Dribble bar offers flexible method of applying slurry (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Dribble bar offers flexible method of applying slurry

4:00pm Friday 8th March 2013 in Farming

A NORTH Yorkshire agricultural contracting business has invested in a 24m Vogelsang Dribble Bar which is believed to be the first in the area.

AWSM Farming Ltd, of Lane Head, near Richmond, can now offer every available method of applying slurries and solid manure.

Director Andrew Yarrow said: “The dribble bar is fed by an umbilical pipe and pump system and has drop hoses, which trail to the ground to apply slurry to the base of the crop where it is needed.

“With it being 24m wide, it means we can go along the tramlines in the field, keeping wheel contact with the crop to a minimum, resulting in less damage to the valuable crop.”

The company created another first in the area when they bought a self-propelled Challenger Terragator slurry tanker four years ago.

Other equipment includes an 8.4m shallow disc injector, primarily for grassland injecting; a 6.4m arable injector which injects straight into stubble or cultivated land; three 3,500-gallon fast-fill slurry road tankers; an umbilical system; and five solid manure spreaders.

Often fields close to a farm have plenty of nutrients but land further away may be lacking. The different systems of transporting and applying slurry mean they can easily be reached, whether it be using an umbilical pipe, road tankers, or a combination of both with a nurse tank situated in the field.

The new dribble bar also has the flexibility to be attached to the self-propelled Terragator. Slurry can be pumped along the umbilical pipe to its tank and applied using the Terragator’s own pump, which gives the exact amount metered.

Another advantage of it being mounted on the Terragator is that the dribble bar can also be turned off, while turning on the headland as the tank on the Terragator acts as a reservoir while turning.

This avoids over-dosing and pooling on the headlands.

The headland can then be treated later with the selfpropelled machine, so effectively the whole field is getting an even application which is something not possible with a standard umbilical system.

Mr Yarrow said: “We try to treat slurry the same as if we were applying bagged or liquid fertilizer and we wouldn’t go into a field and leave the headlands untreated. The headland area adds up to be a significant part of the field.”

AWSM is advising farmers to check the nutrient status of their soils after 2012 was declared the second wettest year on record in the UK.

The dribble bar can also be attached to the self-propelled Terragator

There is a strong possibility that the deluge could have washed nutrients out of many fields.

Mr Yarrow said more farmers were taking soil samples to check their status because of the high cost of fertiliser – nitrogen is currently about £300 a tonne.

Many are looking to make the most of the available nutrients in their dairy and pig slurries which offer a cheaper but effective alternative.

“We can soil sample and sample slurries to see what nutrients are in place,” he said. “We can then apply the right amount exactly where it is needed as we can adjust applications on the move.”

Adam Metcalfe, managing director of AWSM is FACTS (Fertiliser Advisers Certificate and Training Scheme) certified, which gives him the knowledge to advise on what nutrients to apply.

The company has 15 fulltime staff rising to more than 30 at peak periods. It mainly works in a 30-mile radius of the farm, but also operates in the Whitby, Driffield and York areas.

Pricing is competitive and charged on a fixed price per cubic meter basis, so the farmer knows the cost before the job starts, and also has a sliding scale based on distance from the store.

“The fixed price per cubic meter is liked by customers as they know the cost of applying their slurry and are not worried about the cost of down time and travelling,”

said Mr Yarrow.

To discuss the systems available, contact 01833- 627207.