Meet the FSOOTY 2026 Final Three
03 June 2026, UK: One of three finalists will be named Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year 2026 on 10th June in the Sprays & Sprayers arena at the Cereals Event being held at Diddly Squat Farm, Chadlington, Oxfordshire. FSOOTY, which is organised by Syngenta and supported by the Voluntary Initiative and Ei Operator, aims to recognise top operators from across the UK, highlight best practice and share their expertise and ideas.
“Being named FSOOTY champion is a big achievement,” says Iain Lindsay, Syngenta Applications Specialist. “It’s a real accolade that shows they are demonstrating that best practice makes a big difference. The skill, expertise and focus on attention to detail these finalists exhibit is a real credit to them – and a fantastic example for the industry as a whole.”
“It’s important to note we don’t judge the finalists on whether they are using the latest sprayer model and custom-built facilities. We are more interested every aspect of how they approach the spraying operation, from the initial agronomy decisions through to the storage and handling of product to the final point of accurate and, above all, safe application,” adds Iain.
James Cracknell: Hyde Parker Farms, Sudbury, Suffolk.
James Cracknell carries out all the spray and fertiliser applications at Hyde Parker Farms, Sudbury, Suffolk.
Making the FSOOTY final at his first attempt, James operates a 2016, Rogator 6450, which was on the farm when he started there four years ago. He has made a few modifications to the machine, including fitting mudflaps to protect the nozzles, an airline to the induction hopper, a 2in fill coupler, extra worklights as well as adding a spill kit.
Cropping currently covers 400ha, including winter and spring barley, first and second wheats, winter oats and combining peas. The area is set to expand to 600ha this coming season.
Along with making changes to the farm’s chemical store and filling area, James has put together a comprehensive Sprayer Operator Manual. This folder holds a comprehensive range of information including Emergency Action Plans, maps of all the watercourses and LERAPs as well as nozzle charts and other useful information.
Scott Harrod: H.D.F. Farming, based at Hall Farm, Trimingham, Norfolk.
Scott Harrod, who has also made the final on his first entry, is responsible for all the spray applications for H.D.F Farming based at Hall Farm, Trimingham, Norfolk.
Operating from two different bases, the 1,400ha of cropping comprises winter wheat, winter and spring barley, sugar beet, oilseed rape and vining peas. The largest workload, however, is 350ha of potatoes that are spread about 20 miles apart.
Scott operates a two-year old Sands Infinity 6000, with a 36m wide VG boom equipped with Hypro Duo React Twin nozzle bodies. He has further personalised the machine with mudflaps to protect the stops, a spill kit, extra worklights and installed a heater isolation switch to keep the cab cooler and even added coach lines to the cab windows.
With fields literally on the cliff edge, Scott’s main challenge is the weather and persistent strong North East winds, which is why he only uses at least 3* rated nozzles.
Jack Williams: W.J. Watkins & Son, Arkstone Court, Hereford
For the second year running Jack Williams, who works for W.J. Watkins & Son, Arkstone Court near Hereford, has reached the FSOOTY final. He says he entered again because he enjoyed the whole experience last year and learned so much, not just from the judges but also talking to the other finalists.
Potatoes are an important crop on the farm, accounting for 220ha of the total 1,200ha of cropping, which also includes winter wheat, oilseed rape, combining peas, grass seed, barley and oats. It has also recently expanded taking on 260ha of extra land, which is 20 miles from the base.
Jack operates a Househam Harrier 4000, with 30m boom equipped with twin nozzle outlets and he has recently added a new spill kit. Following conversations with a previous winner, at last year’s final, he has changed his nozzle set-ups for cereal fungicides, pre-ems and potato blight sprays. He is also trying a different nozzle for desiccation.
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