Start Date
4-6-1982 11:30 AM
Description
Haymaking in the humid parts of the U.S. is the most risky operation that farmers engage in. Standing hay is extremely high in moisture and must be dried to at least 25% moisture less before it can be stored without spoilage. Most farmers rely on natural field drying processes to cure their hay. Natural drying is often slowed by high relative humidity. Rainfall frequently occurs before the hay has dried which further slows the drying process and can result in serious nutrient and yield losses. Haymaking is also a labor-intensive farming operation and, until recently, involved a large amount of manual labor.
Most of the problems associated with haymaking could be solved if hay dried quickly in the field, or if it could be stored at high moisture without spoilage. A combination of both rapid drying and high moisture storage could revolutionize haymaking. These problem areas, as well as the labor problem, have attracted considerable research interest in recent years.
Included in
Innovations in Hay Harvesting and Storing
Haymaking in the humid parts of the U.S. is the most risky operation that farmers engage in. Standing hay is extremely high in moisture and must be dried to at least 25% moisture less before it can be stored without spoilage. Most farmers rely on natural field drying processes to cure their hay. Natural drying is often slowed by high relative humidity. Rainfall frequently occurs before the hay has dried which further slows the drying process and can result in serious nutrient and yield losses. Haymaking is also a labor-intensive farming operation and, until recently, involved a large amount of manual labor.
Most of the problems associated with haymaking could be solved if hay dried quickly in the field, or if it could be stored at high moisture without spoilage. A combination of both rapid drying and high moisture storage could revolutionize haymaking. These problem areas, as well as the labor problem, have attracted considerable research interest in recent years.