Preliminary results of PAMI's hay macerator project
PAMI has received considerable publicity recently about its Hay Macerator project. Many articles have appeared in the farm media, and PAMI has fielded many questions from farmers about this machine.
The hay macerator is a prototype only at this stage, and will require ongoing changes to achieve a favourable design.
The project will be completed by 1996.
Hay maceration - what is it?
Maceration, (also sometimes called super conditioning), is the process that shreds stems of forage crops and presses all the material into a thin mat. This mat is then deposited onto the cut stubble for natural air drying. It differs from traditional crop conditioning in several ways:
- The windrow is wider and therefore thinner, allowing crop to dry down much more quickly.
- Macerating hay is more aggressive to the crop than traditional conditioning or crimping.
- Livestock perform better when fed macerated hay.
- Macerated hay exposes more plant sugars. Resulting silage ferments faster and more completely, making a better end product.
In the mid-1980's PAMI began following maceration research in North America. Two researchers, Dr. Philippe Savoie from Ag Canada (Quebec) and Dr. Richard Koegal from the University of Wisconsin began building prototype macerators independently, and made some significant improvements in drying rates.
PAMI learned of the research, monitored its progress, and felt the technology could be successfully applied to Western Canadian conditions and crops.
PAMI received funding from Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (Agriculture Development Fund) and the Manitoba Sustainable Development Innovations Fund (administered by the Manitoba Forage Council) to carry out research on the prairies. PAMI has also contributed funding to the project.
How does it work?
The machine cuts the crop and feeds it through a set of rubber and then metal crimper rollers to impart aggressive shredding and crimping action onto the crop (see drawing below). This shredding and crimping action results in longitudinal splits in the stem, which significantly increase drying rate.
The material is then fed through a press to assist in squeezing out moisture.
After it is pressed the crop is laid down at a rate that matches ground speed, onto the cut stubble for natural air drying.
Some Commonly Asked Questions About
Just how fast is the drying time?
Early indications have shown that silage can be chopped after 3 hours, and hay can be baled after 10-12 hours. The University of Saskatchewan compared the macerated crop to traditionally crimped forage and found the drying rate to be twice as fast, regardless of whether the crop was fresh cut or had been re-wetted. The faster drying rate combined with the wider and shallower windrow produced by the macerator enables forages to dry down 4 to 6 times faster than with a crimper.
What are the power requirements?
Power requirements for the macerator have been measured at about 40 to 50 hp (30 - 37 kW). That's about three times more than a mower conditioner of comparable cutting width, but well within our target range.
What will rain do to this product?
Under heavy rainfall, macerated crop tends to spoil faster than conditioned forage in a windrow. However, as drying times are reduced, weather can be more accurately predicted. Weather forecasts are still important, and tend to be more accurate over a shorter time period. Therefore drying time reduction becomes the critical factor.
What will the color be like?
Macerated hay is a slightly lighter green than normally conditioned crops. The plant stems are split lengthwise, and this exposes the lighter colored interior of the stem. (Remember, it's this splitting action that decreases drying time). The overall color is a brighter green because the plant has been exposed to less sun and rain.
What will cubes and pellets from macerated hay look like?
There is a slight change in the color of pellets. However, it is difficult to see, and is not expected to be a problem.
What's the potential of macerated hay for the industry?
A comparison has been done, with a macerator and a traditional mower conditioner cutting crop in the same field at the same time. The durability, protein, and carotene levels of the pellets produced were all very similar for the two machines. However, there was 43.3% saving in gas consumption in order to arrive at the same final moisture content. This translates into a saving of about $5.90/ton ($6.50/tonne).
What about leaf losses?
Leaf losses are a concern. The goal is to keep the leaves on the plant and get them into the wagon or baler. Early observations indicate that leaf losses will be no worse than with a traditionally conditioned crop.
What is the throughput or capacity of the machine?
About 2.5 - 3.5 acres per hour (1 - 1.5 ha/h). Our goal is 5 - 6 acres per hour (2 - 2.5 ha/h), about the same as a mower conditioner. Ground speed works out to about 2 - 2.5 mph (3 - 4 km/h). Our goal is 3 - 5 mph (5 - 8 km/h).
What is the cut width ?
Nine feet.
Why so small?
Other researchers have shown that optimum matt thickness for extremely fast drying is 3/8" (9 mm), but this puts limitations on machine width.
The limiting factor is the press unit. PAMI will be conducting tests without the press unit and comparing results to evaluate it's effectiveness. Removing the press unit will eliminate the width limitation.
How much will it cost and when will we be able to buy a macerator?
The best estimate we can give is based on the complexity and number of parts in the prototype, which works out to a cost of about 1.5 - 2 times the cost of a typical mower conditioner. Removing the press unit will put the cost of the machine at about 10% more than an average mower conditioner. Exactly when it becomes commercially available will depend on whether or not a manufacturer can be found to produce the unit.
The future
The summer test season of 1994 produced results that questioned the benefit of the press unit. Removing it would simplify the machine and reduce the end cost to the consumer. In fact, without the press unit, it may be possible for manufacturers to produce add-on attachments to convert regular mower conditioners into macerators. Removing the press unit could reduce the power requirements by as much as 30%.
The modified prototype will undergo further testing in the summer of 1995.
For more information phone PAMI at 1-800-567-7264 |