Mechanized tree planting with an excavator-mounted M-Planter planting device

Laine, Tiina; Rantala, Juho

doi:10.1080/14942119.2013.844884

Cited by 12 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 8 publications

(27 reference statements)

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“…Nevertheless, simply understanding that efficient seedling logistics is also a responsibility of the forest company might lead to greater efforts by the forest company [18]. Similar to all mechanized forestry work [37,38], the operator's skill level has a profound effect on planting machine productivity [12,14]. Thus, profitable mechanized tree planting requires access to skilled operators.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cost-efficiency is hampered by low productivity, which originates from operator inexperience, among other reasons [12]. The choice of worksites also strongly influences productivity, and it has been reported that the presence of stones, slash, and stumps decreases the planting machines' productivity [13][14][15][16][17]. The size and spatial distribution of worksites also affects cost-competitiveness [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mechanized Tree Planting in Sweden and Finland: Current State and Key Factors for Future Growth

Ersson

Laine

Saksa

2018

Forests

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Abstract:In Fennoscandia, mechanized tree planting is time-efficient and produces high-quality regeneration. However, because of low cost-efficiency, the mechanization of Fennoscandian tree planting has been struggling. To determine key factors for its future growth, we compared the operational, planning, logistical, and organizational characteristics of mechanized planting in Sweden and Finland. Through interviews with planting machine contractors and client company foresters, we establish that mechanized tree planting in Sweden and Finland presently shares more similarities than differences. Some notable differences include typically longer planting seasons in Sweden, and a tendency towards two-shift operation and less frequent worksite pre-inspection by contractors in Finland. Because of similar challenges, mechanized planting in both countries can improve cost-efficiency through education of involved foresters, flexible information systems, efficient seedling logistics, and continued technical development of planting machines. By striving to have multiple client companies, contractors can reduce their operating radii and increase their machine utilization rates. Above all, our results provide international readers with unprecedented detailed and comprehensive figures and characteristics of Swedish and Finnish mechanized tree-planting activities. We conclude that cooperation between Sweden's and Finland's forest industries and research institutes could enhance the mechanization level of Fennoscandian tree planting.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanized Tree Planting in Sweden and Finland: Current State and Key Factors for Future Growth

Ersson

Laine

Saksa

2018

Forests

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“…A second recommendation would be that a careful appraisal of worksite suitability for mechanized planting is important because stoniness, stumps and slash debris significantly diminish productivity (Saarinen 2006;Rantala et al 2009;Rantala and Laine 2010;Laine and Rantala 2013;Ersson 2014). Also, by avoiding small worksites and optimizing the number of and distance between machine relocations, mechanized planting can become more efficient (Rantala et al 2009;Hallongren et al 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A survey of the Finnish mechanized tree-planting industry in 2013 and its success factors

Laine¹,

Kärhä²,

Hynönen³

2016

Silva Fenn.

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A survey of the Finnish mechanized tree-planting industry in 2013 and its success factorsLaine T., Kärhä K., Hynönen A. (2016). A survey of the Finnish mechanized tree-planting industry in 2013 and its success factors. Silva Fennica vol. 50 no. 2 article id 1323. 14 p. http://dx.doi. org/10.14214/sf.1323. Highlights• In 2013, 31 planting machines were operated by 22 businesses and planted 4.7 million seedlings on 2663 hectares in Finland.• Critical success factors included expertise of planting machine operators, high quality planting, adequate amount of work, stoniness, and removal of slash.• Growth of the industry will depend on improved cost-efficiency, appropriate worksites, marketing, development of planting machines. AbstractThe aim of the study was to update the information pertaining to mechanized tree-planting activity in Finland in 2013 and its success factors. All businesses providing a mechanized tree-planting service were interviewed and asked to describe their equipment and activities, identify critical success factors (CSFs), and suggest areas for improvement. In 2013, 31 planting machines (18 Bracke P11.a, 11 M-Planter and 2 Risutec) operated by 22 businesses planted approximately 4.7 million seedlings on 2663 hectares. CSFs included expertise of planting machine operators, high quality planting, adequate amount of work, stoniness, and removal of slash. Based on the survey, some recommendations for improving mechanized planting work can be made. Firstly, improving the cost-efficiency of mechanized planting is necessary to enhance businesses' profitability. Secondly, worksite selection is crucial as stoniness, stumps and slash debris diminish productivity. Lastly, the popularity of mechanized planting in the future will benefit from more marketing. Many businesses were unwilling to increase the area of service, invest in new equipment, or increase the volume of planting work but they believed that mechanized planting will become more popular in the near future.

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“…Mechanized tree planting is growing in Finland as well; there mainly because of dwindling supplies of manual tree planters and ambitions to decrease silvicultural costs (Rantala and Laine 2010;Laine and Rantala 2013). However, in both countries, mechanized planting tends to be more expensive than mechanized soil preparation and manual planting, and much of this added expense can be attributable to the planting machines' low productivities (Ersson 2010;Strandström et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reloading mechanized tree planting devices faster using a seedling tray carousel

Ersson¹,

Bergsten²,

Lindroos³

2014

Silva Fenn.

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Reloading mechanized tree planting devices faster using a seedling tray carousel Ersson B.T., Bergsten U., Lindroos O. (2014). Reloading mechanized tree planting devices faster using a seedling tray carousel. Silva Fennica vol. 48 no. 2 article id 1064. 14 p. Highlights• Seedling reloading onto the Bracke Planter crane-mounted planting device was twice as fast with the MagMat tray-wise-loaded carousel as today's seedling-wise-loaded carousel.• Tray-wise reloading combined with deplugging seedlings from suitable cultivation trays has the potential to be an efficient and robust way to feed seedlings on any type of tree planting machine. AbstractOn Nordic clearcuts, today's tree planting machines produce high-quality but costly regenerations. Much of this high cost is attributable to the planting machines' low productivity. One promising way of raising productivity is to lessen the time spent manually reloading seedlings onto the carousels of crane-mounted planting devices. Using MagMat, a carousel test-rig designed by engineering students, we studied how much faster tray-wise seedling reloading is on the Bracke Planter compared to reloading with today's seedling-wise-loaded carousel. The MagMat test-rig held eight Hiko cultivation trays from which seedlings were deplugged individually and dropped into the planting tube. The time study confirmed that seedling reloading was on average twice as fast with MagMat compared to today's seedling carousel, thereby increasing assumed planting machine productivity by 8-9% depending on the planting device used. MagMat's cost-efficiency was analysed to be particularly reliant on its added investment cost, mechanical availability and how quickly trays can be switched automatically. Nevertheless, MagMat's field performance illustrated the overall potential of tray-wise loading compared to piecewise seedling loading for increasing the productivity of crane-mounted planting devices. Also, deplugging proved to be a reliable method of extracting seedlings from the rigid, copper-painted Hiko cultivation trays even when performed at the excavator's boom-tip during mounding work. We conclude that, rather than piecewise seedling loading, tray-wise loading combined with deplugging seedlings from suitable cultivation trays is a reliable and much more time-efficient method to feed seedlings on probably any type of tree planting machine.

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Mechanized tree planting with an excavator-mounted M-Planter planting device

Cited by 12 publications

References 8 publications

Mechanized Tree Planting in Sweden and Finland: Current State and Key Factors for Future Growth

Mechanized Tree Planting in Sweden and Finland: Current State and Key Factors for Future Growth

A survey of the Finnish mechanized tree-planting industry in 2013 and its success factors

Reloading mechanized tree planting devices faster using a seedling tray carousel

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