Transcript Importance of Wide Swaths in Drying Hay and Haylage

Importance of Wide Swaths
in Drying Hay and Haylage
Dr. Dan Undersander
University of Wisconsin
Standing alfalfa loses quality if
not harvested
Average rate of change is 5
points RFV or RFQ per day
280
260
240
2003
RFV
220
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200
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180
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160
1999
140
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100
5/3
5/13
5/23
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Date
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Days without rain at La Crosse
Days rain fell from May 20-August 31 / 2003 to 2006
At La Crosse Weather Station
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More chance to get
hay or haylage
harvested without
rain if shorten drying
time
x
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x
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Wide swath benefits
 Faster drying
 Higher forage quality
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Sequence of Drying Forages
 Phase I


moisture moves along stem
Primary moisture loss is through stomata
 Phase II

Primary moisture loss from the stem surface
 Phase III

Removes tightly held water below 45%
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Sequence of Drying Forages
Moisture
80%
Stomatal openings
70%
Conditioning
Weather regulated
Osmotic & Cell forces
20%
Time
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Legumes 10X more stomata than Grass
Initial 15 to 20% water
loss is through
stomates in leaves
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Stomata Openings
 Open in sunlight
 Shading closes Stomata
 20 – 30% of water removed before stomata close
 Removes up to 30% of the water from the stem
(grass)
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Respiration continues after cutting
until lose some water
Breakdown of starch and sugars
Carbon dioxide
2 – 8% of Dry Matter loss
Each 1% DM loss is 1% less TDN!
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
8:45 PM
8:15 PM
7:45 PM
7:15 PM
6:45 PM
6:15 PM
5:45 PM
5:15 PM
4:45 PM
4:15 PM
3:45 PM
3:15 PM
2:45 PM
2:15 PM
1:45 PM
1:15 PM
12:45 PM
12:15 PM
11:45 AM
Relative humidity inside windrow
100
90
80
70
60
50
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Wide swath
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Energy Content at Feed Bunk
0.7
0.6
Nel
0.5
0.67
0.65
0.6
0.63
0.56
0.5
0.4
Wide
Narrow
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Alfalfa, 1 cut
Alfalfa, cut 2
Grass, cut 2
Kilcer, 2003
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Milk per acre increase with Wide Swath
4000
3704
3500
3400
3156 3125
Milk, lbs/ton
3000
2500
2574
2279
Wide
Narrow
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Alfalfa, 1 cut
Alfalfa, cut 2
Grass, cut 2
Kilcer, 2003
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Moisture content (%)
Figure 2. Effect of swath width on drying alfalfa,
UW-Arlington 2005
85
wide
80
narrow
75
70
65
60
55
50
0
2
4
6
8
10 12 14 16 17 18 20 22 24 26 28
Hours after cutting
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Mower-conditioner Swath Width Study
(Windrow 33% and Swath 65% of Cutting Width)
80%
Moisture ... % w.b.
75%
70%
65%
60%
55%
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
Cond. - Tedded
Cond. - Swath
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
Uncond. - Tedded
Uncond. - Swath
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
Cond. - Wind.
Uncond. - Wind.
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Wisconsin Study Results (Herzmann, 2004)
Moisture Content after six hours
Width (percent of cutting width)
Conditioning 100
65
33
No
63.5
64.5
69.5
Yes
57.0
63.0
66.5
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Wisconsin Study Results (Herzmann, 2004)
Moisture Content after six hours
Width (percent of cutting width)
Conditioning 100
65
33
No
63.5
64.5
69.5
Yes
57.0
63.0
66.5
Therefore conditioning not necessary for drying alfalfa to 65%
moisture for haylage if using wide (>70% cut width).
Conditioning necessary for narrow swath/windrow haylage and for
hay.
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007
Wisconsin Study Results (Herzmann, 2004)
Moisture Content after six hours
Width (percent of cutting width)
Conditioning 100
65
33
No
63.5
64.5
69.5
Yes
57.0
63.0
66.5
Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2007