Technical Note: Pressurized Injection of Animal Slurry in Growing Cereal Crops

Abstract

Injection of animal slurry into the soil for a growing crop can reduce the impact on the environment and the surroundings. However, yield can be adversely affected due to crop damage caused by the injection operation. This study focused on developing and testing tines for injecting the liquid fraction of separated slurry into soil. The aim was to design a shallow tine combining soil opening and pressurized injection. The analysis focuses on draft force requirements. Three pressurized injection tines with nozzles pointing forward, downward, and rearward were developed for injecting separated slurry into soil for growing crops. The horizontal and vertical force requirements for each of the nozzle configurations were measured. Using pressurized injection with jets pointing rearward reduced the horizontal draft force by approximately 20% compared to operating the tine without jets. The energy saved for driving the tine is more than counterbalanced by the increased energy consumption to build up the pressure in the tine. However, this extra energy has to be delivered through the tractor power take-off, which in some cases can be a more effective means of energy transfer than the driving wheels.