Heidi Hallongren, Ville Kankaanhuhta, Mikael Kukkonen. (2016). Cleaning Scots pine seedling stands with mechanical uprooters – a work quality comparison of two related devices. Silva Fennica vol. 50 no. 3 article id 1514. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1514

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; productivity; early cleaning; mechanized silviculture

Highlights: The productivity of the narrower modified device was significantly better than the wider original device; Work quality did not differ significantly between devices when stand characteristics, regeneration success and pre-existing damage were taken into account; Results indicate that mechanical uprooting devices may be further developed to a cost-effective alternative to motor-manual techniques for the early cleaning of direct seeded commercial Scots pine stands.

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Commercial forests require early cleaning to ensure the unhindered and uniform growth of crop trees. In order to be cost effective, non-crop vegetation should be uprooted to prevent their recovery. Performing this work manually is a labour-intensive task but it can be done mechanically. We evaluated the efficiency of two uprooting devices in direct seeded Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands ca. 1 m tall. Productivity and quality of the uprooting work was investigated across eight stands and ca. 160 sample plots in northern Karelia, eastern Finland. Time consumption of the uprooters was analyzed through a linear regression model and the work quality through a multilevel multivariate model in terms of the number of individual Scots pine seedlings, processing units (i.e., a bunch of seedlings to be harvested in the future) and broadleaves. The productivity of the narrower modified device was significantly better in terms of time consumption than the wider original device. Work quality did not differ significantly between devices when stand characteristics, regeneration success and pre-existing damage were taken into account. Results indicate that mechanical uprooting devices may be further developed to a cost-effective alternative to motor-manual techniques for the early cleaning of direct seeded commercial Scots pine stands.

Hallongren, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Management and Production of Renewable Resources, Juntintie 154, FI-77600 Suonenjoki, Finland E-mail: heidi.hallongren@luke.fi
Kankaanhuhta, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Management and Production of Renewable Resources, Juntintie 154, FI-77600 Suonenjoki, Finland E-mail: ville.kankaanhuhta@luke.fi
Kukkonen, University of Eastern Finland, School of Forest Sciences. P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: mikaelkukkonen@hotmail.com

article id 912, category Research article

Heidi Hallongren, Juho Rantala. (2012). Commercialisation and international market potential of Finnish silvicultural machines. Silva Fennica vol. 46 no. 4 article id 912. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.912

Keywords: mechanised silviculture; silvicultural device; market potential; commercialisation of technology

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Recently, the need to mechanise silvicultural operations has increased in the Nordic countries. While several new machine concepts have been developed, the manufacture of silvicultural devices remains at the market introduction stage. Information is required in support of existing and forthcoming Finnish small-scale producers of silvicultural devices, who wish to commercialise and further market their innovations in domestic and export markets. The aim of this study was to identify the opportunities, challenges and market potential of business activities that develop in connection with device or machine production. Small-scale Finnish manufacturers of silvicultural devices, Finnish large-scale harvester manufacturers and international silvicultural experts participated in the study. The results show that participant groups have varying opinions of cooperation methods and export activities, as well as of the export markets with the best potential. According to international silvicultural experts, mechanised planting and pre-commercial thinning have the greatest potential worldwide. However, demand for mechanised pre-commercial thinning and planting has been mainly confined to the Nordic countries. For a foreign firm marketing a new silvicultural machine concept, the most important customers and cooperation partners are locally operating forest firms, machine contractors and research organisations. The results of the study provide a useful overview of the current state of silvicultural device manufacturing in Finland.

Hallongren, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Suonenjoki Unit, Juntintie 154, FI-77600 Suonenjoki, Finland E-mail: heidi.hallongren@metla.fi
Rantala, Metsä Group, Tampere, Finland E-mail: juho.rantala@metsagroup.com

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