Assessment of the effectiveness of grass conditioning by determining the area of their evaporating surface

The preparation of high-quality bulky feed is a prerequisite for increasing the productivity of cattle. The quality of hay, haylage and drying silage directly depends on various factors, primarily on the growing phase and methods of accelerating sagging, the most effective of which is the conditioning of fodder grasses during mowing. Conditioning the grasses with various working elements allows you to significantly increase the area of their evaporating surface and, accordingly, provide accelerated drying of herbs and reduce nutrient losses. Research data are devoted to the development of an effective and quick method for determining the evaporation surface area of forage grasses. Developed method makes it possible to determine area of evaporating surface of fodder grasses with complex configuration and indeterminate outline of borders, in particular alfalfa or meadow clover, both whole, not damaged plants, and destroyed by different methods of mechanical treatment. The value of the evaporation surface area also makes it possible to choose the best option for the processing of herbs to accelerate their sagging. The patented method contributes to the development of new machines and working bodies to increase the evaporation surface area of grasses.