French company Pichon has designed a pumping and spreading system for its TCI slurry tanker that combines a centrifugal pump with a vacuum one.

A hydraulically driven centrifugal pump (run from the tractor’s pto) fills the tank, mixes the slurry in the tanker and pumps it to dribble bars and injectors, as well as stirring slurry in the pit. Pumping can take place directly in the pit by immersing the centrifugal pump or using a cone for hard-to-reach areas of pits or plastic lagoons.

When working with a cone, an auxiliary pump creates the vacuum for starting the centrifugal pump. This pump is equipped with a removable coupling to ensure the airtightness during the filling. The vacuum pump is used if the tank is being filled from pipes that have been connected by hand.

A new control box allows programming of automated sequences during pumping and spreading. Cost is £8500.

Pichon sells through six dealers in the UK: Masons-Kings at Newton Abbott, Redlynch Agri Engineering at Bruton, Truro Farm Machinery at Newquay, Lloyd at Carlisle, RW Pugh at Churchstoke and Erwin Agri-Care at Crumlin, Co Antrim.