New system is ‘safety milestone’ for sprays

New safety caps will be available to growers on BASF’s oilseed rape crop protection products from autumn 2023.

The caps enable the use of the EasyConnect Closed Transfer System (CTS) and mark a milestone in UK agriculture, says BASF – as new CTS filling methods make farm operations more convenient and safer for users and the environment.

The system consists of two components: an EasyConnect cap, which comes pre-fitted on product containers; and the EasyConnect coupler, which supports the safe and drip-free filling of the spray tank with liquid crop protection products.

Step forward

BASF head of technical management Rob Gladwinsays the CTS provides farmers with a compelling combination of increased safety and convenience when filling the sprayer. It is a step forward in responsible product stewardship, he adds.

“This is an important step forward in our journey to ensure the responsible stewardship of our products, significantly reducing the potential risk of point source pollution and increasing operator safety.”

On-farm trials

Yorkshire farmer Nigel Durdy, of Ninevah Farm, near Doncaster, sprays some 4000ha of mainly combinable crops annually with his 36m Rogator sprayer. He is one of the pilot farmers from across the UK trialling the new system.

“It’s a step forward, once the EasyConnect caps are on the cans there will be no reason not to use it. The CTS lowers operator exposure from a spillage point of view and really lowers the chance of point source contamination.

“It is a simple system – you can’t go wrong. It is quicker and easier.”

Operators place the can on the machine. After it is emptied,  pulling a lever rinses the can, with the closed transfer system reducing the chances of spillage or splashing

“The whole agricultural industry will be using it in time as things move forwards. But if growers receive a product with an EasyConnect cap and do not have a coupler, they can simply unscrew the cap as normal.”