Honest answers about HayRite.
Every claim below carries a tag showing the evidence behind it — confirmed research, our own field trials, established practice, or open questions we're actively studying.
How the tags work ↓About the product
What is HayRite?
HayRite is a liquid biological hay preservative built around the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DB38 strain. It's applied at the baler (same setup as a chemical preservative sprayer) and works by establishing a beneficial bacterial population on the hay's surface.
✓ Confirmed Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is a well-studied beneficial bacterium, used across many agricultural biocontrol applications.
⚠ Strain Caveat Most published feeding-effect data is on the H57 sister strain (Ngo et al. 2021; Pan et al. 2022). DB38 was selected from the same lineage and manufactured at the same facility (QUT MRBPP, Mackay).
What problem does HayRite solve?
HayRite addresses the period between cutting and feed-out where most hay quality is lost — the heating, mould development, and dry matter loss that happen in baling and storage.
⊙ Field Knowledge Hay storage and feeding losses commonly account for 10% or more of livestock production costs. Outdoor uncovered round bale storage commonly loses 25–37% of dry matter over six months.
◐ Trial Data In Darts Biotech's 2023 trial, HayRite-treated bales showed approximately 30% lower internal temperatures vs. untreated controls during the critical first 14 days.
Is HayRite a hay preservative?
Yes — but it works differently from chemical preservatives.
✓ Confirmed Chemical preservatives (propionic acid) work by lowering pH below the threshold that supports mould growth. HayRite works through competitive exclusion: a beneficial bacterial population occupies the hay surface, consumes available sugars, and produces antifungal compounds.
⊙ Field Knowledge Both approaches address the same problem space. They differ in operator handling, equipment compatibility, and where in the process they're most effective.