Introduction
Do you know about forage? Forage is a type of feed that helps farm animals get extra nutrition during dry seasons or winter. In modern farming, farmers use a forage harvester to chop and pack the forage when it’s full of nutrients, and then seal it for storage. If you’re interested in this machine, keep reading to learn more.
What is Forage Harvester?
A forage harvesting machine is an important agricultural machine used in livestock farming also known as a silage harvester. It plays a key role, especially on farms with cattle and sheep that quickly eat a lot of feed. The forage harvesting equipment is mainly used to cut green feed crops, such as corn, alfalfa, barley, and ryegrass, which have a moisture content of 65% to 75%. It chops the entire plant while it’s still green.
How a Forage Harvester Works？
Main Components
Cutting Platform:
Located at the front of the machine, it usually consists of two large discs that cut the incoming crops.
Feeding System:
This consists of five feeding rollers that both feed the crops into the machine and crush them.
Cutting System:
It uses flat roller-type knives arranged in a “V” shape. This setup allows for a more even cut of the crops.
Blower System:
It consists of a powerful fan and an extended throwing drum that spreads the chopped feed.
How Does a Forage Harvester Work?
When the silage harvester enters the field, it makes a loud noise. The crops touch the cutting platform and move to the intake. The feeding rollers push the crops in and crush them. The rotating blades then cut the crops into the right length. For crops with grains, like corn, you can add a grain-crushing device to break up the grains and maximize the feed’s nutrition. The machine then uses the fan and throwing drum to send the chopped crops onto a transport vehicle.
Advantages of the forage harvester
Multi-Function Integration
When a forage harvesting machine cuts crops, it also chops them into smaller pieces. Some silage harvesters come with a grain-crushing device, which is especially useful for handling corn. These machines also have a throwing function to load the feed onto a vehicle. This multifunctional design allows the forage harvesting machine to complete several tasks in one operation, improving efficiency and reducing the need for extra labor and resources.
Wide Application Range
Besides harvesting corn stalks, you can use a silage harvester to process different types of forage crops, such as sorghum, alfalfa, and grains, by changing or adjusting the cutting platform and chopping equipment. This way, you can harvest various crops in different seasons and greatly increase their usefulness.
Comprehensive Biomass Utilization
A forage chopper can cut the entire plant, ensuring that all parts of the crop are used and nothing goes to waste. It also chops the crop into suitable lengths and breaks it up, which helps with fermentation during storage, improves nutrition, and aids animal digestion. This optimizes the value of the biomass.
Advanced Technology
No-row-spacing harvesting technology：
This technology allows harvesting without row spacing, making it suitable for crops planted at different densities.
Safety protection technology：
It has a safety clutch and a return device. If there is a blockage due to excess crop feeding, the device expels the crop and helps resume normal harvesting.
Unique header design：
The design of the cutting platform greatly improves the harvest rate of lodged forage crops. You can adjust the height of the gathering wheels based on the crop height and lodging condition, allowing for smooth cutting even if the crop is lodged.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Self-Propelled Forage Harvester
Crop Height
When choosing a forage harvesting machine, you also need to consider the height of the crops. Some crops, like corn and sorghum, are tall, while others, like alfalfa and grass, are shorter. Using cutting platforms at the right height ensures your work efficiency.
Field Size
The size of your land is also an important factor to consider. If you have a large area, you should choose a forage harvesting machine with a wider cutting width. This allows you to harvest more forage crops in one pass, improving efficiency.
But if your land area is small, you need to consider whether the size of the silage harvester allows it to turn easily in your fields.
The Usage and Maintenance Tips for Forage Harvester
Usage Tips
Because the forage harvesting machine is long and wide, there are many blind spots while driving. So, when operating the machine, slow down as much as possible, don’t rush, and avoid sharp turns to prevent collisions with other objects.
Choose the right power based on the machine’s requirements. Too much power can damage the machine, while too little power can prevent it from working properly.
Only start harvesting crops once the forage harvesting machine reaches its maximum speed. Otherwise, blockages can occur, disrupting your normal harvesting work.
During operation, pay attention to the machine’s cooling and add coolant in time.
If the forage harvesting machine has a malfunction or blockage, make sure to turn off the engine before attempting any work.
Maintenance Tips
The forage harvesting machine can be affected by temperature, humidity, sunlight, and soil, leading to the rusting of metal parts and the aging of rubber. Therefore, it needs regular maintenance to extend its lifespan.
Places on the silage harvester that are prone to friction need regular lubrication, especially the bearings. Be sure to add lubricating oil on a regular basis.
Before driving the forage harvesting machine, make sure to check that the engine oil and antifreeze are sufficient.
Before and after using the forage harvester, check all forage harvester parts to make sure nothing is loose. Tighten any loose parts as needed.
After finishing the harvest, clean the forage harvester promptly by removing crop residue, soil, and oil. This ensures the machine works properly and keeps the forage clean.
Future Trends in Self-Propelled Forage Harvester
There is no doubt that more and more technology will be used in machinery in the future, and forage harvesters will be no exception. Future forage harvesters will use artificial intelligence and IoT technology for automated control and smart operation.
Another important aspect is environmental friendliness and sustainability. For long-term development, it is essential to focus on being eco-friendly and sustainable.
Wrap up
If you are considering buying a forage harvester, you might want to think about ANON. As an experienced exporter of agricultural machinery, ANON can provide you with various high-quality forage harvesting machines to meet your needs. Feel free to inquire!
FAQ
Why do we need a forage harvester?
A forage harvester provides an effective feed-processing solution for your farming needs. Its multifunctionality, adaptability, and high level of automation make it an essential piece of equipment in modern agriculture.
