Hose runner saves time and effort
Rakaia-based equipment manufacturer Pluck’s Engineering will soon start production of a new machine designed to simplify the deployment and retrieval of temporary water troughs used in winter break feeding.
The system acts to treat slurry and digestate with sulphuric acid during application in the paddock, which Vogelsang claims results in higher yields, greater conversion of ammonia to ammonium, and increased nitrogen availability for crops.
Acid is stored in an 850-litre, double-walled IBC tank mounted to the tractor’s front linkage, with two additional secondary tanks situated alongside, for additive and water storage.
The layout offers a closed system that is operator-safe, using special couplings and a no-spill design to ensure no operator contact is ever made with the acid.
In operation, a pump system feeds the sulphuric acid from the IBC into the mixer, where it is combined with the slurry, while a pH sensor box constantly monitors and adjusts the amount of acid that is added, ensuring that it stays within an optimum range.
The company suggests that the greatest conversion of ammonia to ammonium takes place at a pH level of 6. The full system, including the front tank, pump, mixer and pH sensor can be retrofitted to any tractor, and comes with a price-tag of $165,000.
