Hay poses burning question

By Melissa Meehan
THE problem of hayshed fires will be investigated by a research project to be set up following a meeting of members of the Australian fodder industry in December.
The meeting was held to address the causes and management of spontaneous combustion in hay following a season in which hundreds of haysheds were destroyed causing millions of dollars worth of damage in southern and eastern Australia.
Participants included the chairman, executive officer and farmer members of the Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA), experts from the NSW and Victorian Departments of Primary Industries, and fire authorities.
It is estimated there have been more than 200 hayshed fires across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland so far this season.
The chairman of the AFIA, Lyall Schulz, said this was far more than usual and was simply not acceptable.
“One hay fire per year is too much, but to have so many in the last two seasons in southern Australia has left the industry looking for answers,” Mr Schulz said.
“As an industry we need to understand the reasons for the increase in hayshed fires.”
This season’s fires seemed to be most common in stacks consisting of large square bales made from drought-stressed cereal crops, but in some cases individual round bales in paddocks had ignited.
One theory for the cause of the fires was that the sappy heads in these crops had not fully emerged, leaving the hay difficult to cure and making it difficult to accurately measure the hay’s moisture.
Other theories include:
• High levels of sugar in drought-stressed crops have led to increased microbial activity and heating;
• The rushed baling of high-moisture hay;
• Poor calibration of moisture metres leading to inaccurate readings of moisture in hay; and
• A lack of effective hay conditioning.
Participants at the meeting said it was not only shed fires that were causing economic losses.
Hay that had not been properly cured could become mouldy, unpalatable and even dangerous to stock, making it worthless.
At the conclusion of the meeting it had been agreed that a research project would be set up to investigate the causes of hayshed fires and how to minimise future fires.
A diverse range of skills would be needed on the project team, including agronomists, microbiologists, fire experts, haymaking contractors and end users of hay.
The project would start as soon as funding had been secured and would actively seek involvement from all relevant sectors of the hay, livestock and research industries.