Putting slurry to work on-farm

Low level application can make better use of slurry nutrients, and the latest trailing shoe equipment is bringing the operation in reach of farmers wishing to control their own spreading.

With a 400-cow dairy herd at Fields Farm, Market Drayton, Shropshire, slurry spreading is an important task for Charlie Furnival. As such, he has recently invested in application technology to make the most of muck as a source of nutrients for the 355-hectare holding. Mr Furnival says: “We pump from two clay lagoons and have previously spread the slurry via a tanker with splash-plate.

“As a grass-fed system, we make rotational applications as soon as the cows come off each field, also spreading on the silage ground.

“However, I was keen to find a system to cut losses to the atmosphere and utilise the slurry better, so undertook some research.”

Mr Furnival’s experience of low level application systems was limited to his contractor’s umbilical dribble bar system but, after studying the topic, he opted for a trailing shoe applicator.

Injector

This uses a dribble boom with self-sharpening shares to part the grass plant leaves and place slurry on the soil surface via a rubber injector cone located behind the share.

According to the manufacturer, trailing shoe applicators are said to reduce nitrogen losses by up to 80 per cent, compared to a splash plate.

“I opted for Slurry Kat as the range looked to offer a good quality implement without the costs of the premium ranges,” says Mr Furnival.

Equipment of choice is the firm’s Farm Line 7.5-metre trailing shoe applicator, fitted to a 16,000-litre vacuum tanker with self-fill system.

The applicator is bolted onto the frame for easy removal if required, although Mr Furnival says the tanker is also equipped with a splash plate which can be used with the trailing shoe applicator in place and folded.

An autofill system with turbo-filler has been specified and Mr Furnival says it makes a big difference to work rates

Trailing shoe specification

■ Model: SlurryKat Farm Line trailing shoe applicator

■ Working width: 7.5 metres (6m also available)

■ Transport width: 2.4m

■ Transport height: 3.2m

■ Outlets: 30

■ Delivery spacing: 250mm

■ Weight: 496kg

■ Tractor hydraulic requirement: Three, double-acting spools

■ Attachment: Via a ‘bolt-on’ kit with integrated storage legs/ hatch mount kit for tankers with inspection hatch

■ Options: Splash plate attachment

■ Control options: From tractor spools/switch box/Ecomatic touch control and proportional joystick

■ Price: £11,440 for 7.5m model (6m, £10,240)

Application

A single beam frame carries the steering shoe elements which are fixed at 250mm spacings. Each element can swivel by up to 15 degrees in either direction, maintaining constant application of the slurry while turning around curves.

Delivery hoses are urea and UV resistant and the frame folds vertically in an angular shape to maintain rearward visibility when being transported. The shoes also flip up to increase ground clearance when lifted and avoid dripping.

Slurry is pumped to the applicator via a single macerator distribution head with self-sharpening and adjusting blades, Danfoss hydraulic drive and a stone/debris trap protection system. Mr Furnival has specified operation via a simple in-cab switch box which gives three options from one spool; steering the tanker axle, raising or lowering the dribble boom and opening or closing the slurry valve.

The other spools are used for operating the macerator and swivelling and lowering the filling arm.

An eight-inch auto-fill pipe with turbo filler was also specified, and Mr Furnival says this makes a big difference to the efficiency of the operation.

“I can fill up with watery slurry in three minutes, or four to five minutes for thicker material. It is a lot quicker than loading my previous tanker.”

Depending on the job, a tanker load will cover 0.6-0.8ha, with application related to forward speed.

“I go a bit slower on the silage ground to give a heavier application, and quicker on pasture for a lighter dose if it is to be grazed again soon.

“With my New Holland T7.270 on GPS auto-steer, I know exactly what area I am applying to and it is very accurate, with no misses or overlaps,” he says.

Terrain around the Shropshire farm is described as ‘undulating’, but Mr Furnival says the applicator delivers a consistent flow of slurry, as long as the forward speed is maintained.

“The first application went onto the silage ground at the end of March and we are hoping we can halve bag fertiliser requirements by making use of the nitrogen in slurry.

Rotation

“Grazing land, which is on a 20-day rotation, normally gets 45 units of N every five to six weeks and we are hoping we can also cut some of this out,” he says.

Charlie Furnival applies slurry to paddocks as soon as cows come off, aiming to reduce fertiliser use.

Trailing shoes part the grass and place the slurry directly on soil.