%0 Research article
%T The effect of two bucking methods on Scots pine lumber quality
%A Uusitalo, Jori
%A Kokko, Sampsa
%A Kivinen, Veli-Pekka
%D 2004
%J Silva Fennica
%V 38
%N 3
%R doi:10.14214/sf.417
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/417
%X Modern harvesters are equipped with measurement and bucking optimization  systems able not only to continuously measure the length and diameter  of the stem but also to predict the profile of the unknown part of a  stem and to calculate the optimal cross-cutting points for the whole  stem. So far, tree-bucking optimization in the Nordic countries has been  efficiently applied only with spruce because the quality of pine and  birch varies much more both within a stem and between stems. Since  limitations in the measuring equipment mean that the presence and  position of grade limits as well as additional defects in the stem will  normally have to be detected and estimated manually. Consequently,  optimization works inefficiently because the harvester operator is  continuously forced to disregard the cutting suggestions supplied by the  harvester’s automatic system. This paper presents the outcome of  research intended to define how change from the current quality bucking  principle to automatic bucking affects lumber quality. The study is  based on field experiments and test sawing data on 100 Scots pine (Pinus  sylvestris) stems from southwestern Finland in 2001. Automatic bucking  does not markedly lower the amount of good-quality lumber compared to  quality bucking. Since automatic bucking inevitably leads to log  distribution that matches the length requirements of customers better,  it may be regarded as appropriate for these harvesting conditions.