2016 Volume 78 Issue 1 Pages 80-85
We modified a combine cutter to macerate rice straw by replacing the cutting wheel of the combine cutter with a rotor having no cutting function. We observed that macerated rice straw dried faster than non-treated rice straw in the early drying stage. In a paddy-field test, the moisture content of the macerated rice straw was reduced to a suitable value for preservation more quickly than the non-treated straw, even with rainfall during the test. The reduction rate of the moisture content of the rice straw was increased by turning its windrow upside down using a swath conditioner once per day. The power required by the macerating equipment was ∼60% of that required for cutting.
