Now in their fourth year, the SPRAY Awards are an annual competition recognising outstanding spray applicators from across Australia. SPRAY stands for the Sustainable, Productive and Responsible Applicator of the Year.
The SPRAY Awards are an initiative of Syngenta, in partnership with Rural Press, and have proven highly successful in profiling great stories of how Australian growers and applicators (both ground and aerial) are making sustainable and responsible use crop protection tools to enhance productivity on Australian farms.
The 2012 competition will be conducted across five regions (Queensland/Northern Territory, New South Wales/ACT, Victoria/Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia). Regional winners will be supported to travel to Sydney for the official Awards dinner, which this year will be hosted by Westpac Agribusiness, a new corporate sponsor of the SPRAY Awards in 2012.
Our 2012 national winner will receive a $15,000 study tour to the United Kingdom (UK). The tour will be tailored to ensure our winner enjoys a unique learning experience, interacting with the UK’s top applicators and growers, visiting Syngenta’s global R&D centres and meeting application technology developers.
In searching for our 2012 SPRAY Award winner, judges will assess all aspects of an applicator’s approach to spraying, considering their spray planning, equipment selection and set-up, and their performance in the paddock.
Wider product stewardship considerations such as occupational health and safety, the adoption of integrated pest management, safe storage and record keeping will also be key elements in the judging process.
Previous winners have set themselves apart through their attitude to spray application, demonstrating not only a strong technical awareness but a genuine commitment to the responsible use of crop protection products within the farm environment, and towards sustainable agriculture in general.
The search for our 2012 SPRAY Awards winner will commence with the first round questionnaire in Rural Press publications. First round entries will close on 14th March 2012. Entrants will then be invited to provide judges with a more detailed overview of their spray operations through a second round entry. Leading applicants will then be selected for an on-farm assessment.
If you require more information please contact the Syngenta SPRAY Awards team on 1800 776 543.
