The Best Net-Wrap Bale Wrap Isn’t Black or White – Here’s Why

So, the verdicts are finally in! Multiple researchers have spoken and given their thoughts about Net-Wrap bale wrap. In their claim, the colour of bale wrap for baling isn’t much of an issue. They say that it’s only a matter of aesthetics and colour coding. However, the real factor that will determine the success of bale wrap in the baling process is plastic quality. The method of Baleage allows for the harvest of high-moisture, premium quality hay with minimal spoilage during the harvesting period. So, depending on the type of plastic wrap quality and wrapping technique, you can expect around 16 per cent to 25 per cent of your bales to have some degree of spoilage. This is according to research from the University of Melbourne.

 

Black Plastic

 

The logic that most farmers have come to know is that the black plastic wrap absorbs more heat and speed fermentation. However, as the plastic temperature rises, its permeability follows suit. This reaction allows more oxygen to enter your bales. That’s why multiple research and studies have been made to make this fact clear among farmers and agriculturalists. Here’s what the study has found out:

 

  • Researchers from Germany report that only negligible difference from corn silage quality between bales wrapped in black and white plastic.

 

  • Research conducted in the University of Ireland found that plastic colour had little to no impact on oxygen concentrations and carbon dioxide in baled grass silage.

 

  • Studies in the United Kingdom found that grass silage that is wrapped six to eight times in both black and green Net-Wrap bale wrap suffered little to no spoilage as well. However, forage metabolisable energy and digestibility increased when black plastic is used.

 

  • The University of Wisconsin in the United States made studies that found little to no differences in silage quality due to the colour of the wrap.

 

The Bottom Line

 

So as you can compare these different studies, you can concur that the colour of Net-Wrap bale wrap has nothing to do with the overall Baleage quality. Instead, it’s much more dependent on the plastic variety, UV resistance and thickness rather than the colour. That means you can bale with whatever colour you like and even get a tone of profit from it. Just make sure that you use high-quality plastic for better baleage results.