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This comprehensive guide explores the intricacies of hay production, covering both silage and dry hay methods. Silage, prepared from green forage such as corn and alfalfa, undergoes a controlled fermentation process, while dry hay is cut and naturally dried before storage. The modern techniques of silage include automated cutting adjustments, yield monitoring, and advanced storage solutions, ensuring efficiency and higher productivity. Meanwhile, dry hay production benefits from improved machinery and techniques for quicker drying and reduced manpower. Discover how precision agriculture revolutionizes both methods.
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Precision Ag in Hay Production Brian Sheffield SOIL 4213
Types of Hay Production • Silage-Fodder prepared by storing and fermenting green forage plants • Dry Hay-Biomass that is cut, dried down naturally, wrapped in bales, and stored off field
Outline • Silage -Early silaging -Modern silaging -Silage storage -Silage and precision • Dry Hay -Early haying -Modern haying -Storage -Dry hay and precision
Silage • Crops Used for Silage -Corn -Grain Sorghums -Oats -Alfalfa -Bermudagrass -Wheat • Biomass should be chopped fine • Moisture should be approximately 65% • No oxygen should be present in silage pile • Harvested after corn kernels are dented
Early Silaging • Very labor intensive • Required more manpower • Needed silo for storage of silage
Modern Silaging • Less manpower • More efficient • Higher yields • Cover more acres
Silage Storage • Silage bunkers • Silage bags • Silage piles • Silos • Round bale silage
Silage and Precision • Automatic Length of Cut (AutoLOC)-adjust cutting size according to moisture content • Harvest Monitor via Greenstar 2-plots productivity, area cut, crop mass, yield, moisture Deere.com • Harvest Doc-monitor yield and moisture measurements while harvesting
Silage and Precision • RowTrak II Guidance-helps achieve greater productivity and higher operating speeds. • Auto-Steer-steers rear wheels automatically to help reduce operator fatigue Deere.com • HarvestLab-gives the ability to measure moisture on the go
Outline • Silage -Early silaging -Modern silaging -Silage storage -Silage and precision • Dry Hay -Early haying -Modern haying -Storage -Dry hay and precision
Dry Hay • Crops used for dry hay -Alfalfa -Bermudagrass -Wheat -Corn Stover -Prairie Hay -Soybeans -Pasture • After being cut, needs a dry down period • Moisture content around 15-30%; high moisture will cause mold • Raked into rows to further enhance dry down period
Early Haying • Hay was cut with scythes • Hay was grouped into bundles • Very labor intensive • First round baler; AC Roto-Baler, circa 1947
Modern Haying • More efficient • Greater coverage of acres per day • Less manpower • More efficient equipment; reduced loss
Modern Haying Mowing Types Storage Round bales -Twine and net wrap Square bales; large and small -Twine and wire Silage round bales Ag wrap -Front/Rear mount -Twin rear mount -Side pull -Center pivot -Drum mowers -Rotary -Sickle bar
Storage http://www.agnation.com/ag_wrap_bale_wrappers.htm
Dry Hay and Precision • BaleTrak Plus Monitor-Monitors and controls all baler functions; reduces operator fatigue • Auto-Trac-Higher pass efficiency, reduces operator fatigue Deere.com • MegaWide Pick-Up-Higher baling speeds, minimum crop loss, preserves crop quality