Common rail BlackBird®

Overview
The BlackBird® is a trailing shoe slurry applicator by Vogelsang‑BeTEC designed for precise, close-to-the-ground slurry placement beneath crop roots. Mounted to slurry tankers, it applies cattle, pig or biogas slurry below the surface to reduce nutrient losses and feed contamination while enabling wide working widths and reduced soil compaction.

Problem & Solution

• Problem: Surface spreading of slurry often causes feed contamination, nutrient losses, high ammonia emissions, soil compaction and non-compliance with modern fertilizer regulations.
• Solution: BlackBird positions slurry close to the soil at the plant base using trailing shoes and precision distributors to minimise nutrient losses and ammonia volatilisation, allow working widths up to 30 m, reduce field passes and simplify service and maintenance.

Key benefits

• Precise, close-to-the-ground placement—reduces leaching and evaporation and improves nutrient availability for crops.
• Lower ammonia emissions and improved compliance with fertilizer regulations.
• Wide working widths (7.5–30 m) reduce wheelings, soil compaction and fuel consumption.
• QuickService design (ExaCut ECQ) for reduced maintenance time.
• Precision Farming ready: optional Comfort Flow Control (CFC) enables SectionControl (GPS-controlled section cut-off).
• Available in GreenLine (basic) and RedLine (advanced) variants.
• Suitable from small farms to large-scale and contracting operations.

DLG Certification
The BlackBird Pro (with ExaCut ECQ) was awarded DLG “Very Good” for Functionality/Work Quality and Handling/Service, confirming high application accuracy, short start-up approach times and good maintainability.

Model overview

• BlackBird Single — Working width 7.5–12 m. Lightest and most compact option (approx. 870–1,050 kg). Ideal for small farms and retrofits.
• BlackBird Light — Working width 12–15 m. Mid-weight, versatile solution (approx. 1,325–1,400 kg). Typically fitted with two ExaCut ECM macerators for standard tank trailers.
• BlackBird Pro — Working width 12–18 m. DLG-certified professional solution with 2‑second slurry flow, hydraulic stone trap and optimized contour following for precision and contract work.
• BlackBird Max — Working width 30 m. High-performance variant for large-scale operations with hydraulic height and pendulum boom compensation.

How nutrient losses are reduced
Slurry is applied directly beneath plants using the PrecisionFlow nozzle and optimised hose/distributor routing. The Pro version provides a 2‑second flow characteristic to avoid start-up concentration bands, ensuring uniform distribution and maximised nutrient availability.

Suitability

• Designed for farmers, organic holdings and contracting firms.
• Single and Light models are optimized for retrofit to many tankers (3‑ and 4‑point, EasyPack pre-assembly options).
• Pro and Max models are intended for Precision Farming environments and large-area contractors.

Multimedia and Service
Videos show on-site spreading; brochures and ePapers provide detailed product and portfolio information. The design prioritises fast servicing and reduced downtime.

Technical specifications

• Models: BlackBird Single, BlackBird Light, BlackBird Pro, BlackBird Max
• Working widths: Single 7.5–12 m; Light 12–15 m; Pro 12–18 m; Max 30 m
• Transport width: Single/Light 2.55–2.99 m (model-dependent); Pro/Max ≈ 2.99 m
• Hose distance: 25 cm (standard)
• Distributor heads: examples — Single: 1 ExaCut ECL; Light: 1 OptiCut; Pro: 2 ExaCut ECM; Max: 4 ExaCut ECM
• Trailing shoe types: Premium and Standard options depending on model
• Terrain/boom compensation: hydraulic height and pendulum compensation on larger models
• Precision features: PrecisionFlow nozzle, optional Comfort Flow Control (CFC) for SectionControl (GPS)
• Macerators: ExaCut series (ECL/ECM/ECQ) and OptiCut variants depending on model
• Service design: QuickService for fast maintenance (ExaCut ECQ quick service)
• Variants: GreenLine (basic) and RedLine (advanced)