Drying of Round Bales _ Feasibility and Cost-Effectiveness
2008
Holpp, M., Forschungsanstalt Agroscope Reckenholz-Taenikon ART, Ettenhausen (Switzerland)
All drying facilities are capable of drying round bales from a dry-matter (DM) content of at least 65-70%. The time advantage at bringing-in is hence less than with ventilation for loose hay, which requires a DM content of 50-60%. Bales with a uniformly low density of approx. 100 kg/m3 are easy to dry. The process yields nearly twice the number of bales as ground hay, which can be pressed with up to 200 kg/m3. The storage capacity required is similar to that for loose hay. Because of the uneven drying inherent in the system and the difficulty of controlling drying progress, the bales should contain over 90% DM on average at the end of the drying process. Turning the bales whilst they are drying encourages more-even drying. Depending on the facility’s capacity and design, energy consumption ranges between approx. 40 and 120 kWh/dt DM. To prevent quality losses, no more should be mown than can be dried. Weather risk is highest with the first cut. The capacity of the facilities must be sized for this harvest quantity. Only with sufficiently large facilities with more than 16 places can work-economics and farm-management savings effects be achieved via the farming of larger areas of land.
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