Outside Storage of Baled Rice Straw

Abstract

ABSTRACT BIG roll bales of rice straw were baled at moisture contents ranging from below 20 up to 50 percent. Spontaneous heating occurred during outside storage in straw baled at more than 20 percent moisture, but cooled to ambient temperature by 3 to 8 wk after baling. Straw baled at 40 to 50 percent moisture reached maximum temperatures of about 65 °C during the first four days of storage. Energy and crude protein content were signif-icantly decreased, and fiber and silica content were sig-nificantly increased with an increase in moisture content at the time of baling and storage.