Silage Insights - Bale Silage Production
Cost Savings through New Baling Techniques*

By Dr. Johannes Thaysen

Increasing balers' capacity per time unit, reducing material and repair expenditures, improving silage quality and/or minimising silage losses can lead to cost savings in bale silage production. This article illustrates how this can be achieved thanks to latest developments in baling equipment.

Round Baler Technologies
Krone is commercialising the Comprima F155/NovoGrip, a fixed chamber press with variable bale diameters. The combination of a fixed chamber and a variable chamber presses allows the production of bales of different diameters. This is how it works: first, a bale is made according to the fixed chamber press principle; then, once the fixed chamber is full, the new "NovoGrip" insulation system can rise from the diverting guide rollers. A tension rocker makes larger bale diameters possible by exercising spring pressure. Compared to fixed chamber presses this process leads to greater bale densities even for bales with large diameters.

Kverneland introduced new stable and variable round balers under the Vicon brand. The RF 2125 and RF 2235 can produce bales of 1.25m of diameter. While the RF 2125 has been designed for the agriculture industry, the RF 2235 distinguishes itself for a reinforced body, resulting in a greater impact power, thus making it an interesting option for large farms and agricultural contractors. Central lubrication is optionally also available for the roller bearing. An additional new feature is represented by the pressure chamber with an additional drive centre for increasing silage capacity.

Welger introduced its round baler Baseline V 160 (bale width 1.23 m, bale diameter 0.9 - 1.6 m, pick-up width 2 m). In combination with a pressing belt, the new chamber geometry of this variable round baler results in bale traction designed to avoid bale losses.

CLAAS introduced its innovative MPS II (Maximum Pressure System). The MPS pivoting segment has been improved for the ROLLANT fixed chamber press. When commencing baling, it now pulls three round rolls totalling 1.3 tons of spring action into the chamber, resulting in even greater pressing density in the centre of the bale. This system also leads to a more balanced density across the entire diameter of the fixed chamber presses, otherwise only achievable with variable presses. Together with the new round form, this results in firmer bales while applying less force since the new segment runs very smoothly.

GÖWEIL has introduced a new combination that makes it possible to press silage bales up to 1.50 m while simultaneously loading straw and hay bales of up to 1.80 m. This was not possible in the past since the winders only permitted maximum loading heights of 1.50 m.

Square Baler Technologies
AGCO introduced the MF 2100 bale press by Massey Ferguson which aims to achieve a 30% performance increase in output per hour compared to its predecessors. Bale dimensions of 1.20 m x 1.30 m x 2.40 m can handle weights of up to 720 kg/ bale.

NEW Holland introduced the new BB9090 square baler with improved performance and maintenance characteristics thanks to two side flaps which can be opened widely allowing better access to the interior of the machine and thus easier cleaning and maintenance. The baler also improves pick-up bottom guidance by using a new load-relieving device integrated into the press. The new plate retainer and two screw conveyors secure good feeding under all conditions.

The QUADRANT 3400 square baler by CLAAS has increasingly been used for baling silage. The demand for pressing larger bales is high among hay producers and dairy farmers where silage production is practiced, since this allows for the very first time pressing larger bales without significant problems.

The increasing popularity of square bales is given by the its shape and size making them more easy to transport and store, with the possibility of stacking two bales high - as is often done for smaller bales. This avoids problems with trapped air through unclean stacked bales. It is simultaneously easier to wind the bale as its height and width are almost identical.

Winder Technologies
The Kverneland Group (Taarup) has introduced a three-point-winder with integrated bale support. The Taarup 7230 operates inside the three-point-hydraulics of the tractor, the front-end loader or at the telescope loader. It collects the bales on the field, winds them while driving, and then stacks the bales at the storage site.

The Ratec Bale Shuttle provides the possibility of stacking several large bales and then picking up those bale stacks at a later point in time.

A new stretching unit is available for the winder of the press-winder combination by UNIWRAP. This new unit stretches the film by 82% and not by 65% as was previously the case, which can lead to film savings of up to 15%. Today's quality films can be stretched over 80% without compromising on the film quality and technical properties. Film savings will also translate into reduced film waste as well as time and handling costs.

New Winding Film
CLAAS has introduced a new winding film for the next season. The film is made using a new production method that offers additional length at equal roll size, a thinner film while maintaining the same performance properties as the previous films.

Conclusion and Perspective
The technical standard of today's baling equipment is very high.  Round balers have benefited from the introduction of many technical innovations, mainly aimed at achieving greater bale compression capacity. The novel winding film with its 82% stretchability will need to prove itself that it can fulfil the high expectations of farmers and contractors with regard to its quality. All the innovative technical solutions which have been introduced by the various equipment manufacturers have the ambition of helping farmers in achieving cost savings from increased efficiencies and/or silage quality improvements by minimising losses. Independent of the applied technology, equipment manufacturers have given particular attention to ways for realizing cost savings when using a quality stretch film.

*According to manufacturers data

Dr. Johannes Thaysen is consultant at the Chamber of Agriculture in Schleswig-Holstein, department of Plant Production/ Plant Protection and Farming technology. He is specialised in feed quality, feed preservation and ecological forage production.

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