An advanced range of packaging developed to help improve efficiency, safety and environmental protection when handling liquid crop protection products has received overwhelmingly positive feedback among farmer users.

Freedom from foil seals, easy-to-handle packs, and ease of rinsing and cleaning – all scored highly in a survey of
S-Pac farmer users by Syngenta.

Its features could bring particular benefits when spraying for disease, weed or pest control this season, it is claimed

S-Pacs, from Syngenta, have been phased in over the last 18 months, so there’s been ample time for farmers to truly assess their benefits, says the company’s application specialist Tom Robinson. They cover a range of container sizes from 250 millilitres to 20 litres, for products such as Cherokee, Amistar, Amistar Opti, Axial, and Moddus.

Key features, says Mr Robinson, include rigid construction for easier and safer handling, smooth-sided bottles for efficient rinsing, and an anti-glug neck for easy pouring with reduced risk of splashes. But perhaps the major benefit is that there are no foil seals to remove, allowing easier opening with less contamination risk and less packaging for disposal.

These, together with large handles, special knurled caps to aid opening with protective gloves, and side windows to view the level of material inside, are all designed for simpler and safer sprayer filling, he explains.

But now, testing has also shown strong feedback from users, with a survey of 58 farmer operators revealing 94% either agreed or agreed strongly that overall the S-Pac is a big improvement in can design.

“Of the range of features, the improvement voted as having the most benefit – by 81% of respondents – was the removal of the foil,” says Mr Robinson, “followed by ease of pouring or rinsing.

“Results clearly underline that S-Pacs have been a success. Also in the survey, 85% of respondents agreed or agreed strongly that the new can design is easier to handle, 87% felt it was easy or very easy to remove the cap, and 85% said the foil-less can was a major step forward.

“Similarly, almost two thirds of respondents agreed or agreed strongly that the packs are easier to rinse and clean.”

When filling sprayers, Mr Robinson says reducing the risk of operator or environmental contamination is foremost, and S-Pacs have been designed to play a major part in helping to achieve this.

But in addition to that, the time needed to fill the sprayer can be crucial in returning to the field promptly during busy spray periods such as fungicide applications in cereals.

S-Pacs have also been designed to improve the efficiency of container opening, pouring and rinsing, and thereby speed up sprayer filling, he adds.

“Used in conjunction with co-formulated fungicides such as Cherokee and Amistar Opti, which require less tank mixing at busy spray timings because they already contain an important Bravo element built-in against Septoria tritici, S-Pacs can make a significant contribution to treating more hectares on time.”

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