Baling Industrial Energy Crops: A Quick How To Guide

For many UK farmers, growing drought resistant perennial grasses, such as Miscanthus spp. provides a welcome source of extra income. Miscanthus has a potential yield of 12–17 tonnes per hectare and thrives on sandy soil in poorer grade, marginal land. These minimal input crops typically require less labour and maintenance than other crops.

At the same time, the demand for their use as biofuel has increased in recent years, in line with UK energy policy. That makes these high biomass crops good options for adding value to the farm.

However, it’s worth noting that crops like Miscanthus have specific considerations in terms of baling. In this guide, we look at how to bale these “energy crops”.

When to Bale: Harvest time is typically late winter to early spring, with most Miscanthus being cut at the end of January or early February. Naturally, the weather will affect timing, and you’ll want to ensure the fields are dry enough to avoid harvesters causing ruts and compaction, which may impact future productivity of this rhizome based crop.

The crop should be cut to a stem length of 30-45 cm and left in the swath until there are no more green stems. This can take between one and six weeks. The optimal moisture content should be less than 15%, or the crop becomes less suitable for biofuel and won’t fetch the best price. Test a few of the first bales to ensure the correct moisture level. 

How to bale: With the crop cut and dried, it’s time to bring in the balers. Miscanthus must be compacted to the correct density of 125-143 kg/m³, as well as to the correct bale size and shape.

Whole-bale power plants typically require Hesston bales of 1.2 x 1.2 x 2.4 m or 1.2 x 0.9 x 2.4m to meet the handling process at the plant.

Ensure the bales remain firmly intact when transported and used at the power plant. High quality baling twine, like TAMA’s TamaTwine+ range, is essential to ensure knots and bales can withstand rough handling.