Legislation relating to slurry storage coupled with high rainfall is forcing some farmers to make significant investments to manage ever increasing volumes of slurry. However, Stallkamp is offering a new slurry separator that reduces contaminants, removes solids and offers farmers a way to reduce the volume of stored slurry.
Stallkamp launched the PSS 2.2-400 ComPress at Agritechnica in 2019 and has now made it available in the UK through slurry specialists Tramspread. Commenting on the product, John Tydeman from Tramspread says: “Storing slurry has been hard for many farmers this winter because rainfall has been so high. Separating is a cost-effective way to reduce the overall volume of slurry. It also creates a more manageable solid manure and a better quality liquid slurry that is easier to apply using dribble bars or a trailing shoe.”
The new machine uses a screw pump to suck slurry through a contaminant filter that filters foreign objects such as stones and rubber mat residues. The filtered slurry is then transferred to a separator with either a 0.5mm or 1mm screen that extracts the dry matter leaving nutrient rich liquid.
For some farmers the dry matter offers another source of income because it can be sold for arable use. However, most dairy farmers can utilise it as bedding material because it has an estimated 30 percent dry matter and offers a significant saving. “The liquid only loses approximately 10 percent of its N, P and K value so is still a valuable input for grassland. It also benefits from the filtration process which removes potentially harmful impurities and helps grass to absorb the nutrients more efficiently,” says Mr Tydeman.
Legislation demands that all farmers have sufficient facilities to store slurry and poultry manure produced in a yard or building. This applies from 1 October to 1 April for pigs, and poultry and 1 October to 1 March for other farming operations. Slurry stores must also have the capacity to store all rainfall and any wash water that accumulate during these periods. “For farmers with fluctuating or increasing herd sizes, abiding by this legislation can be hard. However, a screw press offers a cost-effective way to manage slurry, prevents the immediate need for further storage and provides the best dry and liquid products for farm use,” concludes Mr Tydeman.
