Mastek Umbilical Systems can pump over 1 million litres of slurry per day.
When Ryan Attewell and Michael Crooks established Southern Slurry Ltd in mid-October last year, they knew they’d tripped upon a niche part of the market.
To be effective, the pair knew they needed the right equipment to do the job, and a Mastek Umbilical System was central to their requirements.
From one end of the process to the other, the system is designed with efficiency in mind, from the PTO-driven stirrer at the pond to the 12m dribble bar on the spreading tractor. In between, more than 2km of delivery hose – mounted on reels at the front and rear of the tractor – give them enough range to reach as far as they need.
“We have been able to get to every paddock on every farm,” Ryan says.
The system allows Southern Surry to pump up to two million litres of effluent a day and, with the ability to test nutrient levels on site, they can then adjust the rate of spread to accommodate what their customers require.
The rate of application is controlled by the speed of the spreading tractor and, to ensure they get it right, Southern Slurry uses Mastek’s SmartSpread Live system, which analyses the flow rate, measures it against the target rate, and then notifies the driver of the target speed required.
The effectiveness of the system is also improved with the addition of a twin mascerator on tractor, which runs the effluent through a series of blades before it is delivered to the dribble bar.
The blades are easily accessible for changing, but after 120 million litres, the original blades still haven’t been touched.
“With other brands we would be putting in new blades in within 40-50 million litres,” Ryan says.
After its first season in business, Southern Slurry is already looking to expand, thanks largely to the excellent service the company provides, but also the results achieved by the Mastek Umbilical System.
