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THE RELATION BETWEEN MOISTURE CONTENT AND MOULDING IN CURED HAY
Author(s) -
WAITE R.
Publication year - 1949
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1949.tb06945.x
Subject(s) - hay , relative humidity , water content , moisture , humidity , air temperature , zoology , materials science , biology , agronomy , atmospheric sciences , composite material , thermodynamics , physics , geotechnical engineering , engineering
Samples of cured hay have been stored in closed containers at relative humidities of 0–95% at temperatures varying from 5 to 25° C. A curve relating equilibrium moisture content to relative humidity of the store has been constructed and the incidence of first mould growth noted. An explanation has been suggested to account for the apparent discrepancy between earlier published work concerning the onset of moulding and conditions normally prevailing on the farm. In laboratory storage experiments temperature conditions are relatively constant, whereas with hay stacked in the open air the high atmospheric humidity in winter is offset by a lowered temperature, and the higher summer temperature is accompanied by a lower moisture content in the hay.