If you’re serious about hay, it’s worth looking at Vicchem’s Bale Boost Range. It’s going to be a game-changer.
Whether you’re producing high-quality hay for export or domestic markets, you know how vital the right weather conditions are for both growing the crop and at baling time when rainfall, heat and humidity can all seriously affect the final product.
Well, to help, Vicchem has developed a range of products to assist hay production more effectively. The Bale Boost Range consists of a unique applicator and a range of Hay adjuvants to help manage moisture and retain leaf quality.
Below we give you a snapshot of the three products, Dry Down, Bale Shield and Leaf Retain, which bring new and beneficial aspects to hay production.
Hayspray Applicator
Vicchem – in conjunction with innovative spray manufacturer Interlink -have adapted technology from horticultural applications and developed the HaySpray 300 spray unit.
Its combination of hydraulically driven airblast directed via multi-positional split vane hands and multiple nozzles per hand have proven to be successful in achieving penetration and coverage into and onto hay windrows. Vicchem
It comes in two options – The Hayspray 5000/300 3 Row unit is a stand-alone tractor-drawn Haysprayer designed to get coverage and penetration into multiple windrows. And the Hayspray 300 BOLT ON unit has been specifically designed to be attached to existing boom sprayers for coverage of single windrows at a lower-cost entry point.
Bale Shield
Bale Shield Hay Preservative is a buffered, non-corrosive hay preservation formulation designed to enable the baling of hay crops at higher moisture levels. It is applied at the point of baling or directly into the windrow and helps to minimise the in-field mould population of freshly cut hay and any build-up that may occur with poor climatic conditions. This could become a handy product if we keep getting wet Springs. As you know, mould can give you some serious headaches, affecting not only hay quality but also animal health issues if they’re fed it and can even lead to spontaneous combustion.
When Bale Shield is used at the point of baling, it allows you to bale at higher moisture levels while minimising heating or mould impacts. This, in turn, may result in higher feed value. When applied at windrow timing, which can be done immediately post-cutting, it may bring about the immediate reduction of in-field mould populations and provide extended mould control during the curing process.
Benefits at point of baling:
- Enables baling at higher moisture levels whilst minimising heating or mould impacts when used as recommended
- Baling at higher moisture levels may result in higher feed-value hay
- Easy to use and apply and doesn’t block application equipment
Rates will vary for different baler types, bale sizes, and moisture levels. For use with the Hayspray Applicator.
Leaf Retain
(Only relevant to those growing lucerne hay)
Leaf Retain is a specialty product containing wetting agents and humectants designed to attach to surface moisture. Leaf Retain should be applied just before baling legume hay to minimise leaf shatter and extend baling time, especially in adverse weather conditions. Application of the product should ONLY be undertaken using the Hayspray Applicator.
Benefits:
- Provides extended baling hours by raising humidity levels in the windrow
- Increases leaf retention in legume hay when conditions are adverse to, or would normally prevent baling
- May provide for successful baling of windrowed crop residues when conditions would normally prevent baling
- Successful baling of over-cured windrowed pasture and cereal hay
- May assist in the pod shatter of windrowed small grain crops (i.e. Canola) when applied immediately before harvesting
Typical application rates of 1 L/T of dried hay/ha should be used via the Hayspray Applicator.
Dry Down 550
Dry Down has been formulated to be applied to a windrow of freshly cut green hay to speed up drying time so that you can bale the hay sooner. It works by modifying the leaf and stem surface waxes, allowing moisture to permeate more effectively and rapidly from the hay.
By minimising the time between cutting and baling, you can reduce the risk of rain damage which brings down hay protein, feed value and financial return, as well as increasing harmful microbial actions resulting in mouldy hay and subsequent feeding risks to livestock.
Benefits:
- Help reduce curing/drying times of cereal and legume hay crops
- Can decrease curing time, reducing weather damage potential
- May lower harmful microbial build-up and subsequent hay damage
- Faster drying results in retaining greater leaf matter and subsequently increased feed values
- Offer faster curing of windrowed oil grain crops such as Canola
- Dry Down may reduce or negate the requirement for alternative mechanical treatments designed to decrease curing time.
Rates are 1-2L/T per tonne of hay yield, directly into the windrow via the Hayspray Applicator.
For more information on any of this, check out the VicChem website:
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