New generation baler net wrap technology is based on lighter weight, high density polyethelene, according to Israeli company Tama.
Its technical manager, Graham Robson, was speaking at a series of meetings for contractors and farmers on behalf of the product’s Australian distributor, Tapex Pty Ltd.
The company's Bale Plus technology sees each roll of its Marathon net wrap product measuring some 4.2km in length, which is 40pc more than previously was the case.
Also available are 2.8km rolls with Tama suggesting its larger rolls of net wrap are better value for money than many rival products which generally deliver between 3km to 3.15km of length per roll.
Mr Robson said he was visiting Australia in the aftermath of the drought which had seen some bale net wrap failures.
"This has been caused by extreme temperatures affecting the material, but also because of the type of crops being baled," he said.
"For example, in both 2006 and 2007 many failed cereal crops were cut and baled as hay, and in 2006 there was a significant volume of barley straw baled in northern Victoria and South Australia.
"These are very stalky crops and farmers have been forced into baling more volatile material.
"And they also ended up having excessive exposure to UV conditions."
Mr Robson said new technology was needed to alleviate some of the problems associated with the heavier and denser bales made by the latest balers, noting that operators need to be aware of the repercussions of using cereal crops for hay, and of increasingly dense bales.
As part of his presentation, Mr Robson demonstrated a portable net-strength machine, believed to be the only one in Australia. Designed to test baler net to its breaking point, he used it to demonstrate the properties of the company’s Marathon product to hay contractors and Tapex Australia staff.
"Batch tests are done continually during the manufacturing process and samples kept at the factory for future reference," Mr Robson said.
"The whole rationale behind good quality net wrap is - we are making food for the cow and better wrap means better bales and better food."
Tama says its 4.2km long Marathon net means users cab bale 40pc more bales can be wrapped with the same number of rolls, when compared with standard 3000m long nets.
Advantages associated with the new technology include less waste plastic, fewer cardboard tubes, less packaging and reduced transportation for the same number of bales.
"Most importantly, however, is the huge time saving in reducing baler down time for roll changes and reducing the need to fetch and carry so many of the older shorter length rolls," Mr Robson said.
With an annual turnover of over US$250m, the company claims to be the largest net-wrap producer in the world, currently cornering more than 50 percent of the world net-wrap market.
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