increase font size
The new 24m BacPac Umbilical ground-level application boom with section control and variable rate flow meter.
With slurry and dairy effluent being recognised as an asset by most farmers, it makes sense to have it applied in a way that makes the most of the nutrients carried within.
Indeed, by considering it a fertiliser, it should be applied as any other dressing.
German effluent specialists Vogelsang has provided equipment for many years, either attached to a tanker or via an umbilical system, so took the opportunity at the recent LAMMA Show in the UK to display its new 24m BacPac Umbilical ground-level application boom with section control and variable rate flow meter.
At the heart of the BacPac unit is a Krohne flow meter, while Section Control is achieved by the inflation of small balloons in the feed pipes to the part of the boom that needs to be switched off, a valve system said to be unique to the company.
The system is ISOBUS compatible so may be used with prescription mapping or, in the future, a Near Infra Red (NIR) sensor such as John Deere's harvest lab.
The company was also showing its DoubleFlow shoe which splits the flow of slurry, delivering two lines at 12.5cm apart, rather than a larger, more typical layout at 25cm spacing. The company claims this will help achieve a more even distribution of slurry, as well as increasing the surface area in contact with the soil and air, thereby accelerating absorption by the soil and faster aerobic breakdown of the product.
 |
|---|
|
The DoubleFlow shoe splits the flow of slurry, delivering two lines at 12.5cm apart. |
Vogelsang notes that the greatest number of complaints about ground spreading is that the process can leave unabsorbed slurry on the surface that can lead to contamination of the cut sward and in severe cases, kill off the grass. By spreading material thinner, this problem is largely avoided.
The double runner system will be available for the UniSpread and BlackBird trailing shoe linkage series from May 2024 and can also be retrofitted to older machines.
Farm races or laneways are central to moving animals, people and machinery around the farm. In the case of dairy farms, their maintenance is paramount as cows may walk considerable distances two or even three times a day.
With effluent becoming a more important part of farm management, particularly for its value as an alternative to “bagged” fertiliser, it is timely for the Power Farming Group to be introducing the Fliegl range of tankers.
It has been a year of new products and innovation at Numedic, the Rotorua-based manufacturer and exporter of farm dairy effluent equipment.
Australian agricultural equipment distributor, Waringa Distribution, has increased its support to South Island farmers and contractors with the appointment of Brown Agri Solutions at Hororata, near Christchurch, as a sales agent.
John Deere has started the New Year with the release of JDLink Boost, using a satellite connectivity solution to ensure customers continue seamless work in fields with little to no cellular coverage.
Reducing nitrogen inputs does not necessarily mean reducing profits, says DairyNZ principal scientist Ina Pinxterhuis.
Southland Federated Farmers president Jason Herrick says farmers are prepared for winter grazing every year.
The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) is launching a new round of grants to support projects aimed at enhancing dairy farming sustainability via the a2 Farm Sustainability Fund.
DairyNZ is inviting applications for an associate director position.
Dairy's superpowers are lifting their game on proving greenhouse gas credentials.
Taupo-based low-carbon dairy company Miraka has its sights set on using 100% renewable energy in the next decade.
OPINION: Is Canterbury milk processor Synlait back in business?
OPINION: The fate of methane inhibitor Bovaer in NZ farming is still up in the air.
