Gallignani GA FB 12 Manuel D'utilisation Et D'entretien page 124

FIELD OPERATIONS
Hay
The fodder to be baled can be arranged in different
ways, depending on the requirements and on the
available equipment. The best bales are produced
when the fodder is cut, arranged and harvested in
swaths having the correct dimensions.
In this way, the operator can move the machine and
load the crop correctly in the baler, producing even
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and compact bales.
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To produce good quality round bales, the crop moi-
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sture must be max. 18%.
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S
-- With a higher moisture content, the crop tends to
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deteriorate.
-- With a too low moisture content, the crop is lost
due to its crushing.
Cut the the crop leaving the stem as long as possi-
ble.In most fields, the longest crop is the easiest to
bale and produces evener bales, resistant to bad
weather conditions.
Using mower--conditioners to cut the crop, do not
press the crop too much, especially in case of pulse
vegetable such as alfalfa and mixed hay.
A too high pressure makes the leaves dry too quickly,
with their subsequent breakage and crop losses. If
the bales are kept outside, an excess chopping of the
stems causes a higher moisture absorption.
Swath dimension
The realization of even bales is made by a feeding in
swaths as large as the bale chamber, about 120 cm,
or about half its width.
Do not harvest swaths having intermediate dimen-
sions, from 80 to 100 cm, that is corresponding to
about 2/3 of the baling chamber, as moving on the
swath some of the crop in such swaths would be con-
tinuously sent to the center of the chamber, created
barrel--shaped bales.
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CROP PREPARATION FOR BALING
SWATH DIMENSIONS - - CROP FEEDING - -
BALING
An insufficient squeezing, instead, can damage the
crop, in particular while pressing crops such as mai-
ze stalks and stiff stem crops.
Too much dry and hard to hold crops, such as maize
stems or stalks and some types of graminaceous
fodder plants and straw can be efficiently pressed as
long as the crop is long enough to hold the bale.
Wilted silage hay
The crop can be raked and arranged using the stan-
dard equipment, such as mowers, mower conditio-
ners and hay rakes.
Make even and well sized swaths. The best results
for crop storage are obtained when it is pressed with
a dry matter content between 40 and 60%.
Strawy crops
During harvesting, whenever possible, make sure
that the straw isn't chopped too much.
When the straw is short, the swath should not be mo-
ved before baling, in particular if it is too much dry al-
ready. In this case, it is not advisable to bale in the hottest
hours of the day.
To prevent crop losses and grant a good bale sha-
ping, create even swaths, not too much piled up (not
higher than 30/40 cm); in this way, density can be in-
creased, consumption reduced and preservation
features improved.