Straw is usually gathered and stored in astraw bale, which is abale, or bundle, of straw tightly bound with twine, wire, or string. Straw bales may be square, rectangular, star shaped or round, and can be very large, depending on the type ofbaler used.
A traditional method of storing wheat hay in Punjab
Straw may be fed as part of theroughage component of the diet to cattle or horses that are on a near maintenance level of energy requirement. It has a low digestible energy and nutrient content (as opposed tohay, which is much more nutritious). The heat generated when microorganisms in a herbivore's gut digest straw can be useful in maintaining body temperature in cold climates. Due to the risk ofimpaction and its poor nutrient profile, it should always be restricted to part of the diet. It may be fed as it is, or chopped into short lengths, known aschaff.
Straw is commonly used as bedding for ruminants and horses. It may be used as bedding and food for small animals, but this often leads to injuries to mouth, nose and eyes as straw is quite sharp.
The straw-filled mattress, also known as apalliasse, is still used by people in many parts of the world.
Rice straw, an agricultural waste which is not usually recovered, can be turned intobioplastic with mechanical properties akin topolystyrene in its dry state.[1]
In many parts of the world, straw is used to bind clay andconcrete. A mixture of clay and straw, known ascob, can be used as a building material. There are many recipes for making cob.
Whenbaled, straw has moderate insulation characteristics (about R-1.5/inch according to Oak Ridge National Lab and Forest Product Lab testing). It can be used, alone or in a post-and-beam construction, to buildstraw bale houses. When bales are used tobuild orinsulate buildings, the straw bales are commonly finished withearthen plaster. The plastered walls provide somethermal mass, compressive and ductile structural strength, and acceptable fire resistance as well as thermal resistance (insulation), somewhat in excess of North Americanbuilding code. Straw is an abundant agricultural waste product, and requires little energy to bale and transport for construction. For these reasons, straw bale construction is gaining popularity as part ofpassive solar and otherrenewable energy projects.[3]
Wheat straw can be used as a fibrous filler combined with polymers to producecomposite lumber.[4]
The use of straw as a carbon-neutral energy source is increasing rapidly, especially forbiobutanol. Straw or hay briquettes are abiofuel substitute to coal.
The use of straw in large-scalebiomass power plants is becoming mainstream in the EU, with several facilities already online. The straw is either used directly in the form of bales, or densified into pellets which allows for the feedstock to be transported over longer distances. Finally,torrefaction of straw with pelletisation is gaining attention, because it increases the energy density of the resource, making it possible to transport it still further. This processing step also makes storage much easier, because torrefied straw pellets are hydrophobic. Torrefied straw in the form of pellets can be directly co-fired with coal or natural gas at very high rates and make use of the processing infrastructures at existing coal and gas plants. Because the torrefied straw pellets have superior structural, chemical and combustion properties to coal, they can replace all coal and turn a coal plant into an entirely biomass-fed power station. First generation pellets are limited to aco-firing rate of 15% in modernIGCC plants.
Straw bale gardening[10] is also popular among gardeners who do not have enough space forsoil gardening. When properly conditioned, straw bales can be used as a perfectsoil substitute.
There are several styles ofstraw hats that are made of woven straw.
Many thousands of women and children in England (primarily in theLuton district of Bedfordshire),[11] and large numbers in the United States (mostlyMassachusetts), were employed inplaiting straw for making hats. By the late 19th century, vast quantities of plaits were being imported to England from Canton in China,[11] and in the United States most of the straw plait was imported.[12]
InJapan, certain trees are wrapped with straw to protect them from the effects of a hard winter as well as to use them as a trap for parasite insects. (seeKomomaki)
It is also used in ponds to reducealgae by changing the nutrient ratios in the water.
The soil understrawberries is covered with straw to protect the ripe berries from dirt, and straw is also used to cover the plants during winter to prevent the cold from killing them.
In areas of pastoral Europe, straw may be used to create a type of simple, reededwind instrument known to English speakers as theoaten pipe,[14] although similarinstruments are known to be made in Turkey and the Middle east, and north Africa.
Straw is resistant to being crushed and therefore makes a goodpacking material. A company in France makes a straw mat sealed in thin plastic sheets.
Straw envelopes for wine bottles have become rarer, but are still to be found at some wine merchants.
Wheat straw is also used in compostablefood packaging such as compostable plates. Packaging made from wheat straw can be certified compostable and will biodegrade in a commercial composting environment.[15]
Heavy-gauge straw rope is coiled and sewn tightly together to makearchery targets. This is no longer done entirely by hand, but is partially mechanised. Sometimes a paper or plastic target is set up in front of straw bales, which serve to support the target and provide a safe backdrop.
Thatching uses straw,reed or similar materials to make a waterproof, lightweight roof with good insulation properties. Straw for this purpose (oftenwheat straw) is grown specially and harvested using areaper-binder.
Dried straw presents a fire hazard that can ignite easily if exposed to sparks or an open flame. It can also triggerallergic rhinitis in people who are hypersensitive to airborne allergens such as straw dust.
^"Straw Bale Barrier"(PDF).Urban Storm Drainage Criteria Manual. Denver, CO: Urban Drainage and Flood Control District. November 2010. SBB-1.Archived(PDF) from the original on 2019-07-14.
