The 2015 competition assessed contestant’s abilities across multiple skills that reflect the diversity of skills demanded by a modern career in horticulture, including innovative product design, market research, public speaking, interviews with judges and a day of practical assignments.

Ferguson won the Bayer Best Practice Award in a range of activities with a focus on crop management practices and sustainability, and placed third in the Agmardt Market Innovation project with a in-depth study of the use of drones for frost protection, something he says is a viable option in the near future with the change in CAA regulations.