The hay macerator is a prototype only. The idea of hay conditioning has been around since the 1950's, when the first mower conditioner was conceptualized, but the concept of hay maceration came out of Europe in the late 1970's. This mat is then deposited onto the cut stubble for natural air drying. The windrow is wider and therefore thinner, allowing crop to dry down much more quickly. Macerating hay is more aggressive to the crop than traditional conditioning or crimping.
Livestock perform better when fed macerated hay.
Macerated hay exposes more plant sugars. Resulting silage ferments faster and more completely, making a better end product. In the mid-1980's PAMI began following maceration research in North America. PAMI learned of the research, monitored its progress, and felt the technology could be successfully applied to Western Canadian conditions and crops. PAMI has also contributed funding to the project.