Amy Watkins Awarded Prestigious Barrie Orme Shield

Agrii's Sustainability and Environmental Services Manager, Amy Watkins, has been awarded the 2024 Barrie Orme Shield by BASIS, recognising her outstanding performance in the BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection (Agriculture) examination.

Sponsored by BASF, the Barrie Orme Shield is awarded annually to the highest-performing candidate across all BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection assessments, recognising exceptional achievement and technical excellence within the industry.

For Amy, the award marks the latest milestone in a career built on a passion for both agriculture and the environment.

Raised on a livestock farm in Mid Wales, Amy developed a strong connection to farming and the countryside from an early age. Although she initially considered a career in midwifery, it was her interest in the natural world that ultimately led her to study Geography and Environmental Management at Harper Adams University.

During her studies, Amy completed a placement year with Agrii, gaining experience across the business in seed, R&D and technical roles. The experience provided valuable insight into modern crop production and laid the foundations for her future career. Following graduation, she joined Agrii full-time and has since progressed to her current role leading sustainability and environmental services initiatives.

As part of her professional development, Amy has continued to strengthen her technical knowledge through industry-leading qualifications, including FACTS, Soil and Water Management, and most recently the BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection.

Widely recognised as the gold standard qualification for professionals advising on and supplying plant protection products, the BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection covers the identification and management of weeds, pests and diseases, integrated pest management (IPM), crop production, environmental protection and UK legislation.

For Amy, the qualification was about more than achieving certification.

"I undertook BASIS Crop Protection to ensure I'm fully informed of the challenges and opportunities in growing food, so I can tailor sustainability solutions that work alongside them, not against them," she explains.

The course has strengthened her understanding of crop production and IPM, helping her develop practical tools and advice that support both productive farming and environmental stewardship. Today, Amy applies this knowledge through her work with farmers and food supply chains, developing IPM planning templates, supporting Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) delivery and helping businesses implement practical sustainability strategies.

Her success in the examination reflects not only a commitment to professional development, but also a desire to better understand the biological and agronomic principles that underpin sustainable crop production.

Amy completed her BASIS training with Debbie Wedge at Vale Training and was presented with the Barrie Orme Shield as the highest-performing candidate nationally.

Amy's achievement was further complemented by a strong Agrii presence among this year's top performers. Agrii Agronomist Christina Dutton was named runner-up alongside Dr Andrew Gladman, Senior Research Entomologist at ADAS. Having two Agrii colleagues recognised among the highest-performing candidates nationally reflects the importance the business places on technical excellence, continuous professional development and delivering trusted advice to farmers.

Everyone at Agrii congratulates Amy on this outstanding achievement. Her award is a testament to the value of combining technical expertise with a passion for sustainable agriculture, helping ensure farming businesses can remain productive, resilient and environmentally responsible for the future.