburn, who organises the annual competition, said: “In one of the largest entries in recent years, this year’s finalists highlighted that experience counts – since all of them had made the shortlist before.
“Everyone in the industry is aware of how the application of plant protection products is under constant scrutiny. That’s why highly skilled, qualified and expert operators, who take seriously their continuous professional development, hold such an important position on farms,” he added.
The FSOOTY scheme has been running for more than 30 years, shining a light on best practise and recognising that despite the advances in technology and equipment, it still takes an operator’s skill and knowledge to ensure products are applied accurately.
Mr Cockburn added that it’s not the machines and stores been judged, only the operator’s skill. “That’s illustrated by this year’s wide variety of equipment being employed by the finalists. It is, however, now noticeable how many farms, of all sizes, are now investing in modern filling areas, stores and water handling facilities.”
The other finalists were Peter Dennis, of Sternberg Farms, Kent, who has more than 40 years of experience and is the lead sprayer operator for 1,000 hectares of combinable crops. He uses a John Deere R962i and the farm has recently updated its spray filling system, adding a 50,000-litre water tank and a new bunded container store.
Another previously short-listed finalist was Chris Hosking, the lead operator at Varfell Farms, Cornwall. He is responsible for 1,600 hectares of land, including 41 million bunches of daffodils, as well as managing stock and the sprayer store.
For more details about the FSOOTY competition, as well as top tips from the 2023 finalists, go to www.syngenta.co.uk
