Artificial drying is undoubtedly the most efficient method of grass conservation. The nutrient losses incurred in the drying process are low and, in contrast to other conservation techniques, grass drying is consistently efficient throughout the season and between seasons. However, both capital and running costs of a drying plant are high and inevitably the cost of production of dried grass is also high. Where there is a large proportion of small farms, as is the case in Northern Ireland, it appears to be out of the question for a farm unit to have a grass dryer because of costs. It is more than likely that under these conditions grass drying will be either undertaken on a cooperative or commercial basis, in the latter case the grass so used being a cash crop.