Comparison of Electrical Moisture Meters for Baled Alfalfa Hay

A primary concern in producing quality alfalfa hay is moisture measurement. Some precision in moisture measurement is required since hay can be too wet, leading to dry matter and quality loss through mold; it can be too dry, leading to shatter loss during baling, handling and storage. Moisture measurement in hay can take many forms. One form of subjective (personal judgment) evaluation is brittleness of leaves and stems in the windrow or bale. Typical objective methods consist of electric meters with calibration curves and oven drying