Volume 1 Issue
2 May
21, 2004
Harvesting Forage for Maximum Quality
 Forage
harvest is just around the corner and a successful harvest
of high quality forage begins with the proper use and
set-up of the mower-conditioner. A key factor in achieving
a high quality harvest is productivity – getting the crop
cut and off the field as fast as possible to avoid weather
damage. The most important factor in drying rate, that we
can control, is the width of the swath and the swath
density. For a given cut width, laying the crop in swath
(about 70% of cut width) will reduce the drying time by
about 25 to 40% compared to laying in a windrow. This can
be a reduction in drying rate of up to 6 hours under
typical weather during second cutting (probably longer
during first crop). This is the easiest adjustment that
can be made on the machine; typically just the flip of a
lever will yield the most dividends.
The most significant environmental factors that affect
the drying rate of forages in order of importance are:
sunshine, temperature, soil moisture, relative humidity
and wind velocity. We cannot control these factors, but we
can try to maximize the positive effects of some of these
factors. Laying the crop in a wide swath gives the most
benefit from sunny conditions. Making a uniform, fluffy
swath by having uniform feeding through the
mower-conditioner will help promote good airflow through
the crop.
Finally, for maximum performance from your mower
conditioner, be sure the roller clearance is set
correctly. If the clearance is too close, excess leaf loss
and roll wear will occur. If the clearance is too great,
then the crop will not be conditioned as effectively
resulting in slower drying rates.
Before doing this procedure, be SURE to do the
following:
- Shut off the tractor
- Disconnect the PTO shaft or hydraulic pump
- Lower the cutting platform
 Generally,
the roll clearance should be 1/16 to 3/32 of an inch. If
the clearance is less, excess leaf loss and roll wear can
occur. If the clearance is significantly more than this
range, then the crop will not be conditioned as
effectively and will dry slower.
 Cut
three pieces of typical household aluminum foil 18 inches
long. The foil strips should be at least 12 inches wide.
Form three separate rolls by wrapping a foil strip around
a rod, pipe or dowel that is 3/8 inches in diameter. Take
care not to crush the foil roll as you remove it. Place
one foil roll in the approximate center of the
conditioning rolls and the remaining two foil rolls about
1 foot from each end of the conditioning rolls. The foil
rolls should be placed perpendicular to the roll
longitudinal axis. Make sure the cutting platform is fully
lowered. This is the only safe way to make this
measurement, plus on some mower-conditioners, raising the
platform also opens and separates the rolls preventing an
accurate measure of the minimum roll clearance. Turn the
rolls over by hand until the foil rolls come completely
through the rolls. The rolls will crush the foil rolls and
the minimum roll clearance can be determined by using a
digital or dial caliper to measure the thickness of the
foil roll. Take several measurements of the thickness
along the length of each foil roll and determine an
overall average. The measurement should be taken where the
“crimp” or smallest clearance occurs.
Feel free to contact me for more information at
800-450-2465 or stordahl@umn.edu. Source: Kevin Shinners -
UWEX, OSU Forage Information System.
Jim Stordahl AFE—Technical Advisor
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