As dairy farms continue to focus on nutrient efficiency and forage quality, slurry separation is becoming an increasingly practical solution. From cleaner application to improved nutrient utilisation, the benefits can be seen both in the field and at harvest.
For Stephen Lawlor, dairy farming is all about efficiency, nutrient utilisation and producing quality grassland.Farming just outside Navan, Co. Meath, Stephen operates a 500-acre dairy farm milking 300 cows through an indoor robotic milking system while also rearing all replacements on farm and growing approximately 60 acres of maize silage. Operating a multi-cut silage system, slurry management had become an increasingly important part of maintaining crop quality and maximising nutrients.
To tackle the issue, Stephen installed the Vogelsang XSplit separator system in September 2025 — complete with Vogelsang VX rotary lobe slurry pump, control unit and integrated stone box.
The results have already made a major difference on farm.
The results have already made a major difference on farm; you can even watch the results in action here.
Stephen explained that slurry separation became necessary because of challenges arising from repeated slurry applications in a four-cut silage system.
“We went for slurry separation because we're doing a multi-cut, four-cut system and we find that after spreading the slurry with the trailing shoe, there's a lot of fibre left in the grass which comes back in the silage five weeks later, which seems to cause a problem of mycotoxins in the silage.”
By separating solids from liquids before spreading, the farm could reduce the amount of fibre sitting on the sward after slurry application.
“So we wanted to get rid of that and separation seemed to be the way to go to get rid of that problem.”
The difference following separation has been immediately visible in the field.
“This field was spread two days ago at 3,000 gallons per acre with the trailing shoe. You can see, there's no fibre whatsoever left on the grass. Whatever slurry is there now will be taken up by the grass within the next couple of days.”
Cleaner application not only improves grass quality but also helps improve nutrient uptake and reduces contamination risks in silage production systems. Stephen speaks about this in the video below.
Since installing the XSplit separator, Stephen has also seen significant improvements in slurry handling efficiency.
“We spread 250,000 gallons in one day on an out farm a couple of kilometres from the farmyard with an umbilical system and road tankers ferrying to it. Our slurry contractor is able to spread twice as fast as ordinary slurry because there's no fibres in it and is easier to spread.”
Removing fibre from the liquid fraction improves flow characteristics and makes slurry easier to handle and apply evenly across land.
The separated slurry has also delivered a higher nutrient value.
Stephen explains, “We've tested the slurry and there's 15 units of total nitrogen available per 1,000 gallons of slurry. So every 3,000 gallons that leaves the yard is the same as buying a bag of urea.”
An upstream RotaCut shredder further improves consistency by producing a more uniform slurry before distribution. Some slurry can be highly fibrous and may also contain a lot of foreign matter, which is why an inline cutter is important — to improve flowability and reduce wear or damage in the system.
The separated solids are also creating additional value on the farm.
“We have the pile then of solids that we can spread onto the ground at the end of the year to put some organic matter back into the soil.”
Stephen noted that the solids coming off the separator are producing a very dry, stackable material.
“We tested the solids coming off the separator and it's coming out about 31% dry matter. There is no liquids coming off. It is a very dry product.”
This allows the solids to be stored and handled more efficiently before being reused on land to return organic matter to the soil.
Ease of maintenance and simplicity of operation were major deciding factors when choosing the Vogelsang system.
“We went for the Vogelsang system because it's very easy to maintain.”
Stephen also highlighted the flexibility of the machine when adjusting dry matter output depending on requirements.
“It's very easy to adjust the dry matter of the solids if you want it wetter or drier. It's only just a few screws and it'll tighten in the screw on the press.”
Reliable aftersales support and spare parts availability were equally important considerations.
“All the spare parts are readily available and it's very easy to maintain. There's very little maintenance to be done.”
“The pump and the separator are combined. It's a 13 kilowatt system so it's very easy to run on the farm. It's not putting a major load on top of everything else on the farm at the minute.”
The installed Vogelsang XSplit Compact system on the Lawlor farm is designed to handle up to 50m³/hr with up to 40% dry matter.
The Vogelsang XSplit separator system includes:
• VX rotary lobe slurry pump
• Integrated stone box
• Full control unit
• Adjustable dry matter content
For Irish farmers looking to improve slurry management while maximising nutrient value and operational efficiency, slurry separation is becoming an increasingly practical investment particularly with the support of TAMS 3 approval.
For Stephen Lawlor, the benefits are already clear: cleaner grass, improved slurry application, reusable solids and better nutrient utilisation.
By separating solids from liquids before application, the Vogelsang XSplit separator is helping create a more efficient slurry management system while supporting forage quality and nutrient performance across the farm.
To learn more about the Vogelsang XSplit separator and TAMS 3 approved slurry management solutions, contact Vogelsang Ireland.
Vogelsang Slurry Management Range
See the XSplit in action on Stephen's farm