METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR DISTRIBUTION OF LIQUID MANURE

Abstract: For the distribution of liquid manure on the field it is conventional to make use of slurry tank carts with associated spreading means. These carts are heavy units, which strain the field and are usable only at the beginning of the growth period. According to the present invention the slurry is distributed by means of a field irrigation device of the type comprising a mobile spreading system, preferably a spreader boom having suspended drag hoses, to which the liquid is fed through a hose connection from a stationary liquid source, here a stationary or mobile slurry tank unit with an associated pump equipment. By this application of the irrigator the strain on the field can be kept at a minimum, and the slurry can be distributed through the entire growth period.

Description: Method and equipment for distribution of liquid manure. The present invention relates to a liquid manure distributor and a method of distributing liquid manure. Traditionally, the liquid manure or slurry is spread on the fields with the use of slurry tank carts, which hold a large amount of slurry so as to be correspondingly heavy as long as they still contain a noticeable amount of slurry. Such carts, therefore, should be driven by strong tractors, so alltogether the driving of the slurry carts will imply a heavy strain of the treated areas. It is the purpose of the invention to provide a largely improved system for the distribution of the slurry, and according to the invention this is achievable by using for the distribution an irrigation apparatus of the type adapted to receive water from a stationary supply source through a hose and to be moved for current distribution of the water received through the hose, the hose being fed with slurry or slurry water instead of ordinary irrigation water. A conventional irrigation apparatus will not be damaged by being used with slurry, and it will be appreciated that by this simple measure it is possible to avoid the loading of the field by a heavy slurry trailer. In principle, any irrigator of the said type, which is very common, will be suited for the very spreading of the slurry, but an entirely free spreading, e.g. from a rotating water gun, will not be attractive. Irrigators of the spreading boom type should be preferred, preferably even those being equipped with hanging dragging hoses, which will deliver the slurry directly to the surface, in level therewith, instead of being sprayed against the surface from boom nozzles; the use and the advantages of such dragging hoses on a spreader boom are known from certain tank vehicles for distributing liquid manure. A complete slurry distribution system should of course comprise the required pump equipment, but since it is very well known to use water distribution systems there will be no need at this place to describe the required equipment in more detail. Preferably, a self-propelled irrigation apparatus of the type provided with a storage drum for the hose should be used. The required traction force may well be derived from the supplied liquid, use thus being made of a hyraulic motor The apparatus may be designed with driving wheels driven from such a motor, such that the apparatus may be selfpropelled by outbound driving with associated unreeling of the hose from the drum, while when fully driven out the drive system can be automatically switched over to driven return rotation of the drum, such that the apparatus may then haul itself home, tightly coiling up the hose. The outbound driving may take place pilotless, if the field has been prepared with a steering groove for each driving track, as the apparatus may then be steered by a groove follower; the use of such a track follower is already known from a corresponding steering along a hose lying on the ground, bu it has been found quite easy to achieve a similar safe steering along a ground groove, and such grooves may be used many times before they will need to be renewed. The steering home may be effected by a hose follower, and the said switching over may, by way of example, be effected in response to the hose becoming fully stretched at the end of the outbound driving, or by a radio signal from an operator's post or by driving over a marker placed at the distant end of the driving zone. The invention provides for a special advantage in that it enables an easy distribution of slurry in admixture with water, still without any heavy driving tank equipment, as the water may, e.g., be currently injected. Hereby it is possible to work with changing slurry concentrations, e.g. with pure slurry during outbound driving and diluted slurry during the home driving, just as the slurry may be selectively diluted over certain partial lengths of the driving zone. When effecting field irrigations it will be possible to add small or larger amounts of slurry to the water, as the need may be. It is an additional important advantage of the invention that with the use of the relatively light irrigator device it is practically possible to distribute slurry or slurry water more times during the entire growth period of the crop, while with the use of the conventional, heavy slurry carts, the slurry will have to be distributed only during the starting phase of this period. This really is an important advantage, which can have noticeable consequences partly for the slurry storage conditions and partly for the use of fertilizers during the growth period. When treating areas that are not located just next to the slurry storage container it will of course be perfectly possible to use a slurry tank cart, which should only be driven along a suitable route to one or more suitable places for feeding the distribution system. The tank cart or an associated tractor will have to be provided with the required pumping equipment. The drawing illustrates an example of a well suited distributor apparatus of the dragging hose type.

Claims: C L A I M S : 1. A method of distributing liquid manure on the field, characterized by the use of a field irrigation apparatus of the type adapted to distribute irrigation water from a moved spreader fed through a hose from an at least temporarily stationary supply source, the liquid manure in this manner being supplied to the driving spreader through a pump system. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized by the use of an irrigator of the type having a spreader boom, which is arranged transversely to the moving direction and is provided with outlet nozzles constituted by hanging hose pieces, preferably so-called dragging hoses. 3. A method according to claim 1, characterized by currently mixing water into the slurry pumped out to the irrigator. 4. A system for distributing liquid manure by the method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a movable field irrigating apparatus having a feeding hose, a slurry container, and a pump for pumping out the slurry from the container to the hose.

Inventors: ERIKSEN GUNNAR ARENHOFF, ERIKSEN HENRIK ARENHOFF, ERIKSEN JAN ARENHOFF, ERIKSEN, GUNNAR, ARENHOFF, ERIKSEN, HENRIK, ARENHOFF, ERIKSEN, JAN, ARENHOFF
Applicants: ERIKSEN GUNNAR ARENHOFF, ERIKSEN HENRIK ARENHOFF, ERIKSEN JAN ARENHOFF, ERIKSEN, GUNNAR, ARENHOFF, ERIKSEN, HENRIK, ARENHOFF, ERIKSEN, JAN, ARENHOFF
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A01G25
IPC codes: A01C23, A01G25