Abstract
European short-rotation poplar plantations are harvested at 5–8 year rotations and produce relatively small stems (0.05–0.10 m3), which represent a major challenge when designing a cost-effective harvesting chain. Until now, the challenge has been met through whole-tree chipping, which allows mass-handling all through the harvesting chain. However, the production of higher value logs for the panel industry requires devising different solutions. This study presents a fully mechanized low-investment system using an excavator-based feller-buncher shear, a grapple skidder obtained from the conversion of a common farm tractor and an excavator-mounted grapple saw adapted to work as a makeshift slasher. The system was tested in Northwestern Italy, achieving high productivity (between 14 and 20 t fresh weight per scheduled machine hour) and low harvesting cost (between 9 and 14 € t−1 fresh weight). However, crosscutting quality needs further improvement, because almost 50% of the logs did not meet factory specifications. Solutions to solve this issue are proposed. The tested system is suitable for local small-scale operators because it can be acquired with a reasonable capital investment (400,000 €) and it is versatile enough for use in a number of alternative jobs, when the coppice harvesting season is over.
Highlights
Short-rotation wood crops established with fast-growing tree species have gained growing favor with forest industries because they can offer the benefits of rationalized management, vicinity to the conversion plants and pre-defined product targets [1]
That is especially the case of tropical plantations, which are established with genetically selected propagation material under favorable soil and climate conditions, and achieve exceptional growth rates [4]
Enough, in 2011 CNR conducted a study in the same area and with the same (i.e., Pellerei Ago Srl) on a similar plantation, but with the main goal of producing whole tree chips—not company (i.e., Pellerei Ago Srl) on a similar plantation, but with the main goal of producing whole a mix of logs and chips [23]
Summary
Short-rotation wood crops established with fast-growing tree species have gained growing favor with forest industries because they can offer the benefits of rationalized management, vicinity to the conversion plants and pre-defined product targets [1]. As the demand for engineered fiber products grows, so does the area of plantation forestry. This may soon double [2], and it eventually may account for 75% of the global wood supply by 2050 [3]. Modern wood industries often concentrate production in very large plants, with extreme raw material demands. These plants face a serious challenge when they try to obtain a steady fiber supply in very large volumes, especially that the wood market is undergoing profound structural changes [6]. Wood industries need a strategic raw material reserve they can control, in order to balance any eventual fluctuations in supply volume and price [7]
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