Livestock-edible bale net wrap showcased at Ploughing 2024
One of the many interesting new concepts on display at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co. Laois this week, is a new approach to net wrap on round bale silage.
The new idea is being showcased by Paul Conlon from Kilmaley, Co. Clare.
The west-based inventor has two science degrees, as well as three postgrads under his belt, and has worked as a secondary school teacher for the past 20 years.
Speaking to Agriland at Ploughing 2024, Conlon explained that he came up with the concept of livestock edible net wrap when he was taking the plastic net wrap of a round bale one day and wondered if there was another solution.
The name of Conlon’s edible net wrap is ‘Burpeez’ and he said that “the next iteration of Burpeez (patent pending) will reduce the rate of methane burped from the rumen of these animals, helping to reduce greenhouse gases”.
His idea aims to provide an alternative to farmers and contractors which removes the need to gather and dispose plastic bale net wrap, and eliminate the risk of plastic net wrap causing issues in slurry tanks or in the digestive system of animals.
The information brochure on the new concept explains that ruminants can safely chew and digest the net wrap and if the Burpeez net wrap is not fully eaten by cattle and falls into the slurry tank, the plant fibres will break down and disintegrate.
Conlon said: “It’s really a new net wrap and it’s mostly going to be made of jute.
“Jute is is a plant that is kind of along the family of hemp. It has the same type of fibre, just not as strong.
“I’ve tried about five or six different blends so far, the first one was mostly hemp, which is too strong, but I’m going to still use strands of it.”
He plans for the rolls of biodegradable, edible net wrap to make from 268-320 bales and said that he is at the National Ploughing Championships “to maybe meet someone that will help me get the manufacturing part of it right”.
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