The main difference between a regular round baler and the stationary Orkel baler/compactor is, as CEO Jarl Gjonnes explains, Orkel’s has the ability to bale short chopped material.
That means the outfit is capable of baling or packaging more than 30 bulk materials — including corn silage, grasses, forage mixes/total mixed rations, crimped grain, manure, sugar pulp, cotton, grape marc and more — into easy-to-handle, high density bales which maintain quality in storage.
“Right now there’s a combination of contractors using the machine doing custom work for farmers and bigger farmers buying the machine to do baling to secure a high quality of forage,” explains Gjonnes in the video below, filmed at Agritechnica in Germany.
The machines are available in three sizes, creating bales with diameters of 115, 100 and 85 centimetres. The material — silage, shavings, manure, etc. — is dumped into the machine, and compacted into wrapped bales.
Though stationary, the Orkel can be prepared for transport in as little as four to five minutes, he says.
And, new to the machines is near infrared (NIR) technology, with Dinamica Generale’s AgriNIR portable analyzer, which is capable of measuring percentages of moisture, starch, crude protein, acid detergent fibre (ADF), natural detergent fibre (NDF), ash, crude fat, among others.
While more popular in Europe, there are several Orkel compactors in North America.
Gjonnes chatted with RealAgriculture’s Kelvin Heppner at Agritechnica to discuss the baler compactors, the new near infrared technology available, and the opportunity to use them in a range of circumstances, including baling manure:
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