Baling

Consistent high compression

During baling, the pre-wilted material should be compressed as tightly and as evenly as possible. This reduces the proportion of air inside the bale — an essential prerequisite for the subsequent ensiling. With tight compression, air is squeezed out of the bale. Additionally, air channels are removed which would otherwise allow air to seep into the bale in case of damage to the film or after opening.”

Tightly compressed bales even make the bale silage system more economically attractive. As there are fewer bales per field, the amount of work, as well as costs for equipment and film, decrease.

The fodder can be transported less expensively. Available storage facilities can also be used more efficiently, and tightly compressed bales are dimensionally more stable and accordingly can be stacked better.

With a dry matter content of about 50% the material can be compressed to its fullest extent. Below 50%, the water content within the bale increases, whereas above 50% the proportion of air rises. The aim is to achieve 220kg of dry matter per m3 of bale.

Influence of baler types

Various types of balers produce different results. Fixed-chamber round balers produce bales with a dense outer layer but a soft centre. By comparison, balers with variable chambers compress pre-wilted material continuously from the start using revolving belts or chains. This system can produce bales of different sizes. Balers with pre-cutters are also available. They break up pre-wilted material into smaller pieces which allows better compression. These bales can be more easily broken up by hand or in mixer wagons.

Recent research from the Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU) indicates that crop maturity and the type of baler used in whole crop grain silage production are key factors that influence the amount of nutrient losses in the ensiled forage. The research shows that nutrient losses increase with crop maturity and that using the right baling equipment can reduce dry matter (DM) losses in bales by 30% to 75%, depending on crop maturity stage.