Shown for the first time in the UK at LAMMA was Vogelsang’s 24m BacPac Umbilical ground level application boom with section control and variable rate flow metre.
With slurry at long last being recognised as an asset by the majority of farmers, it is becoming ever more necessary to have it applied in a way that makes the most of the nutrients it carries.
By considering it a fertiliser, the need arises to have it applied as any other dressing and Vogelsang has provided the equipment to do so, whether it be attached to a tanker or via an umbilical system.
Section control is achieved by the inflation of small balloons in the feed pipes to the part of the boom that is to be turned off, a valve system unique to the company.
The system is ISOBUS compatible so may be used with prescription mapping or, further down the line, a Near Infra Red (NIR) sensor such as John Deere’s harvest lab.
Vogelsang split the line
The company is also promoting its DoubleFlow shoe which splits the flow of slurry, making two lines 12.5cm apart rather than a larger ones 25cm apart.
This will help with the the even distribution of slurry as well as increasing the surface area that is in contact with the soil and air, accelerating absorption by the soil and aerobic breakdown of the product.
One of the main complaints heard about ground level application is that it can leave unabsorbed slurry on the surface, leading to contamination of the cut sward.
By spreading it thinner, this may be avoided in many instances.
The double runner system will be available for the UniSpread and BlackBird trailing shoe linkage series from May 2024. It may also be retrofitted to older machines of this type.
