31 research outputs found
Dehydration curve, fungi and mycotoxins in Tifton 85 hay dehydrated in the field and in shed
A laboratory system for modeling hay storage
A simple system is described that uses a
hinged metal baling unit and a hydraulic press
to make 4.0 Ă 4.3 Ă 5.3 inch wire-tied, laboratory-
scale, hay bales. A comparison of
densities of conventional, small, alfalfa bales
(15Ă18Ă37 inches) and laboratory bales was
made over a wide range of moisture levels (15
to 36%) and conventional bale densities (10 to
25 lb/ft3). Laboratory bale densities were
regressed against conventional bale densities
and agreement was excellent. The system is
inexpensive to build and easy to use and can
be reproduced easily
Comparison of conventional and laboratory-scale alfalfa hay bales in small haystacks
A system for making laboratory-scale
alfalfa hay bales was evaluated in two trials.
In the first, conventional rectangular and
laboratory-scale bales were made at each of
seven different combinations of moisture and
density. Laboratory bales were incubated
between two parent conventional bales of
identical moisture content and bale density.
Laboratory bales remained different (P<.05)
from parent conventional bales for most
temperature-related storage traits. Agreement
between bale types was better for most quality
traits.
To achieve closer agreement between bale
types, a second experiment was conducted in
which the laboratory bales were made at 1.0,
1.3, 1.6, and 2.0 times the density of the
conventional bales. Agreement improved
between laboratory bales of higher densities
and conventional bales for most temperature
traits. High-density laboratory bales had
significantly greater acid detergent insoluble
nitrogen values than conventional bales,
particularly at the highest moisture level.
These results implicate bale density as an
important factor in heat damage to proteins in
alfalfa hay
Relating quality changes to storage time for baled alfalfa
The relationships between storage time and
several chemical indices for forage quality were
established for alfalfa hay baled at two moisture
levels (29.9 and 19.7%) in conventional and
laboratory bale s made at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 times
the density o f parent, conventional bales. Bales
were sampled after 0, 4, 11, 22, and 60 days.
For the high-moisture bales, most quality
indices indicated substantial nutrient loss early
in the storage period, particularly between days
4 and 11, with little change after 22 days. A
nonlinear mathematical model was constructed
to describe how neutral detergent fiber and
several other quality indices changed with
storage time. Acid detergent fiber was related
poorly to storage time. Little change occurred
in the low (19.7%) moisture bales