Low-Waste Technology of Fodder Grass Processing

The article describes the peculiar features of plant processing for the conservation of fodder made of the leafy mass of hard-to-ensilage legume family cultures in agricultural complexes and deficiencies of the traditional treatment of the feedstock. The current technology of mechanical fractionation of legume grasses suggests the production of the basic product - the protein concentrate. The by-products are press residues - grass pulp and protein-free liquid, which are production wastes. The purpose of this work was to develop a comprehensive method of plant resources' use with waste disposal and application in fodder production. The novelty of the work is the method of combining the dehydration of the vegetative organs of the hard-to-ensilage sown legume fodder grasses through mechanical pressing and drying and the use of the resulting wastes - the press residues as raw material for fodder preparation. The humidity of the press residues was to be reduced to the level required for making haylage by using the method of low-temperature final drying in an experimental unit - a continuous-action direct heated drier. The results of studying the possibility of reducing the humidity of the press residues by low-temperature direct-heated drying and using it as raw material for haylage are presented in the article. The temperature and time ranges for the material drying in a direct-heated drier were established. The chemical composition of the vegetable stock and resulting haylage was analyzed, and the composition of the fermentation products, the feed, and caloric values, and the potential safety for animal organisms were determined. The suggested method ensures the comprehensive processing of the herbage with waste disposal and the production of high-quality animal fodder. In terms of quality parameters and environmental safety, the obtained fodder conformed to the regulatory requirements for the haylage to be used in the cattle stock diet.