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Little River, TX | Do not get the basic truth confused with unique situations. If and this is a big if the swath is 80% or more of the cutting width, then the curing time is reduced 67%.
The advantage is the hay is baled and off the field before it rains. News Phlash if the hay is rained on, all the hay becomes wet with rain water. All the hay has minerals, carbohydrates and protein washed out of hay. Not only that but all the hay becomes inoculated with mold spores.
Now the reason a wide swath is beneficial is, the direct rays of the sun heats each individual stem, that it strikes, and increases the vapor pressure of the moisture inside the stem. Stems in the shade do not benefit from this principle. If the sun does not shine it makes little difference if the hay is in a 12 ft wide swath or a 4 foot high windrow. Now we are depending on the other factors in hay curing. Adds to this local conditions. Some locations have 100% sunshine, close to zero humidity, strong winds, dry soil, &/or high temperatures. In this situation a wide swath is not all that important. A full width swath will be universaly lighter in color. The top bleached hay may look like a zebra but the green will be darker. The critters could care less about green as they are color blind. They go by taste, smell, & feel. The buyer seldom smells or feels the hay, and never tastes the hay. If you are lucky they go by lab report, otherwise they look at color.
Something to consider is where was the article written. In the humid north east.
I have indulged in all the mentioned rationalizations, and a few more. That is your privilege. Just remember a rationalization is not a valid excuse.
Here in CenTex we have a humid climate fro the March through May cuttings. June has troubled making up it's mind. July and August is for sure an arid western climate. The result is seldom do I lay down a full width swath and then run a tedder after April. During one of the rare winter cutting the hay is again spread wide enough to allow all or most of the stems to see direct sunlight.
My solution to the rained on situation is to watch for an open window of opportunity, and try not to cut more than I can handle during this opportune time. I pay good money for a weather forecasting service. I still must look hard at the forecast and make my own decisions, but they sure are better than the WX Channel or local TV forecasts. If you are in a climatic situation where it rains every few days for months, field cured hay is not a valid option. Paying for a forecast does not guarantee hay making weather, but it does allow you to find the few periods that may be open enough to harvest hay. In this case a wide swath is an advantage. Using a tedder adds to this time advantage.
Something else to consider here. Most hay is on a soil with some sand. My soil is all clay, as my cation exchange capacity reflects. In my case if my hay is rained on by the time I can get back on the ground with out cutting ruts, collecting mud on all the tires, the hay will be black with mold.
All this said, if I were in the land of Mike inIdaho, or NV Dave I would immediately after passing through with a swather use a rake and build the windrow I want to bale. This is the only time the hay has enough leaf moisture to hold the leaves during raking. West Texas and NM is in the same situation. This does not change the basic & universal truth, but it sure dictates a modification of the tactics. | |
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Benefits of laying down a wide swath of alfalfa
