Drying Characteristic of Forage (1)

Drying Speed of Grass Part and Cutting Length

Abstract

In order to dry forage, it needs to clear drying characteristics of lamina, petiole, peduncle and stem-and-calm which compose the forage.
To satisfy this purpose, the tests on drying speeds and drying characteristics for grass parts were conducted for Renge and Italian ryegrass when the cutting length and the heating temperature were varied. Obtained results were as follows.
(1) The moisture is much in stem-and-culm, and less in lamina just after harvesting.
(2) The drying speed for each grass part is in order of lamina, petiole, peduncle and stem-and-culm. The relation of moisture content to drying time is linear when it is plotted on semi-logarithmic graph, and expressed by a variant exponential equation.
(3) The drying speed of whole forage is synthesized by the per cent of each grass part and it's drying speed, and the mean drying speed of forage is dominated by the stem-and-culm because it is the main constituent.
(4) The drying speed for cutting length is dominated by a cutting area per unit weight, and the shorter it is, the faster it dries.
(5) As a cutting face unfolds outward and a evaporation area increases while drying, the effect of cutting enlarges.
(6) To consider the drying speed for the heating temperature, the evaporation at a long cutting length is promoted by means of raising the temperature.