Improved packaging design combined with ready-mixed formulations is helping increase productivity on a Cambridgeshire farm.

A switch to Syngenta fungicides packed in the firm’s new S-Pac packaging allowed Greg Bliss, who farms 470ha of arable land in Stilton, near Peterborough, to spray an extra 20ha of crops on a busy day.

The main advantage of the new packaging is undoubtedly its foil-free cap. Long the bug bear of any arable grower, removing the need for the foil makes it much quicker and easier to use a product, Mr Bliss explains.

“In spring, at T0, T1 and T2, there is so much spraying to do within a short period of time – and it is dependent on the weather. So when there is an opportunity, you want to spray as much as you can in a day.

“Using the foil-free packaging makes it easier to open and pour into the induction hopper, saving me valuable time in the field. Seal free – it’s magic.”

Disposing of the hazardous foil is another problem that has been negated, he notes.

No foil seal: Eliminating the foil is a huge benefit for growers

Other improvements to the containers include bigger and safer to handle grips, making them easier to use while wearing gloves, and a change to their shape to help with pouring and rinsing.

The concept for S Pac came after canvassing farmers about how to improve packaging, Stephen Williams from Syngenta says. “The idea is to improve the packaging to make it easier to use.”

A key improvement has been the development of rigid, smooth-sided bottles with funnel-like necks and rounded shoulders that make it much easier to pour out contents, without glugging, and quicker to rinse that takes between 10 and 30 seconds a can, he explains. A curved neck means the can drains fully making it easier to completely clean after use while a foam-filled cap insert safely reseals cans after opening.

The firm has also enhanced security features, such as incorporating tamper-evident seals and watermarked labels, and embossing the bottles and caps to make it more difficult to be replicated by counterfeiters.

Mr Bliss used the S Pac products in his 3000 litre Berthoud Boxer sprayer, which fills with water in just five minutes. But using the S Pacs he found it possible to finish adding and rinsing containers before it was full, giving more time to pack away empty containers, as well as return to the field quicker.

Part of the time saving was because he was using ready-formulated products, such as Amistar Opti (azoxystrobin + chlorothalonil) or Cherokee (cyproconazole + propiconazole + chlorothalonil).

“Doing a hefty tank mix using three separate fungicides immediately gives you three different materials in different cans in different shapes and sizes. You could think for ages about needing one litre of this, three of this, but with S Pacs it is all pre-mixed so it saves time.”

S Pac improvements

– No foil seals

– Bigger handle grips

– Easier pouring and rinsing

– Fully recyclable