A system for controlling the speed of harvested crop as it is discharged from a crop accumulator onto a field, the system comprising: a discharge mechanism for imparting a desired rearward travel speed to the harvested crop as it is being discharged from the crop accumulator; a speed measurement device for measuring forward travel speed of the crop accumulator; the system providing a processor in communication with the discharge mechanism and the speed measurement device, the processor operable to adjust at least one of the discharge mechanism for imparting the desired rearward travel speed and the forward travel speed of the crop accumulator, to discharge harvested crop with a rearward travel speed that is substantially equal to the forward travel speed such that the harvested crop has a substantially net zero speed as it contacts the ground, or the system comprising an alarm that alerts an operator when harvested crop is discharged to adjust at least one of the discharge mechanism to impart the rearward travel speed and the forward travel speed of the crop accumulator, to discharge harvested crop with a rearward travel speed that is substantially equal to the forward travel speed such that the harvested crop has a substantially net zero speed as it contacts the ground, characterized in that the discharge mechanism is operable to selectively tilt a bale carriage about an axis to impart a desired rearward travel speed on the bales as they are dumped onto the ground, wherein the bale carriage is pivotally connected to structural members about said carriage axis to thereby allow the bale carriage to pivot to dump the bales that are carried thereby. a discharge mechanism for imparting a desired rearward travel speed to the harvested crop as it is being discharged from the crop accumulator; a speed measurement device for measuring forward travel speed of the crop accumulator; the system providing a processor in communication with the discharge mechanism and the speed measurement device, the processor operable to adjust at least one of the discharge mechanism for imparting the desired rearward travel speed and the forward travel speed of the crop accumulator, to discharge harvested crop with a rearward travel speed that is substantially equal to the forward travel speed such that the harvested crop has a substantially net zero speed as it contacts the ground, or the system comprising an alarm that alerts an operator when harvested crop is discharged to adjust at least one of the discharge mechanism to impart the rearward travel speed and the forward travel speed of the crop accumulator, to discharge harvested crop with a rearward travel speed that is substantially equal to the forward travel speed such that the harvested crop has a substantially net zero speed as it contacts the ground, characterized in that the discharge mechanism is operable to selectively tilt a bale carriage about an axis to impart a desired rearward travel speed on the bales as they are dumped onto the ground, wherein the bale carriage is pivotally connected to structural members about said carriage axis to thereby allow the bale carriage to pivot to dump the bales that are carried thereby.