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Bill had two tasks, the first of which was training on the technical aspects of testing pesticide application equipment to meet the draft EU Sustainable Use (of Plant Protection Products) Directive.  He based it on the UK’s voluntary National Sprayer Test Scheme (NSTS) and held the course at a type approval test station in Plovdiv.

Much of the equipment used in Bulgaria comes from low cost suppliers, typically in Greece and Turkey and this can raise issues.  For example, when a new sprayer was linked to an elderly Russian tractor there was an obvious mis-match with the main sprayer control and pressure gauge neither accessible nor legible from the tractor cab.  In fact, for a variety of reasons, the sprayer could never pass the NSTS test although, to be fair, the sprayer had not been given Bulgarian type approval.  There were also issues over technical instructions, often in a foreign language and using technical terms.  Bill prepared simplified versions to make translation easier. 

Bill’s second challenge was to provide training on the use of ‘Sentinel’ dilute waste treatment plant, the legal controls on its use and management of the waste streams produced.  Prior to EU accession, Bulgaria had received several ‘Sentinel’ systems for treating dilute pesticide waste, but none of the current staff had been trained.  They were frustrated and the equipment lay unused.  Having studied the Sentinel kit before leaving the UK, Bill was able to treat all the dilute waste from pre-registration trials accumulated at Bourgas since 2005.

The Twinning Light project is now concluded. The feedback to CRD was exceptionally complimentary which reflects well on SAC and the others involved.  According to Bill, his experience explaining technical issues to SAC students proved invaluable.