Briggs Irrigation has been appointed sole UK distributor for the Valley range of pivot and linear movement irrigation systems. The Valley brand is a world leader in Center Pivot and Linear Move irrigators and these specialist machines will complement Briggs’ linear booms - manufactured in Corby - and its other irrigation systems including hosereels and Roto Rainer self travelling irrigators. 

Since their introduction to the UK in 1980, Valley irrigators have been distributed and maintained by E Rand and Sons of Great Blakenham, near Ipswich. The Valley brand is owned by Valmont Industries, the world’s largest producer of mechanised irrigation systems, operating in over 100 countries. Rand and Sons’ sole dealership in the UK also saw them install the first Valley corner system, which enables the center pivot design to irrigate corners, along with large Linear Move irrigation units.

Briggs Irrigation and Rand and Sons will now work together to ensure a seamless transition for all existing customers and make best use of the experience and expertise in both companies.

Jon Clarke, Sales Director of Rand said:

“Valmont will benefit from the commitment to efficient irrigation and dedication of the Briggs team which will continue to call on our experience in servicing and maintaining these excellent machines, some of which have been giving reliable service, year in, year out, for around 30 years.

“We are very pleased Valmont have followed our recommendation to appoint Briggs Irrigation to take up this marketing, sales and service role which we trust will benefit all parties, especially our customers.”

Briggs Irrigation Director Adrian Colwill said:

“The Valley brand is second to none in this sector and we are delighted to begin what we hope will be a long association with Valmont. Valley Center Pivot & Linear Irrigators are ideal for growers who need to routinely irrigate large areas with an absolute minimum of manpower. On some UK farms a single machine is irrigating around 60 - 150 acres with the added benefits of very high water application uniformity and low pumping costs due to the low pressure requirements of the machine.

“While we appreciate there are a limited number of UK farms that could appreciate the full benefits of these machines, the fact remains that with low energy input costs, combined with very high water uniformity, these systems can provide excellent crop results with low long term running costs.”

Recently revised fact sheets from Defra and the Environment Agency* aim to clarify the rules for dispersing dirty water and managing slurry but farmers are still getting caught out, according to a leading supplier of dirty water systems.

“We have had reports of farmers being penalised for failing to meet best practice regulations and we have received calls from farmers who are worried about meeting the requirements. In practice it should not be a problem but there are clearly some technical misunderstanding and possibly also some misunderstandings about the regulations,” said Adrian Colwill of Briggs Irrigation.

Basically, slurry is muck that can be pumped or discharged by gravity. The liquid part of separated slurry is also defined as slurry.  Dirty water is lightly contaminated runoff from lightly fouled concrete yards or from the dairy parlour and is collected separately from slurry.

Slurry must be stored and applied to land in accordance with all the relevant regulations. Dirty water does not have to be included in storage calculations and can be spread in the closed period, provided this is carried out safely. It can even be spread on bare soil and stubble.

However, dirty water is not completely excluded from NVZ regulations. It must be included in risk maps used to decide if organic manure can be applied without causing water pollution and it must be taken into account when calculating the “N max rule”.

The percentage that must be used will depend on the livestock production system that the dirty water comes from. The guidance note example indicates dirty water produced from a dairy farm as having 20 per cent N available to the crop (35 per cent from 1st January 2012).

In practical terms many farmers will need to meet a maximum application rate of 50m³/ha, which equates to 5 mm, evenly distributed, states Adrian Colwill. This should not be difficult:

“The Briggs Roto Rainer is designed for this application rate and we have thousands of machines giving excellent service over many years. Provided it is coupled to an appropriate pump no one should run into difficulty.  Farmers need to be sure that the pump supplies the designed flow for the Roto Rainer, the Roto Rainer is in the correct gear and the pressure at the Roto Rainer is correct.”

Farmers in the East of England have needed no convincing of the benefits of efficient irrigation this year but with little spring rainfall across most of the British Isles, the Jersey Royal potato crop was also dependent on well-managed irrigation.

Briggs Irrigation has been supplying Jersey Royal growers with hosereels, booms and pumps for several years and this year’s delivery of acoustic pumpsets and hosereels was put to immediate use.

“Average field size in Jersey is no more than three acres and the early stages of the potato harvest are still carried by hand. Even so, farmers across the island make good use of our smaller R30 booms and 200-300 metre hosereels, which can be manoeuvred through the narrow lanes.

“Jersey Royals are an iconic export for the Channel Islands and remain an important part of the farming economy so this year efficient irrigation systems really came into their own,” said Adrian Colwill of Briggs Irrigation following an early commissioning trip to the islands.

Briggs Irrigation has added a purpose-built reservoir pump to its extensive range of irrigation systems.

Like its irrigation pumps, the new pump-set uses an efficient, four-cylinder JCB diesel engine but is designed for high volume applications, rather than the higher pressure typically needed for irrigation. 

Engine speed can also be linked automatically to water levels in the watercourse, enabling the pump to increase extraction rates as levels in the stream, river or other water source rise, in accordance with the terms of the extraction licence.  The first unit, installed at a new reservoir near Newmarket, has an output of 100 - 400 m³/hr.

Director Adrian Colwill said:

“Farmers often use their irrigation pump to fill the reservoir. In some situations this may be an adequate solution but irrigation pumps are not designed for this job.  By coupling the engine to a single stage pump, using large diameter pipes and a new control system we have created a specialist unit that is more efficient for this application and will fill the reservoir faster in periods when the watercourse is in full flood.”

Water can be drawn from a sump created near a stream and a water level sensor determines the engine speed, regulating the flow rate.

“Reservoirs have become an important asset on many farms, especially in the East of England and with larger reservoirs being built it makes financial sense to have the right equipment to fill them,” Adrian added. 

Have you the energy to cut costs?

With irrigation costs ranging from £25 - £80 per acre there are opportunities for many farmers to cut expenditure. But finding savings is not always easy.

“Most people don’t have enough equipment to meet their irrigation needs so cutting back on plant is not an option. These days some employees are looking after six or seven hosereels whereas once they would have had just two or three, so staff costs may be fixed and they will need as much automation as they can get,” farm mechanisation adviser Bill Basford told farmers at the Briggs Irrigation open days.

On the other hand, there are often opportunities to save energy. For example, mains water pipe sizes should be as large as possible to minimize friction losses and ring mains with curved bends are the most efficient form of supply. Savings in the order of 20% can be achieved in this part of the system.

Farmers should also be aware of the internal diameter of the hose used on their hosereels.  Using long runs of comparatively small diameter hose is unlikely to give adequate pressure at the raingun, resulting in poor distribution as well as high energy requirements.

Energy costs are seen in the amount of electricity used at the pump, or the quantity of diesel consumed if a diesel pumpset is used. Variable speed electric pumps can give savings, while for diesel-powered systems it is important to match the pumpset to the amount of energy required.

Energy savings can also be made by changing the type of application equipment used. Rainguns require a pressure of 4-5 bar, as do shorter booms which are equipped with sprinklers at either end; a common method of increasing the wetted width on each run.

Wider booms, such as the new Briggs R64/2, give the same wetted width while operating at around half the pressure. Electricity consumption is therefore cut or engine speed can be reduced, giving fuel savings of around 5%. The saving for each run across the field is thus around £3.30. Other benefits include softer droplet impact and less wind effect.

Bill Basford said:

News ways of looking at fertiliser requirements on grassland are just one of the many changes to the latest Fertiliser Manual (RB209) from Defra, now in its eighth edition.

The nitrogen recommendations use a new analysis of data and the approach is based on the need to supply sufficient home grown forage for particular production systems at different levels of intensity of production, stocking rate and concentrates use.

This farm systems based approach is designed to enable farmers who may be operating very different systems to obtain relevant recommendations for whole season total nitrogen requirement.

Having worked out the fertiliser requirements needed for each system, the updated tables of available nutrients can then be used to calculate how much of each type of fertiliser is required. Values for a wider range of organic materials are included.

Dirty water on dairy farms, for example, may only contain a quarter of the readily available nitrogen of cattle slurry but it is still a valuable resource. Compared with the solids portion from a separation system the proportion of readily available N is actually fractionally higher than when compared with liquid slurry.

Tables are also supplied for the nitrogen available to the next crop according to soil types and the amount of rainfall. Although dirty water might be expected to have very little value in this context the data shows that it should not be ignored when drawing up nutrient management plans.

For Briggs Irrigation, leading supplier of dirty water irrigation systems in the UK for 25 years, the value of accurately dispersed dirty water and slurry comes as no surprise.  Adrian Colwill of Briggs said:

“We have never seen irrigating dirty water as merely a matter of ‘disposal’ and farmers have long recognised the value of efficient and accurate dispersal.  The latest data from Defra will help farmers plan their grassland management.

“ Although it is mechanically very simple, the Briggs RotoRainer allows accurate application with even distribution, which is essential if more advanced planning is to be put into practice.”

Credit may be in short supply but while banks and building societies are under fire for failing to pass on cuts in the base rate, Briggs Irrigation is ensuring its customers have access to the low cost finance they need.

Briggs Irrigation Finance is providing packages on its full range of hosereels, diesel engine pumps and linear irrigation booms at a flat rate of just 1.5% (4.5% APR). For a limited period this special promotion enables farmers to pay up to 60% of the retail price over three years at this preferential rate. The first payment is due when the contract is signed and the remaining two payments are made annually.

Alternatively customers can delay making the first financed payment for up to six months at interest rates ranging from 2.14% (5.1% APR) to 2.8% (5.6% APR). Operating leases are also available on attractive terms.

“Every day we hear about how the lack of credit is strangling British business but this exclusive arrangement means our customers can have access to finance on terms they can afford. More than ever farmers need the right equipment to produce the high quality food demanded by the larger retailers and help ensure British food is on the shelves. Finance at the right price is therefore essential,” said Adrian Colwill of Briggs Irrigation.

The promotion is valid in the UK only and is subject to credit acceptance. Briggs Irrigation Finance is managed and administered by Hitachi Capital Business Finance, a long established provider of finance in the UK.

Briggs Irrigation is exhibiting on Stand No 32 and can be contacted on 01536 260338.

For further information please visit the stand or contact:

John Foster at Media Matters               01473 652195