A 12m span is becoming the go-to width for farms undertaking their own slurry application as manufacturers extend existing injector, trailing shoe and dribble bar products to this higher output working width.

Vogelsang is the latest to follow this trend with a 12m version of its UniSpread tanker-mounted toolbar, which can be used as either a dribble bar or trailing shoe system.

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Current versions are 6m to 10.5m wide, so the newcomer offers increased output and fits more conveniently with common tramline layouts for operators looking to exploit slurry or anaerobic digestate on crops other than grass.

Like the other sizes, the 12m UniSpread is carried on a three- or four-point linkage assembly on a host tanker of any scale, supplied new or as a retrofit to an existing tank.

A land wheel on each wing section provides added support and accurate height control over undulating ground.

Macerator options

Standard kit includes Vogelsang’s centrally mounted, hydraulically driven ExaCut ECL macerator and distributor unit, which is ventilated to prevent suction at the outlets.

It has a “stone trap” to extract hard debris in the slurry, and is both self-adjusting and self-sharpening to maintain performance with little attention.

Alternatively, the ExaCut ECQ can be fitted. This is a three-blade design, opposed to two-blade, which consequently rotates more slowly and is claimed to consume half as much power.

It is also reckoned to achieve up to three times the operational life of the ECL and be easier to maintain – typically less than 20min to complete a service.

A further option is the DoubleFlow trailing shoe design that halves the row spacing from 250mm to 125mm and places slurry over a wider surface area.