Harvesting
Conditioning
Every hay producer is at the mercy of the weather, which means conditioning, the process of physically altering the hay to dry down quickly, can be extremely beneficial.
The faster hay is dried down, the more quickly you can bale it, move it off the field and protect it from potential rain or sun damage. Getting the hay up and off the field efficiently is also beneficial to the next cutting; having a nicely cut, clean field will help get the crop growing again. By helping your hay to reach maturity in a timely manner, you can get the most hay per season from your land.
The two most popular types of conditioning are impeller and roll conditioning. The two methods are popular for different reasons, and it is important to choose the type of conditioner that is best suited to your crop type and farming operation. Your decision will depend on the type of crop you are growing as well as the type of adjustments you are willing to make.
Impeller Conditioning
The goal of impeller conditioning is to gently remove the waxy surface from the plant, so it will dry down more quickly. This process exposes the inner moisture, which allows the crop to dry down faster than if it were simply cut and laid out on the field. An impeller conditioner does a great job of gently and effectively conditioning your crop with only a few simple adjustments required. Generally speaking, impeller conditioners work great for alfalfa and other grass crops less than 4 feet tall.
Roll Conditioning
Roll conditioning occurs by applying intermittent pressure to the crop in order to crimp the stem. This break in the stem allows moisture to escape from the plant where it is crimped. Roll conditioning takes crop as it comes off of the cutter bar and moves it through a set of horizontally mounted rolls that are set at a certain pressure and spacing. Roll conditioners are practical in all crops and work well in very heavy volume, tall, and thick stemmed crops.
