Published
by Farmers Guide, October 2008
Tramspread is the umbilical
application specialist
MORE than 20 years after the company was established by Terry Baker, Tramspread is now widely accepted as one of Europe's leading suppliers of umbilical slurry spreading technology.
The company began when Mr Baker, who was working on a farm at the time, developed a spread bar that could be fitted to a slurry tanker.
"I was working on a mixed arable and livestock unit and recognised that there was a nutrient value in the slurry that could be put to good use in the crops," he told Farmers Guide. "The key was accurate application of the slurry, and to provide this I built a 12m unit that could be used in tramlines in growing arable crops."
Mr Baker's business quickly grew to the extent that he left the farm to set up on his own and diversified into the sale of slurry handling systems, including pumps capable of supplying umbilical application systems.
"Quite early on, we found a demand for umbilical slurry application from local farmers that had seen it in use elsewhere," he added. "Initially we brought a contractor across from Swindon to provide the service, but eventually it became clear that we either had to find someone closer to home to offer umbilical application, or to do it ourselves."
Tramspread decided to set up its own contracting service and from the start was keen to get the equipment used just right.
"We have learnt from example, particularly from the Dutch who had a head start with this type of technology," Mr Baker said, "but in recent years solutions developed at our Suffolk base have started to be exported back to the Continent, with customers as far away as Russia."
It's clear to see why the umbilical spreading concept is catching on. The slurry is only pumped once, from the slurry pit, or lagoon, to the applicator; there is no need to drive a heavy slurry tanker across your fields; and there's no time wasted during slurry application - the tractor with the applicator simply drives back and forth across the field.
All these benefits are as important today as they were when the system was first introduced, but with higher diesel prices and fixed machinery costs, farmers with slurry to shift are more keen than ever to adopt the most cost-efficient system available.
While Tramspread is only too happy to sell its umbilical application systems, it remains committed to its contracting service. The company has three mobile units that spend much of the year applying slurry to arable and grassland in an area that extends from Buckinghamshire in the West to Norfolk and includes Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. A fourth unit owned by a Scottish contractor also comes south in the spring to help out during the company's busiest period.
"Essentially, we like to work within a 100-mile radius of base, but if the job's big enough we'll go just about anywhere," Tramspread Salesman John Tydeman told Farmers Guide. "The system is easy to transport, with the pump and drag hose all mounted on a custom-built trailer, which is pulled by the tractor on which the applicator is mounted.
"We always send out a two-man team for each job, so that one can look after the pump and manage the pipes while the other drives the tractor and applicator."
Typically a 7m dribble bar is used to apply slurry in the autumn, while a 24m splash plate is used during the spring. As the importance of slurry as crop nutrient increases, however, Tramspread is looking at the viability of making a 24m dribble bar available.
"The accuracy of the dribble bar makes it attractive to growers that take slurry seriously," Mr Tydeman said. "A flow meter on the tractor always measures exactly how much slurry is going to the ground, so we can make sure that it stays within NVZ limits, but the data also allows us to report back to the farmer the nutrients that have been applied to the field.
"We carry out a nitrogen test at the beginning of each job, so we can give farmers an accurate idea of the nitrogen already applied so they can take the information into account when they decide their spring nutrient requirements.
"Some of our customers also use another slurry application in the spring and have almost cut out inorganic fertilisers from their operations."
Tramspread's expertise in operating its system means there are no detrimental effects from working with the slurry applicators in a growing spring crops.
"We know from experience just how to manage the supply pipes to prevent damage to the crop and to keep the applicator tractor moving without tying itself in knots," Mr Tydeman said. "It's much harder work in a growing crop, but the results speak for themselves."
Typically Tramspread's single slurry pump will push the slurry from the slurry pit or lagoon to the applicator up to 1,400m away. While this is sufficient for most jobs, two pumps can be used to give the system a range of 3,000m or more.
"Obviously the service is a lot more expensive with two pumps, but we still reckon it's more cost-effective that than investing in a slurry tanker and a tractor to pull it," Mr Tydeman said.
That said, Tramspread is a dealer for the Joskin range of slurry and muckspreaders, and trailers. It also stocks Bauer slurry handling equipment, as well as Albers Alligator slurry storage bags, with volumes of up to 5,000 cubic metres.
"We are umbilical specialists, but we supply everything to do with slurry from storage to application," Mr Tydeman added. "Traditional agricultural dealerships sell bits and pieces of equipment, but they can't offer the level of expertise that comes from more than two decades of working with slurry."
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This Tramspread pump uses a former John Deere combine engine
and can feed up to 30,000 gallons/hour to the slurry applicator,
which can be as far as 1,400m from the pump.
|
Tramspread is the umbilical
application specialist
MORE than 20 years after the company was established by Terry Baker, Tramspread is now widely accepted as one of Europe's leading suppliers of umbilical slurry spreading technology.
The company began when Mr Baker, who was working on a farm at the time, developed a spread bar that could be fitted to a slurry tanker.
"I was working on a mixed arable and livestock unit and recognised that there was a nutrient value in the slurry that could be put to good use in the crops," he told Farmers Guide. "The key was accurate application of the slurry, and to provide this I built a 12m unit that could be used in tramlines in growing arable crops."
Mr Baker's business quickly grew to the extent that he left the farm to set up on his own and diversified into the sale of slurry handling systems, including pumps capable of supplying umbilical application systems.
"Quite early on, we found a demand for umbilical slurry application from local farmers that had seen it in use elsewhere," he added. "Initially we brought a contractor across from Swindon to provide the service, but eventually it became clear that we either had to find someone closer to home to offer umbilical application, or to do it ourselves."
Tramspread decided to set up its own contracting service and from the start was keen to get the equipment used just right.
"We have learnt from example, particularly from the Dutch who had a head start with this type of technology," Mr Baker said, "but in recent years solutions developed at our Suffolk base have started to be exported back to the Continent, with customers as far away as Russia."
It's clear to see why the umbilical spreading concept is catching on. The slurry is only pumped once, from the slurry pit, or lagoon, to the applicator; there is no need to drive a heavy slurry tanker across your fields; and there's no time wasted during slurry application - the tractor with the applicator simply drives back and forth across the field.
All these benefits are as important today as they were when the system was first introduced, but with higher diesel prices and fixed machinery costs, farmers with slurry to shift are more keen than ever to adopt the most cost-efficient system available.
While Tramspread is only too happy to sell its umbilical application systems, it remains committed to its contracting service. The company has three mobile units that spend much of the year applying slurry to arable and grassland in an area that extends from Buckinghamshire in the West to Norfolk and includes Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. A fourth unit owned by a Scottish contractor also comes south in the spring to help out during the company's busiest period.
"Essentially, we like to work within a 100-mile radius of base, but if the job's big enough we'll go just about anywhere," Tramspread Salesman John Tydeman told Farmers Guide. "The system is easy to transport, with the pump and drag hose all mounted on a custom-built trailer, which is pulled by the tractor on which the applicator is mounted.
"We always send out a two-man team for each job, so that one can look after the pump and manage the pipes while the other drives the tractor and applicator."
Typically a 7m dribble bar is used to apply slurry in the autumn, while a 24m splash plate is used during the spring. As the importance of slurry as crop nutrient increases, however, Tramspread is looking at the viability of making a 24m dribble bar available.
"The accuracy of the dribble bar makes it attractive to growers that take slurry seriously," Mr Tydeman said. "A flow meter on the tractor always measures exactly how much slurry is going to the ground, so we can make sure that it stays within NVZ limits, but the data also allows us to report back to the farmer the nutrients that have been applied to the field.
"We carry out a nitrogen test at the beginning of each job, so we can give farmers an accurate idea of the nitrogen already applied so they can take the information into account when they decide their spring nutrient requirements.
"Some of our customers also use another slurry application in the spring and have almost cut out inorganic fertilisers from their operations."
Tramspread's expertise in operating its system means there are no detrimental effects from working with the slurry applicators in a growing spring crops.
"We know from experience just how to manage the supply pipes to prevent damage to the crop and to keep the applicator tractor moving without tying itself in knots," Mr Tydeman said. "It's much harder work in a growing crop, but the results speak for themselves."
Typically Tramspread's single slurry pump will push the slurry from the slurry pit or lagoon to the applicator up to 1,400m away. While this is sufficient for most jobs, two pumps can be used to give the system a range of 3,000m or more.
"Obviously the service is a lot more expensive with two pumps, but we still reckon it's more cost-effective that than investing in a slurry tanker and a tractor to pull it," Mr Tydeman said.
That said, Tramspread is a dealer for the Joskin range of slurry and muckspreaders, and trailers. It also stocks Bauer slurry handling equipment, as well as Albers Alligator slurry storage bags, with volumes of up to 5,000 cubic metres.
"We are umbilical specialists, but we supply everything to do with slurry from storage to application," Mr Tydeman added. "Traditional agricultural dealerships sell bits and pieces of equipment, but they can't offer the level of expertise that comes from more than two decades of working with slurry."
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