FSOOTY 2026 entries open now
Enter the Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year 2026 now. It could be you lifting the trophy in the Sprays & Sprayers Arena at Cereals and winning an all-expenses paid trip to the Agritechnica Show in 2027.
Organised and run by Syngenta, in association with the Voluntary Initiative and Ei Operator, FSOOTY aims to celebrate excellence and reward the country’s top sprayer operators. At the same time the competition promotes best practice to help enhance results and protect the environment.
Open to all sprayer operators, the competition is not about who has the best, newest equipment and facilities, says Scott Cockburn, judge and Syngenta Application Specialist. “FSOOTY focuses on the operator – we don’t consider what machines or buildings they have – we look at how they manage and carry out their operation.
“Everyone who enters the competition will have their own application challenges and frustrations – FSOOTY judges consider how they handle these in the safest, most effective way to improve application efficacy, while protecting themselves and the environment,” he explains.
How to enter
Go to https://www.syngenta.co.uk/fsooty
Round 1 – Enter online and answer four straightforward questions.
Entries close on 31st January 2026
Round 2 – Successful entrants will be sent a further set of technical application questions and asked to provide their top spraying tips.
A panel of experts will select three finalists.
Round 3 – Judges will visit and interview the finalists’ farms to find out at how they are following and demonstrating best practice.
All finalists will be invited to the Cereals Event 2026, where the winner will be announced.
The prize
Finalists will be hosted overnight before the Cereals Event and presented with their awards in the Sprays & Sprayers Arena on the first day of the show.
The Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year 2026 also receives an all-expenses paid trip to the Agritechnica Show 2027 in Hannover, Germany.
Winner of FSOOTY 2025, Mark Turner, receives his award from Sarah Iveson, Head EAME Field Crops Seeds Development, in the Sprays & Sprayers Arena at the Cereals Event.
FSOOTY champion 2025, Mark Turner (middle), and 2024 winner Gordon Whittington (left) are welcomed to Syngenta’s stand by Harry Fordham at the 2025 Agritechnica Show.
With 24 halls, covering 20ha, packed with the latest machinery, Agritechnica is the world’s largest farm machinery show.
Need NRoSO or BASIS points?
Get ahead and earn points today with online training.
