Katherine Tullie Wins Paul Singleton Award for Precision Spraying Project

Training and certification organisation, BASIS, has announced Katherine Tullie as the winner of the Paul Singleton Project of the Year Award, sponsored by Agrii. The award is presented to the candidate who achieves the highest mark for their Certificate in Crop Protection project.

Katherine's award-winning project, "Precision Spot Spraying for Reduced Herbicide Use in Comparison to Blanket Spraying", explored the environmental and economic benefits of precision agriculture. By comparing blanket and spot herbicide applications, Katherine demonstrated how novel technology can reduce pesticide use, support Integrated Pest Management (IPM) objectives, and potentially contribute to future sustainable crop protection approvals.

The project included field data and practical evaluation of the impact on gross margins and environmental outcomes, making it highly relevant in the context of increasing interest in AI and spot spraying systems, particularly among vegetable growers. Judges praised the project for its topicality, clarity, and real-world relevance.

Agrii's Head of Agronomy, Mark Taylor, presented the award, he said: "I was delighted to join the BASIS team at their marquee at Cereals 2025 and present the Paul Singleton Award to Katherine Tullie of Crop Services for her 'best in class' BASIS project. On behalf of Agrii, we are proud to sponsor the award and congratulate Katherine and wish her all the very best in her future career."

Katherine grew up on a mixed farm on the east coast of the Scottish Borders and later studied Agriculture at SRUC, graduating with Honours in 2021. She joined Crop Services in 2024 and completed her BASIS training with Debbie Wedge through Landbased Training.

Speaking after receiving the award, Katherine said: "It's been a really rewarding experience to work on this project, especially with such strong support from Crop Services and Landbased Training. The potential of precision spraying technology to support both economic and environmental outcomes is exciting, and it's great to see it gaining traction in the industry."

The runner-up was Poppy Clarke from H L Hutchinson Ltd, with her project entitled "Evaluation of Potato Clone Tolerance to Stubby Root Nematode Parasitism and Spraying Expression Characteristics." Judges commended her work for its technical depth and contribution to IPM strategy, combining varietal tolerance with nematicide use to address a significant issue in potato production. Poppy completed her BASIS training with Agronomy Training.

Corrina Urquhart, CEO of BASIS, added: "Katherine's project reflects exactly what the Paul Singleton Award stands for, innovation, rigour, and a forward-thinking approach to crop protection. We're delighted to recognise her work, along with Poppy's outstanding contribution."   

For more information about BASIS training courses and qualifications, visit www.basis-reg.co.uk or contact the team on 01335 301200 or help@basis-reg.co.uk.