Based in the dairy stronghold of Donoughmore, Co Cork, Coolmona Agri – run by Pat Murphy along with wife Imelda and son Colin – specialises in slurry spreading, silage and maize harvesting as well as grassland reseeding.
Pat has been contracting for over 30 years. Slurry spreading continues to be a fundamental part of the business, and is constantly growing.
In order to meet customers’ needs and to take full advantage of weather windows, three umbilical systems are often in use during peak times as well as a number of slurry tankers.
Long-term operators and servicemen Alan and Mick make up the full-time year-round staff and while Pat admits that it is getting increasingly difficult to organise a lot of men for busy periods, he counts himself fortunate to also have a reliable seasonal team in the yard.
Tractors
Having used Ford and Fiat tractors up to the mid 1990s, Pat now operates a modern fleet of M and R series John Deeres, purchased through dealer Farm Power.
He rates these tractors as great workhorses that are comfortable and operator friendly, while also commending the (excellent) backup service received through the dealer.
This year a new purchased two Applied 350 Varimount compressor units for blowing out the hoses.
Tasked with pulling the umbilical systems are two 6195M tractors and a 6155R, shod with 900 and 800 tyres respectively to ensure a light footprint and minimal top cover damage.
All three tractors benefit from John Deere’s Starfire 6000 GPS and autosteer systems.
Pat says: “It allows very accurate spreading with no waste, overlaps or skips – particularly when working with watery slurry and late into the evenings.”
The Coolmona fleet consists of John Deere M and R series tractors.
Umbilical Systems:
So as to meet farmers’ needs in his area, Pat made the decision to purchase an AgQuip 12m dribble bar system with 1,600m of piping in 2017.
Pat commends AgQuip, based in Ballymoney, Co Antrim, for helping to get the team off to a positive start with the system.
Twin macerators allow the operator to shut off one side of the bar when turning on headlands to reduce puddling, while the 12m bar ensures the headland turn is made in one swing, reducing shunting and ground damage.
The umbilical fleet includes two 12m AgQuip dribble bars each of which are operated using GPS and autosteer.
A second 10m KME (Kerry Mechanical Engineering, Listowel) dribble bar joined the fleet the following year.
Praised by Pat for its build quality, this is a single-macerator, dual-purpose bar which can also be fitted to a slurry tanker in summer months.
In order to increase capacity to meet customer demand, as well as free up operators and machines sooner for spring work, the decision was made to add another system to the lineup.
Impressed with the performance of the first 12m AgQuip system, a second one was purchased in 2019, taking over from the KME bar. While Coolmona mainly run the two 12m dribble bars, the ability to operate three systems has added significant spreading capacity reducing pressure at peak deadline times.
The Volvo loader is used to suspend umbilical hose across public roads.
At the other end of the hose, slurry is pumped using Bauer pumps which are regarded as very good performers, pumping slurry through 5in pipes which reduce to 4in as distance increases.
This year, Pat upgraded two of his compressors to Applied 350 Varimount units which are manufactured in Birr, Co Offaly.
Front or rear mounted, these PTO-driven compressors are capable of 350 CFM which is great for blowing out the slurry line, according to Pat.
Benefits
Being light on the ground, the umbilical system was very well received by customers, while also minimising soil compaction and grass trampling.
The output of the system speaks for itself but the benefits of spreading large blocks of ground early in the season is not lost on farmers either – allowing for spreading ahead of the grazing rotation without tainting the grass.
A mix of 5in and 4in hose is used.
While Pat is keen to point out that tankers will always have a major role to play, farm roadways and paddock gaps receive minimal damage at times of the year when they are most tender.
Slurry tanks
Coolmona Agri operates a number of HiSpec tankers, an Abbey as well as two 3100gl Joskin units.
Predominantly 2500gl, the single-axle Abbey and HiSpec tankers are fitted with 7.5m Mastek dribble bars which are praised for their reliable macerator as well as being a good compromise between weight and strength.
The twin-axle Joskin tanks are fitted with 10m KME dribble bars, one of which is used with an umbilical rig during the peak slurry spreading season as previously mentioned.
Across all of Coolmona’s slurry handling equipment, the Hertell gate valves continue to be the Achilles heel, requiring regular attention or replacement.
A 3500gl twin-axle HiSpec is also used in a number of roles to provide extra capacity.
The 3500g HiSpec tanker fitted with a Bauer pump is used for both pumping to the umbilical system as well as field spreading.
Fitted with 710 tyres and twin 6in inlet points, the tank is fitted with a hydraulic vacuum pump as well as a PTO-driven Bauer pump. This enables it to be used as both an on-farm fixed pumping station, and in-field mobile station supplied by ferrying tractors and tankers thanks to its ability to pump and suck simultaneously. This HiSpec is also used as a booster pump for particularly long or uphill piping jobs as well as having a 12M Mastek dribble bar.
Another 2600gl HiSpec is also fitted with a Bauer pump to provide additional back up.
Coolmona Agri also makes good use of John Deere Gators, which are towed on trailers behind the pumping tractor. While Pat acknowledges they may be a bit of a luxury, they are very useful for straightening and pulling pipes when laying out or reeling, allowing for less downtime, while also providing a swift link between the piping and pumping operators.
Maximising efficiency
In order to achieve maximum output from any slurry system, Pat regards slurry management as being the key element. Unchopped bale silage is the macerator’s Achilles heel and the leading cause of a blockage, with slurry also needing to be well agitated, loose and free of any foreign objects. Proper slurry consistency allows for optimum output from both man and machine and in turn, best value for money for the farmer. With soaring fertiliser prices, the need for slurry to be utilised as efficiently as possible is crucial.
Nurse tank
Coolmona Agri also operates a nurse tank with a capacity of 14,000gl to add further options for farmers who wish to use the umbilical system on ground which is a distance from the farm.
Having a number of large slurry tankers ensure the umbilical hose is kept moving regardless of distance. Road crossings are also catered for by ramps or a pipe crane, which is Pat’s preferred option.
Engineered by local fabricators Paddy McCarthy and Trevor Relihan, the pipe crane can be attached by quick hitch or via pallet forks, allowing for use by most farm loaders. A three-point hitch also allows for the crane to be transported by tractor.
Popular
The umbilical system has proved very popular with Pat’s customers. Initially, he believed the system would mainly be seasonal. However, due to its output and efficiency, it is turning into a year-round job. Pat says two umbilical hoses are kept very busy either end of the year, with the third often drafted in.
However, one is also often out during the spring and summer months assisting tankers. Providing farmers with options and flexibility is key to the service offered by Coolmona Agri, ensuring that slurry is fully utilised and handled in the most efficient way. Looking to the season ahead, with the soaring cost of fertiliser, maximising the value of slurry will be more important than ever for every farmer.
Based in the dairy stronghold of Donoughmore, Co Cork, Coolmona Agri – run by Pat Murphy along with wife Imelda and son Colin – specialises in slurry spreading, silage and maize harvesting as well as grassland reseeding.
Pat has been contracting for over 30 years. Slurry spreading continues to be a fundamental part of the business, and is constantly growing.
In order to meet customers’ needs and to take full advantage of weather windows, three umbilical systems are often in use during peak times as well as a number of slurry tankers.
Long-term operators and servicemen Alan and Mick make up the full-time year-round staff and while Pat admits that it is getting increasingly difficult to organise a lot of men for busy periods, he counts himself fortunate to also have a reliable seasonal team in the yard.
Tractors
Having used Ford and Fiat tractors up to the mid 1990s, Pat now operates a modern fleet of M and R series John Deeres, purchased through dealer Farm Power.
He rates these tractors as great workhorses that are comfortable and operator friendly, while also commending the (excellent) backup service received through the dealer.
This year a new purchased two Applied 350 Varimount compressor units for blowing out the hoses.
Tasked with pulling the umbilical systems are two 6195M tractors and a 6155R, shod with 900 and 800 tyres respectively to ensure a light footprint and minimal top cover damage.
All three tractors benefit from John Deere’s Starfire 6000 GPS and autosteer systems.
Pat says: “It allows very accurate spreading with no waste, overlaps or skips – particularly when working with watery slurry and late into the evenings.”
The Coolmona fleet consists of John Deere M and R series tractors.
Umbilical Systems:
So as to meet farmers’ needs in his area, Pat made the decision to purchase an AgQuip 12m dribble bar system with 1,600m of piping in 2017.
Pat commends AgQuip, based in Ballymoney, Co Antrim, for helping to get the team off to a positive start with the system.
Twin macerators allow the operator to shut off one side of the bar when turning on headlands to reduce puddling, while the 12m bar ensures the headland turn is made in one swing, reducing shunting and ground damage.
The umbilical fleet includes two 12m AgQuip dribble bars each of which are operated using GPS and autosteer.
A second 10m KME (Kerry Mechanical Engineering, Listowel) dribble bar joined the fleet the following year.
Praised by Pat for its build quality, this is a single-macerator, dual-purpose bar which can also be fitted to a slurry tanker in summer months.
In order to increase capacity to meet customer demand, as well as free up operators and machines sooner for spring work, the decision was made to add another system to the lineup.
Impressed with the performance of the first 12m AgQuip system, a second one was purchased in 2019, taking over from the KME bar. While Coolmona mainly run the two 12m dribble bars, the ability to operate three systems has added significant spreading capacity reducing pressure at peak deadline times.
The Volvo loader is used to suspend umbilical hose across public roads.
At the other end of the hose, slurry is pumped using Bauer pumps which are regarded as very good performers, pumping slurry through 5in pipes which reduce to 4in as distance increases.
This year, Pat upgraded two of his compressors to Applied 350 Varimount units which are manufactured in Birr, Co Offaly.
Front or rear mounted, these PTO-driven compressors are capable of 350 CFM which is great for blowing out the slurry line, according to Pat.
Benefits
Being light on the ground, the umbilical system was very well received by customers, while also minimising soil compaction and grass trampling.
The output of the system speaks for itself but the benefits of spreading large blocks of ground early in the season is not lost on farmers either – allowing for spreading ahead of the grazing rotation without tainting the grass.
A mix of 5in and 4in hose is used.
While Pat is keen to point out that tankers will always have a major role to play, farm roadways and paddock gaps receive minimal damage at times of the year when they are most tender.
Slurry tanks
Coolmona Agri operates a number of HiSpec tankers, an Abbey as well as two 3100gl Joskin units.
Predominantly 2500gl, the single-axle Abbey and HiSpec tankers are fitted with 7.5m Mastek dribble bars which are praised for their reliable macerator as well as being a good compromise between weight and strength.
The twin-axle Joskin tanks are fitted with 10m KME dribble bars, one of which is used with an umbilical rig during the peak slurry spreading season as previously mentioned.
Across all of Coolmona’s slurry handling equipment, the Hertell gate valves continue to be the Achilles heel, requiring regular attention or replacement.
A 3500gl twin-axle HiSpec is also used in a number of roles to provide extra capacity.
The 3500g HiSpec tanker fitted with a Bauer pump is used for both pumping to the umbilical system as well as field spreading.
Fitted with 710 tyres and twin 6in inlet points, the tank is fitted with a hydraulic vacuum pump as well as a PTO-driven Bauer pump. This enables it to be used as both an on-farm fixed pumping station, and in-field mobile station supplied by ferrying tractors and tankers thanks to its ability to pump and suck simultaneously. This HiSpec is also used as a booster pump for particularly long or uphill piping jobs as well as having a 12M Mastek dribble bar.
Another 2600gl HiSpec is also fitted with a Bauer pump to provide additional back up.
Coolmona Agri also makes good use of John Deere Gators, which are towed on trailers behind the pumping tractor. While Pat acknowledges they may be a bit of a luxury, they are very useful for straightening and pulling pipes when laying out or reeling, allowing for less downtime, while also providing a swift link between the piping and pumping operators.
Maximising efficiency
In order to achieve maximum output from any slurry system, Pat regards slurry management as being the key element. Unchopped bale silage is the macerator’s Achilles heel and the leading cause of a blockage, with slurry also needing to be well agitated, loose and free of any foreign objects. Proper slurry consistency allows for optimum output from both man and machine and in turn, best value for money for the farmer. With soaring fertiliser prices, the need for slurry to be utilised as efficiently as possible is crucial.
Nurse tank
Coolmona Agri also operates a nurse tank with a capacity of 14,000gl to add further options for farmers who wish to use the umbilical system on ground which is a distance from the farm.
Having a number of large slurry tankers ensure the umbilical hose is kept moving regardless of distance. Road crossings are also catered for by ramps or a pipe crane, which is Pat’s preferred option.
Engineered by local fabricators Paddy McCarthy and Trevor Relihan, the pipe crane can be attached by quick hitch or via pallet forks, allowing for use by most farm loaders. A three-point hitch also allows for the crane to be transported by tractor.
Popular
The umbilical system has proved very popular with Pat’s customers. Initially, he believed the system would mainly be seasonal. However, due to its output and efficiency, it is turning into a year-round job. Pat says two umbilical hoses are kept very busy either end of the year, with the third often drafted in.
However, one is also often out during the spring and summer months assisting tankers. Providing farmers with options and flexibility is key to the service offered by Coolmona Agri, ensuring that slurry is fully utilised and handled in the most efficient way. Looking to the season ahead, with the soaring cost of fertiliser, maximising the value of slurry will be more important than ever for every farmer.
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