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XtraBlatt Issue 01-2021

  • Text
  • Xtrablatt
  • Crop
  • Australia
  • Dairy
  • Grassland
  • Straw
  • Agricultural
  • Silage
  • Forage
  • Machinery
  • Krone

INFORM QUALITY FORAGE

INFORM QUALITY FORAGE HARVESTING SERIES – PART 3 A CLEAN LIFT Mistakes made during silage harvest directly effect a farm’s financial results. So keeping a close eye on the entire forage harvesting chain from mowing to carting home pays real dividends. 24

The grass is firmly compressed by the six precompression rollers in the Krone BiG X self-propelled forage harvester so that the resultant mat can be cleanly chopped by the action of the knives against the counterblade. In our three-part series we cover what the farmer should watch for during harvest and machinery adjustment, so that his or her silage turns out “a cut above the others”. Part 1 covered mowing; part 2, tedding and swathing. In this third section we concentrate on pick-up and carting by forage harvester and forage wagon. We are supported by experts Daniel Büter and Benedikt Lambrecht-Speller. As Krone forage harvester specialist, the first is an expert on harvesting chopped forage, while Benedikt Lambrecht- Speller specialises in forage wagons and shares with us his deep knowledge of this machinery. CORRECT COLLECTING A cleanly lifted forage harvest begins with the pick-up – quite independently of whether the feed is for chopping, baling or loading into the forage wagon. “Crucially, the pick-up mechanism should be looked over carefully before leaving for the field”, explains Daniel Büter. “Watch out that all the tines, grouped in W-shape rows, are in place with no signs of wear. Everything must be right in this respect if I want to achieve optimum raking and pick-up.” All drives should be checked according to lubrication plan and appropriate servicing carried out. Adds Benedikt Lambrecht-Speller: “Don’t forget to check tyre pressures on pick-up gauge wheels. In practice, they’re often wrong. This can lead to inaccurate pick-up height settings in the field or, where tyre pressures are too high, lack of smooth forward progress and pick-up bounce.” “THE AIM IS AL- WAYS TO REDUCE FEED CONTAMINA- TION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.” DANIEL BÜTER, FORAGE HARVESTER SPECIALIST rollers in the middle under the pick-up. At a cutting height of 8 cm, the lowest point of tine setting should be 7 cm above the ground. On the field after the first few metres of operation, the operator should dismount for another close look and make any necessary readjustment. Here, as with tedding and swathing, it’s preferrable to leave a few scraps of grass behind rather than pulling dirt into the forage through tines hitting the field surface. The aim is always to reduce feed contamination as much as possible”, warns forage harvester specialist Daniel Büter. ADJUSTING THE PICK-UP The pick-up suspension setting is a further important factor with definite influence on feed quality. With the Krone ZX series forage wagon, pick-up suspension is hydraulically controlled and can be set between 0 – 100 % from the tractor cab. With the other forage wagon models, pickup suspension is adjusted by pre-setting the supporting springs. With the silage harvester, on the other hand, suspension control is always hydraulic. “The suspension pressure is set so that the pick-up can follow the ground contours smoothly. Setting it too hard on soft ground, for instance, can lead to repeated contamination of feed while a soft suspension can have the tines missing the swath altogether at times, with feed left lying. With silage harvesters, suspension pressure can be set at up to 50 % of the pick-up weight. But the key words here are ‘less is more’”, cautions Daniel Büter. Pick-up height has a direct influence on feed quality, so must be precisely set and then checked on the field. As a rule, tines should be set so that the ends are 1 – 2 cm under stubble height. “On an even concrete base, the pick-up height can be pre-set accordingly by adjusting the gauge wheels right and left as well as gauge Forage intake flow is another factor with direct influence on silage quality. With the Krone ZX forage wagons and the harvesters, the speed of the pick-up tines can be set to match speed along the ground so that when the latter reduces, pick-up rpm also automatically slows, or vice versa. 25