Determination of drying dynamics of macerated red clover mats

Abstract

One of the most efficient ways of forage crops intensive wilting in the field for the production of hay or silage is intensive mechanical treatment of grass. With this end in view equipment for grass maceration and pressing in a thin mat was produced and tested. During the experiment grass mats were dried on special stands in the field and the laboratory where their drying dynamics was estimated. Experimental evidence suggests that weather conditions such as temperature, relative air humidity, solar radiation, wind velocity, mat thickness and stubble height had the most effect on mat drying. The effect of these factors on mat drying was investigated and presented in the present work. Experimental findings revealed that after one day of drying the mats can be used for silage, and after two days for hay making. Having investigated the impact of mat thickness on drying it was ascertained that after two days of drying without wind a mat of 21 mm thickness can be dried to 20% moisture, and that of 34 mm thickness - only to 59%. Therefore it is expedient to produce thin but strong enough mats. Having assessed the effect of stubble height and wind on mat drying, it was determined that on a higher stubble a more intensive drying of mats occurs with wind: after 8 hours' of ambient air drying on 30 mm tall stubble in windy conditions, the mat moisture content was 43.9%, and that on 90 mm tall stubble was 33.1% (without wind, it was 60.8% and 40.7% respectively). Wind speed also had a great effect on the drying of mats. At a wind speed of 1.2 m/s the moisture of the dried mats reached 38.7% after 8 hours of drying, while at a wind speed of 2.86 m/s moisture was 12%, that is 3.2 lower. Low wind speeds to 3 m/s have a great effect the drying of mats.