Publication Date
1989
Description
Mowing-conditioning alone is not enough to adequately dry high quality hay windrows in Eastern Canada conditions. Young leafy forages tend to pack down in the windrow and dry very slowly (Savoie et al., 1984). Additional mechanical handling is necessary to fluff or turn the windrow. The hay tedder increases the drying rate by about 40 % on the day it is applied (Pattey et al., 1988). Tedding losses per application are about 0,5 % in grass but can be higher than 4 % in alfalfa (Savoie, 1988). In addition, close to 75 % of the alfalfa losses are composed of the nutrient rich leaves. Recently, a few North American manufacturers have developed a windrow inverter to increase the drying rate while handling the windrow very gently. The main objective of this study was to investigate, under field conditions, the effect of windrow inversion on the drying rate and losses in both grass and alfalfa hay. Another goal of the research was to identify the best time to apply the hay windrow inverter.
Citation
Savoie, P and Beauregard, S, "Effect of Windrow Inversion on Hay Drying and Losses" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 26.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session8/26
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Effect of Windrow Inversion on Hay Drying and Losses
Mowing-conditioning alone is not enough to adequately dry high quality hay windrows in Eastern Canada conditions. Young leafy forages tend to pack down in the windrow and dry very slowly (Savoie et al., 1984). Additional mechanical handling is necessary to fluff or turn the windrow. The hay tedder increases the drying rate by about 40 % on the day it is applied (Pattey et al., 1988). Tedding losses per application are about 0,5 % in grass but can be higher than 4 % in alfalfa (Savoie, 1988). In addition, close to 75 % of the alfalfa losses are composed of the nutrient rich leaves. Recently, a few North American manufacturers have developed a windrow inverter to increase the drying rate while handling the windrow very gently. The main objective of this study was to investigate, under field conditions, the effect of windrow inversion on the drying rate and losses in both grass and alfalfa hay. Another goal of the research was to identify the best time to apply the hay windrow inverter.
