"Many modern balers are equipped with a crop pre-cutting device which can produce bales containing up to 20% more forage than a standard bale," comments Graham Robson, European Technical Manager of Tama UAT Ltd. "This significantly increases the bale weight and density and, hence, requires a corresponding increase in the amount of net that is used to hold the bale securely. Also, when baling high density straw, we recommend that you increase the number of turns by at least 0.5 per bale to ensure it remains securely wrapped as straw crop is much more explosive than grass forage."
"We have produced an useful ready-reckoner for straw - and for hay and silage - to calculate the number of round bales possible from any roll of netwrap" says Mr Robson. "The number is dependent on the diameter of the bale produced, the number of turns of net applied to the bale and - most importantly - that the roll actually contains the length of net stated.
"Our ready-reckoner shows the approximate net use on varying sized bales for different crops as an aid to operator usage when baling, but remember that exact usage will depend on conditions when baling," Mr Robson notes.

CROP BALE SIZE No.of turns Bales per roll 3150m XL Bales per roll 3600m Bales per roll 4200m Hay 4' diameter bale?5' diameter bale 2-2.25 350-310 260-230 370-340 280-250 430-400 330-295 Silage 4' diameter bale 2.25-2.75 310-255 340-275 400-330 Straw 5' diameter bale 2-2.25 260-230 220-200 260-240

Note:
Tama UAT Ltd is the sole distributor of TamaNet in the UK market and part of Tama Plastic
Industry's European Distribution Group. Tama Plastic Industry is the world's leading netwrap
producer and, through their group of European distribution companies, are the largest supplier
of crop packaging products (netwrap, stretchwrap and twine) to the European market.