The Concept
The umbilical method of manure/slurry handling involves pumping the liquid from a liquid storage facility (lagoon or tank) using high-pressure pump unit, via a pipeline, to a tractor mounted applicator unit. Once the system is set up and the pipeline has been laid, the pump is started and the applicator unit is then driven in straight lines, dragging the supply pipe, known as the drag hose, up and down the spreading field.
Advantages
The umbilical application system has numerous advantages over traditional tanker based application methods, the main ones being:
- Empties slurry tanks and lagoons much faster
- Work-rates of 200m³ per hour are typical (dependant on spreading equipment)
- Reduces/eliminates soil compaction
- No heavy tanker unit is driven onto the field
- Applicator unit is driven in and out of the field just once (no constant travelling)
- Applicator unit stays in the field until the field is finished, which eliminates mud being constantly carried onto roads
- As the contractor is not constantly travelling from the yard to the field, there is a major saving in fuel consumption
