Paddy Straw Baler
Gaea, Magna Mater, Mother Earth, Terra Firma, call it what you wish, is precious to us. The land on which we live provides food for the table and fodder for the stable. Once the crops are harvested the residual straw that remains on the soil has to be removed in quick time and the earth prepared for the next season’s sowing. Removing the straw is a tedious process if attempted manually. Some farmers resort to burning the residual straw. Of the 40 million cereal crop waste almost 23 million is from paddy and the rest from wheat. Despite bans against burning, some farmers continue to burn paddy stubble. However, now with the advent of economic paddy straw baler, farmers start to use them instead of recklessly burning the paddy and adding to enviro-damage.
The burning of paddy straw leads to loss of precious nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and potassium from the soil. Further, the heat generated while burning leads to loss of moisture and useful microbes thus adversely affecting the quality of the soil for the next sowing season.
Secondary uses of paddy
While wheat straw is often used as fodder for farm animals, paddy straw is not the right choice for animal fodder owing to its high silica content. Alternately, paddy straw has several utility purposes namely:
- – Power generation
- – Fuel in brick kiln
- – Raw material for ethanol production
- – Paper / board making
- – Packaging material
- – Mushroom cultivation
However, these derivative uses can be optimized only with mechanized methods of clearing.
The paddy straw baler is the answer to the above scenario. By investing in a paddy straw baler, one can save on time and invest in other potentials of paddy straw thus augmenting income while preserving the nutrients of the earth.
Operating the Paddy Straw Baler
The paddy straw baler cuts and compresses the straw, making it easy to handle and transport. As with all balers, this paddy straw baler comes in different models and can deliver either cylindrical or rectangular bales. The farmer can choose the model ideal for his purpose. From one acre of paddy crop, you can expect around 50 bales, each weighing approximately 30 kg. Lengths of bales may vary from 40 to 110 cms. A good quality paddy straw baler can produce 450 to 600 bales in 8 hours. Though the initial investment may seem high for the small time farmer, the equipment pays for itself in the end.
The paddy straw baler is connected to the tractor. It gathers the straw and by means of an hydraulic mechanism ejects the completed bales through a tailgate. Most machines are easy to operate. They are compact and can be available in small spaces.
Advantages of the Paddy Straw Baler
The paddy straw baler:
- – Clears the soil and prepares it for the sowing of the next crop
- – Preserves the nutrients of the soil
- – Provides secondary income for the farmer by utilizing the residue for alternate purposes
- – Generates employment (as others are involved in baling and transporting the material)
Quick links: