A BAND sprayer produced by a Herefordshire firm claimed gold in a prestigious machinery manufacturers' award.

Bromyard-based Micron's Varidome S3 100HiFlo clinched the prize in the Sprayers category of the International Machinery Manufacturers’ Awards.

The awards recognise the best new farm equipment sold in the UK and aim to reward equipment that demonstrates innovation, effectiveness and value.

The Varidome incorporates patented double-membrane technology allowing farmers to reduce drift, cut costs and improve weed control.

The sprayer incorporates a shielded design to minimise spray drift which also means that non-selective products can be used where available.

Each shield is mounted on ground following carriages to smoothen the travel and further reduce the drift.

Commenting on the technology, the judges said: "The Varidome’s inter-row shielded band sprayer gives drift-free spraying of weeds without affecting crops.

"This is certainly a technique that offers a lot of potential for the future.”