# Alfalfa hay to dry



## cmsc (Feb 14, 2010)

Thought i never have this problem in illinois. Alfalfa is drying out very fast a nd we are not getting any dew at all. So baling at moistures of 8% or lower. On my big square i have a harvest tech. Automatic. Acid set up i was wondering if anyone has ran water through it to spray on windrow to get moisture back up. I know out west they have dew simulators that they run infrontof balers when it gets too dry. I was baling lastnight at 11 om and moisture were s


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## cmsc (Feb 14, 2010)

Were still at 8moistures 8 to 12% and that is a rare occasion to bale rhat late in il but its been tjat way all week juat curiouis if anyone has tried to spary moistuer back in to windrow and ideas be grateful


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## covenanthay (Oct 2, 2009)

I am setting in the house reading Hay Talk for the very same reason! Too dry in Ohio, in May, who would have every gussed that would ever happen? Hope to be able to rake sometime tonight and bale late tomorrow night.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

HERE when its like that we leave in windrow to preserve some moisture. We will combine two together in the morn just before baling. I know that doesn't help this time but will next i hope. Good luck Martin


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

HERE when its like that we leave in windrow to preserve some moisture. We will combine two together in the morn just before baling. I know that doesn't help this time but will next i hope. Good luck Martin


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Here on a low humidity night the most humid time is at sunup and for a couple hrs after.Usually.

But I've also had it were it would not gain any moisture at all.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

cmsc said:


> Thought i never have this problem in illinois. Alfalfa is drying out very fast a nd we are not getting any dew at all.


Isn't it something?!?!? This is the first year I've had my hay done without significant weather problems--and had it done before June 1st. Finished up 88 acres last Weds.

Ralph


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

I don't think adding water via the Harvest Tec will help much for two reasons: first, there won't be much time for the moisture to penetrate the leaves and make them hold on, and second, IMO most of the leaf loss occurs at the pickup, which is before the applicator nozzles. Just my thoughts.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Gearclash said:


> I don't think adding water via the Harvest Tec will help much for two reasons: first, there won't be much time for the moisture to penetrate the leaves and make them hold on, and second, IMO most of the leaf loss occurs at the pickup, which is before the applicator nozzles. Just my thoughts.


Agreed.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

Just a thought but could one take a sprayer with water in it and spray the windrows a couple hours before first light to aid the natural process? Martin


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Nitram said:


> Just a thought but could one take a sprayer with water in it and spray the windrows a couple hours before first light to aid the natural process? Martin


I'm thinking you'd jsut end up with a wet outer layer. Dew forms at night from water vapor in the air, this is just simple farmer think here but if the air around the windrow and the windrow itself cools off, then that water condenses on the cooler surfaces and while the outside of the windrow would be wetter than the inside, the whole row would still pick up some moisture while a sprayer would just wet the outside. I think those harvest tec dew simulators ran at like 50,000 psi to literally vaporize the water in the row. They also have rods on them that go straight down into the row and release the water in the row itself.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

Nitram,
Although spraying the outside of the windrow would not moisten the inside, it would certainly be better than nothing at all. Whether or not it would justify the cost, I don't know. the trick is to get enough water to make things wet, but not so much that it ruins things - you have to experiment.

Rodney


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