In recent years, slurry has finally been recognised as a valuable by-product on farms. Ever-tightening regulations on fertiliser usage will only bring slurry utilisation further into the spotlight.
Attempting to set an accurate application rate with a tanker is relatively simple, but trying to do so on an umbilical system is a completely different ball game.
The flowrate of slurry through an umbilical system depends on many factors, including distance from the sheds to the fields, the type and dry matter of the slurry, the size of the hose being used, the stage the tank is at and so on and so forth.
Even the best of operators will truthfully tell you it’s a guessing game without proper technical guidance.
Flow meters aren’t new, and have been on the market for years, but up until relatively recently have only been ordered on a handful of machines.
Farmers are now asking their contractors to invest in the technology, and have been doing so for the last few years. At the beginning of the 2024 slurry season, we retrofitted a Mastek (Ceon) flow meter on to a Mastek umbilical system.
What are the benefits?
On a typical system, using a Bauer, Doda or Criman pump etc, when the going is good, at let’s say 800m of piping out with four-inch hose in dairy type slurry, the system is fit to pump up to 45,000 gallons/hour in good conditions.
In thick slurry, such as that derived from bale silage, at the same distance, output could be as low as 8,000 to 10,000 gallons/hour, which soon becomes uneconomical.
In a bid to try and get application rates as accurate as possible, a flow meter is a must have on all umbilical systems. 
The system is attached underneath the main frame and is held in place through eight bolts each side, and one supporting bracket.
The Mastek system
Ceon flow meters, which are very common in the Irish market, are retailed by Mastek, among other Irish slurry kit manufacturers. Ceon Machinery Controls Ltd is based in Tyrone and serve the OEM market with machinery control systems, such as the flow meters.
The flow meter is married up to Mastek’s in-house designed SmartSpread Live app. The SmartSpread system either comes with its own 10” tablet or it can link to the IsoBus system on the tractor. It can also run directly off your phone etc, but in our case we opted for the simple tablet setup.
This app requires the operator to key in the basic requirement to advise on forward speed, so the dribble bar/trailing shoe working width (metres) and the desired application rate are needed.
Once the slurry starts flowing, the flow meter will provide a consistently up-to-date reading on flow rate.
The app will then continually adjust the recommended forward speed to hit the desired application rate, while also displaying the tractor’s actual forward speed, the gallons being delivered per hour and the total gallons delivered on that particular job, until it is reset.
The app can be set in metric or imperial, allowing the display in cubic metres or gallons and in hectares or acres etc. 
Once the parameters are entered, the app will continually adjust the recommended forward speed to hit the desired application rate.
It’s a simple and practical app to use.
Fitment
The majority of umbilical system manufacturers will design the pipework in such a way that a flow meter can literally be bolted on in just 15 minutes.
This may not be the case for older units, and some fabrication may be required, which shouldn’t be any more than cutting an opening in the pipework for the system to slot into. In our case, we retrofitted it onto a fresh Mastek system. The system is attached underneath the main frame and is held in place with eight bolts each side, and one supporting bracket.
The system is powered through a three-pin plug sourcing power from the tractor, and for us the data was transmitted through Bluetooth to the in-cab mounted android tablet. 
Mastek retail Ceon flow metres, which are very common in the Irish market, and are also retailed by other Irish slurry kit manufacturers.
Costings
Like everything, the price of flow meters has risen quite a bit in recent years. Today, a new system would cost in the region of €4,500 to €4,800 plus VAT, depending on brand.
There are some European manufactured units on the market, but the majority of units are now coming from China. The size of the pipeworks the flow meter is incorporated into can have a small impact on pricing also.
The fitting of a flow meter was added to TAMS III almost two years ago, with a reference cost of €3,251/unit. It’s grant aided at 60% for successful applicants, and falls under the Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme (LESS) section.
This means that now is a great opportunity to invest in such an add-on. It would be a no-brainer to allow contractors access this grant aid, as they will spread the majority of the early slurry in the country with umbilical systems. 
The display tablet in the cab.
Verdict
From an umbilical operator point of view, you couldn’t be without a flow meter once you get used to it. Not only does it give you and your farmer clients peace of mind that you are hitting the target application rate, but you know straight away if there is a problem.
For instance, if the pump gets blocked in the yard, you will have the tractor in the field stopped quicker than the pump operator radios to say there is an issue. At this time of the year, daylight hours are short and you often work into the dark to get through the workload.
The flow meter is key, as you know exactly if everything is going to plan, or if your rate has dropped, or stopped. If you didn’t have the flow meter, you could easily continue driving and pull the hose into a knot – which operators are well aware is never a good thing.
Once you pump a tank, you know exactly how many gallons it holds. Next time round, this makes it easier to plan the job to the ground you need to cover at the desired rate. It also readies farmers and contractors for the conversation about charging on a cubic metre basis, rather than by the hour, or by the bay etc.
In recent years, slurry has finally been recognised as a valuable by-product on farms. Ever-tightening regulations on fertiliser usage will only bring slurry utilisation further into the spotlight.
Attempting to set an accurate application rate with a tanker is relatively simple, but trying to do so on an umbilical system is a completely different ball game.
The flowrate of slurry through an umbilical system depends on many factors, including distance from the sheds to the fields, the type and dry matter of the slurry, the size of the hose being used, the stage the tank is at and so on and so forth.
Even the best of operators will truthfully tell you it’s a guessing game without proper technical guidance.
Flow meters aren’t new, and have been on the market for years, but up until relatively recently have only been ordered on a handful of machines.
Farmers are now asking their contractors to invest in the technology, and have been doing so for the last few years. At the beginning of the 2024 slurry season, we retrofitted a Mastek (Ceon) flow meter on to a Mastek umbilical system.
What are the benefits?
On a typical system, using a Bauer, Doda or Criman pump etc, when the going is good, at let’s say 800m of piping out with four-inch hose in dairy type slurry, the system is fit to pump up to 45,000 gallons/hour in good conditions.
In thick slurry, such as that derived from bale silage, at the same distance, output could be as low as 8,000 to 10,000 gallons/hour, which soon becomes uneconomical.
In a bid to try and get application rates as accurate as possible, a flow meter is a must have on all umbilical systems.
The system is attached underneath the main frame and is held in place through eight bolts each side, and one supporting bracket.
The Mastek system
Ceon flow meters, which are very common in the Irish market, are retailed by Mastek, among other Irish slurry kit manufacturers. Ceon Machinery Controls Ltd is based in Tyrone and serve the OEM market with machinery control systems, such as the flow meters.
The flow meter is married up to Mastek’s in-house designed SmartSpread Live app. The SmartSpread system either comes with its own 10” tablet or it can link to the IsoBus system on the tractor. It can also run directly off your phone etc, but in our case we opted for the simple tablet setup.
This app requires the operator to key in the basic requirement to advise on forward speed, so the dribble bar/trailing shoe working width (metres) and the desired application rate are needed.
Once the slurry starts flowing, the flow meter will provide a consistently up-to-date reading on flow rate.
The app will then continually adjust the recommended forward speed to hit the desired application rate, while also displaying the tractor’s actual forward speed, the gallons being delivered per hour and the total gallons delivered on that particular job, until it is reset.
The app can be set in metric or imperial, allowing the display in cubic metres or gallons and in hectares or acres etc.
Once the parameters are entered, the app will continually adjust the recommended forward speed to hit the desired application rate.
It’s a simple and practical app to use.
Fitment
The majority of umbilical system manufacturers will design the pipework in such a way that a flow meter can literally be bolted on in just 15 minutes.
This may not be the case for older units, and some fabrication may be required, which shouldn’t be any more than cutting an opening in the pipework for the system to slot into. In our case, we retrofitted it onto a fresh Mastek system. The system is attached underneath the main frame and is held in place with eight bolts each side, and one supporting bracket.
The system is powered through a three-pin plug sourcing power from the tractor, and for us the data was transmitted through Bluetooth to the in-cab mounted android tablet.
Mastek retail Ceon flow metres, which are very common in the Irish market, and are also retailed by other Irish slurry kit manufacturers.
Costings
Like everything, the price of flow meters has risen quite a bit in recent years. Today, a new system would cost in the region of €4,500 to €4,800 plus VAT, depending on brand.
There are some European manufactured units on the market, but the majority of units are now coming from China. The size of the pipeworks the flow meter is incorporated into can have a small impact on pricing also.
The fitting of a flow meter was added to TAMS III almost two years ago, with a reference cost of €3,251/unit. It’s grant aided at 60% for successful applicants, and falls under the Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme (LESS) section.
This means that now is a great opportunity to invest in such an add-on. It would be a no-brainer to allow contractors access this grant aid, as they will spread the majority of the early slurry in the country with umbilical systems.
The display tablet in the cab.
Verdict
From an umbilical operator point of view, you couldn’t be without a flow meter once you get used to it. Not only does it give you and your farmer clients peace of mind that you are hitting the target application rate, but you know straight away if there is a problem.
For instance, if the pump gets blocked in the yard, you will have the tractor in the field stopped quicker than the pump operator radios to say there is an issue. At this time of the year, daylight hours are short and you often work into the dark to get through the workload.
The flow meter is key, as you know exactly if everything is going to plan, or if your rate has dropped, or stopped. If you didn’t have the flow meter, you could easily continue driving and pull the hose into a knot – which operators are well aware is never a good thing.
Once you pump a tank, you know exactly how many gallons it holds. Next time round, this makes it easier to plan the job to the ground you need to cover at the desired rate. It also readies farmers and contractors for the conversation about charging on a cubic metre basis, rather than by the hour, or by the bay etc.
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