Processing wilted alfalfa with crop processing rolls on a pull-type forageharvester

Crop processors on forage harvesters have become readily available and wide ly used by north American livestock producers. Past research has shown that intensive mechanical processing at the time of cutting can improve the fib re digestibility of alfalfa and grasses, and questions have surfaced as to the potential effectiveness of a crop processor on a forage harvester to al so improve the animal utilization of wilted forages. processing wilted alfa lfa with crop processing rolls was effective in increasing the level of pla nt tissue disruption, as quantified by leachate conductivity, by more than 30% in all cases and similarly reduced particle-size from the theoretical-l ength-of-cut. processed material was visibly darker and more bruised than c ontrol treatments. Processor roll clearance and cutterhead theoretical-leng th-of-cut had a greater effect on crop physical properties than did process ing roll speed difference. processing wilting alfalfa increased harvester e nergy requirements by 36 to 113% depending upon crop moisture and the feedi ng characteristics of the processing rolls as affected by the aggressivenes s of the tooth profile. Processing wilted alfalfa increased the crops in si tu dry matter disappearance at 12 and 24 h by greater six percentage units and increased the instantly soluble fraction by up to seven percentage unit s. however, processed alfalfa did not affect lactation performance of Holst ein dairy cows.