We use cookies on our website. Some are necessary for the operation of the website. You can also allow cookies for statistical purposes. You can adjust the data protection settings or agree to all cookies directly.
Improvement of pick-up technology for hay
Project
Project code: 2812NA117
Contract period: 01.05.2013
- 14.08.2016
Budget: 82,997 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Increased feed ratio of hay in the diet of cows can improve animal health and has economic benefit for dairy farmers but ensilage is nowadays much more in common due to better mechanization and less weather risk. The proposed project deals with improvement of hay machinery and management strategies to enable optimized hay harvest and drying procedure to make haying competitive to ensilage. Therefore an experimental set up under lab conditions will be done to investigate technical parameters of hay making machines where the results will be proved under real life conditions by field trials at the university extension farm. An advanced implement will be designed where all technical details e.g. rotation speed, angle of fork action etc. can be varied and shattering losses, sward geometry, sorting effects etc. of the machines will be mentioned. In addition drying tests on both lab dryer and large scale plant will be done to investigate the aeration process of hay bales. By a thermographic camera and employing computing fluid dynamics software the results of different baling procedures will be investigated and optimized. The part of knowledge transfer and publishing the results at public level will be carried out by the Association for Technology and Structures in Agriculture (KTBL). Emphasis is put on economical comparison of cost effectiveness but also technical realization and knowledge transfer.
Section overview
Subjects
- Agricultural Engineering Plant Production
Framework programme
Federal Organic Farming Scheme and other forms of sustainable agriculture (BÖLN)
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Association for Technology and Structures in Agriculture (KTBL)