Increasing the Value Recovery from Short-Rotation Coppice Harvesting

Vanbeveren, Stefan P.P.; Magagnotti, Natascia; Spinelli, R.

doi:10.15376/biores.12.1.696-703

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…That explains why there are few studies on the integrated production of logs and biomass from short-rotation poplar plantations. The only study conducted on a similar system also used an excavator-based, tilting grapple saw, but it was geared to produce 2-m long logs and performed felling and crosscutting in a direct sequence, without motor-manual delimbing in between (Vanbeveren et al 2017). That study reports a slightly higher felling productivity (9 t SMH −1 vs. 8 t SMH −1 ) and a quite similar log yield (29%), thus offering general corroboration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Low-Investment Option for the Integrated Semi-mechanized Harvesting of Small-Scale, Short-Rotation Poplar Plantations

Spinelli

Magagnotti

Lombardini

et al. 2020

Small-scale Forestry

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In recent years, industrial roundwood production has enjoyed a steady success due to the development of a new bioeconomy and the rapid structural changes of the wood market. A very promising new solution for industrial fiber crops is the integrated production of logs and biomass in short rotation poplar plantations. In Europe, the expansion of these crops is concentrated in the Eastern regions, where contractors face strict limitations in their capital availability: hence the interest in developing semi-mechanized, low-investment harvesting systems based on general-purpose equipment that may serve as a stop-gap solution to assist the transition to fully mechanized systems. This study focused on designing and testing such a system, based on two low-cost machines (an excavator with a grapple saw and a second-hand forwarder) and requiring a minimum workforce (two operators only). The system was tested for productivity, cost and work quality, under two variants: production of 2 or 4 m logs. This system can produce approximately 3 loads (90 t) per day, at a cost between 14.5 and 16 € t −1 , from stump to roadside landing, ready for loading and transportation. The 4 m log variant was more efficient, resulting in a 10% cost reduction around 1.5 € t −1 . However, log yield was relatively low: between 1/3 and 1/4 of the total harvest, the balance consisting of lower-value biomass. The 2 m log treatment offered a higher log yield. The introduction of simple technology may allow increasing log yield and should be the subject of future research.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The system designed was a modification of the method already used by some logging contractors operating in northern Italy, and recently described by Vanbeveren et al (2017). The key equipment in this system is an excavator-based grapple-saw that is used to fell the trees and cut logs from the bottom part of felled stems.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Low-Investment Option for the Integrated Semi-mechanized Harvesting of Small-Scale, Short-Rotation Poplar Plantations

Spinelli

Magagnotti

Lombardini

et al. 2020

Small-scale Forestry

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“…The search for crops that would meet the criteria of sustainable development and make good raw material for bioenergy and bioeconomy has been the subject of numerous papers [34][35][36], many of which determined specific conditions for their cultivation [37], harvest [38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47], and factors affecting the crop per area unit [48] and the impact of cultivation on greenhouse gases (CHG) [49,50] and on the environment [51][52][53]. Mathematical methods were used by Bender et al [54], Hauk et al [55], Salles et al [56], and Sleight et al [57,58] to assess crop yields; by Havlíčková et al [59] to assess the SRC biomass price; and by Frank et al [60] to assess both the minimum selling price and net present value (NPV).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic Evaluation of the Production of Perennial Crops for Energy Purposes—A Review

2021

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Biomass is widely used for the production of renewable energy, which calls for an economic evaluation of its generation. The aim of the present work was to review the literature concerning the economic evaluation of the production of perennial crop biomass for energy use. Statistical analysis of the bibliographic data was carried out, as well as an assessment of methods and values of economic indicators of the production of perennial crops for bioenergy. Most of the papers selected for the review were published in the years 2015–2019, which was probably stimulated by the growing interest in sustainable development, particularly after 2015, when the United Nations declared 17 sustainable development goals. The earliest articles concerned the economic analysis of plantations of short rotation coppice; the subsequent ones included the analysis of feedstock production in terms of the net present value and policy. The latest references also investigated transport and sustainability issues. The crops most commonly selected for production cost analysis were willow, poplar, and Miscanthus. The cost of production of willow and poplar were similar, 503 EUR ha−1 year−1 and 557 EUR ha−1 year−1, respectively, while the cost of Miscanthus production was significantly higher, 909 EUR ha−1 year−1 on average. By analogy, the distribution of revenue was similar for willow and poplar, at 236 EUR ha−1 year−1 and 181 EUR ha−1 year−1; Miscanthus production reached the value of 404 EUR ha−1 year−1. The economic conditions of perennial crop production differed in terms of geography; four areas were identified: Canada, the USA, southern Europe, and central and northern Europe.

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The effect of cutting technique on the mortality and resprouting vigor of poplar stumps in short-rotation plantations

Spinelli¹,

Magagnotti²,

Lombardini³

et al. 2021

Can. J. For. Res.

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Mechanical felling is the cost-effective solution for harvesting short-rotation poplar plantations, but the damage inflicted by conventional shear cutting devices on tree stumps has raised concerns about stump mortality and re-sprouting vigor - both crucial to coppice regeneration. In order to determine if such concerns are justified, the experiment monitored the survival and resprouting vigor of eleven sample blocks, composed of two 10-stump row segments cut according to either of two methods: 1) lternately with a chainsaw (control) or 2) and with an excavator-mounted shear. The sample blocks were located within the same plantation, established 7 years earlier with hybrid poplars (Populus nigra x P. deltoides), belonging to the "AF8" clone. One year after cutting, no differences were found between treatments in terms of stump mortality, number of shoots per stump, shoot diameter at 30 cm from the insertion and shoot height. These results support the use of mechanical shears to fell short-rotation poplar coppice. However, further studies should be conducted on multiple fields and clones for a safe generalization of this preliminary study.

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Increasing the Value Recovery from Short-Rotation Coppice Harvesting

Cited by 4 publications

References 8 publications

A Low-Investment Option for the Integrated Semi-mechanized Harvesting of Small-Scale, Short-Rotation Poplar Plantations

A Low-Investment Option for the Integrated Semi-mechanized Harvesting of Small-Scale, Short-Rotation Poplar Plantations

Economic Evaluation of the Production of Perennial Crops for Energy Purposes—A Review

The effect of cutting technique on the mortality and resprouting vigor of poplar stumps in short-rotation plantations

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