Round Bale Storage Conservation

 

South Dakota has been one of the top producing forage states in the nation for many years. One of the most common methods of hay packaging and storage is large round bales stored outdoors. However, proper storage of a high quality product is vital to maintaining value and often overlooked. Quality losses that typically occur during storage are frequently a result of water that has entered the bale, which becomes entrapped and unable to evaporate, resulting in spoilage.

 

Round bales have characteristics that help limit storage losses. The round shape allows for a dense, well-made bale in which the outer thatch will help to shed precipitation, minimizing water penetration and spoilage loss.

 

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.