Banks Farming has invested in a Claas Xerion and Kaweco tanker complete with 36-metre dribble bar with automatic section control to recycle much-needed slurries and liquid digestates back to land. Geoff Ashcroft reports
Given the meteoric rise in fertiliser prices, there is likely to be increased demand for digestate. Which is good news for operators like Tom Banks.
His contract farming and share farming business, Banks Farming based near Finedon, Northants, operates across 800 hectares of arable land, growing a mix of winter-sown wheat barley, rye, oilseed rape and beans, plus spring wheat and peas. Alongside which is a contract digestate application service that currently sees 110,000 tonnes of liquid applied onto farm land.
Mr Banks says: “I am fairly certain that the liquid digestate I apply to our own land will save us close to 200,000 this year, given the way fertiliser prices are continuing to increase.
“Those that previously ignored digestate are likely to start viewing the product as liquid gold.”
Having applied digestate across the land he farms over the last five years, Mr Banks is acutely aware of the value it has.
“We have seen areas of land go from minus values on indices, to twos, threes and fours,” he says.
“Digestate has put a lot of potassium back in the ground too. I have noticed that there is far less leaching from digestate than there has been from artificial fertilisers. In my experience, it is a product that seems to remain much more available to crops.”
“And I do feel that our involvement with digestate will also help to expand our contract farming operation,” he adds.
Equipment for the task includes a 462hp Claas Xerion 4200 with Kaweco tandem axle tanker, which joined the fleet in the summer of 2021. Supplied by local dealer Olivers, this close-coupled tanker sits on the back of the Xerion 4200 using a gooseneck drawbar to transfer weight onto the power unit.
The 28cu.m capacity tanker carries a 36-metre Vogelsang boom, which contains three macerators across the boom to keep liquid flowing evenly across the full working width. And to extend operational flexibility, the boom can operate on 32m, 30m, 28m and 24m tramlines.
In addition, 16 sections with auto start/stop, are also part of the precision application process.
“Around 80,000t of liquor comes from a local anaerobic digestion plant, with near-constant liquid analysis to ensure the correct amount of units are applied,” he says.
“A typical volume is equivalent to 4mm of rainfall.” Machine capacity is up to 2,000t/day, but a more realistic output is 1,000t/day.
“It takes some feeding, and the travel distances from liquid supply to field will also influence output.”
Liquid logistics are handled by a fleet of four Newrock tri-axle tankers, pulled by Deutz-Fahr 8280 TTV tractors, with using ball and spoon hitches. As each draws up to the field entrance, the Xerion’s turbo fill suction pipe is lowered into place, drawing the entire content of each tanker, in just a matter of minutes.
Up front, a stone catcher and hydraulically driven knife unit prevents blockages and protects the rotary lobe pump used for liquid transfer. Pipework is 250mm in diameter with large bends for maximum pumping efficiency during filling.
“I do like the integration with Claas Cebis and Mueller controls,” says Mr Banks.
“Kaweco has worked with Claas for decades as a provider of slurry solutions, so you know it is all going to work seamlessly. From the joystick control that manages the front-mounted suction boom to the rate controller and application maps, the whole unit is faultless in its operation and functionality.”
“The Xerion’s power is good on the hills, balance is superb, and the way that the tank is filled – and emptied – always maintains weight transfer onto the tractor,” he adds.
“Traction is not an issue. The tank is designed to keep 7cu.m of liquid in the neck, to help with grip.”
Compaction
For some though, compaction could be a limitation. To ensure the outfit treads as lightly as possible, Mr Banks specified the outfit with Vredestein 900/60 R32 on the tractor, and Trelleborg TM900’s on the tanker.
“Central tyre inflation was a very expensive option, and so I choose fixed inflation pressures to suit field work,” he says.
“The tanker has a following axle, which helps with manoeuvrability and surface integrity. And with most of the weight on the tanker, I make wider headland turns to ensure the tanker’s wheels are kept on tramlines when turning.”
Banks Farming has recently adopted a 36m tramline system, up from 32m, and with RTK guidance, it is currently in the process of making its tramlines permanent. Having been establishing its crops with min-till techniques for five years, the contract farming business has opted to move into direct drilling for autumn 2022.
Soils farmed are varied but include Hanslope series clays, limestone brash and some sandy loams. With the emphasis on micro-tillage, he is focused on managing wheelings and compaction.
“Improving soil structure for all my customers is a key goal,” says Mr Banks.
“This in turn will encourage better rooting, improved nutrient uptake and move us to better yields. And if we can do this while keeping a lid on establishment costs, then that’s good for the bottom line.”
As a result, Banks Farming has recently streamlined its tractor and machinery fleet, pinning its hopes on a 6m Horizon DSX disc drill.
“I was running two machinery fleets – one for the farm and the other for digestate,” says Mr Banks.
“Our ground is ready for the next step, so this change in policy has let me focus on operating costs, which means getting far better utilisation for all our kit, across both aspects of the business.”
Team
Out went an older, 380hp Xerion, an 8m Horsch Sprinter, 4m Grange toolbar, 8m Carrier and a set of 8m rolls. Tractor availability will be provided by the four Deutz-Fahr 8280 TTV tractors that are currently used by the digestate team, and a John Deere 7530 has been retained to handle the new drill.
Mr Banks says the ideal width would have been a 12m drill, with the emphasis on controlled traffic.
"At this point, my options were limited,” he says. “The Horsch Avatar was not right for my soils, so I have had to compromise on working width, by choosing a 6m Horizon. Though it should pull easily with a John Deere 7530.”
He says that the drill’s three hoppers provide flexibility with cover crops and under-sowing, as he seeks maximum nutrient uptake and biodiversity across all soils.
“We need to be less reliant on pesticides, so I will be looking to under-sow clover for example, and step into companion cropping to extend my rotation,” he says. “We will never completely get away from moving soil, but micro-tillage has its place. And if we need to loosen headlands, then so be it.”
A 30m trailed sprayer has made way for a Bateman RB55 to achieve the 36m tramline regime, and a Case-IH 7120 combine with 30ft header is currently the sticking point for his ideal controlled traffic regime.
“A 12m cut would be my ideal scenario going forward, and I am happy to remove straw in the short-term to avoid hair-pinning,” he adds.
“The advances we have made in the last five years means that moving into direct drilling should make a 800ha workload manageable for just one operator. It would not have been possible quite so quickly had we not been feeding our soils with digestate.”
