Forwarder base units in mechanised planting

WHILE MECHANISED PLANTING MAY BE the latest buzzword, several speakers at ForestTECH pointed out difficulties arising from ground conditions, types of seedlings, erosion, irrigation, slope angle and the like.

Product Manager at Plantma Forestry, AB, Sweden, Christer Larsson, spoke remotely on trials of a new mechanised planting system, Plantma X which uses forwarder base units rather than the traditional excavator.

One of the main features of this system is the ability to do ground preparation and planting in one go. This means there is only one operation to coordinate and no need to wait for ground settling. The adaptable machine allows for flexibility in handling different seedlings and ground conditions, as well as preferences in plant spots and distances between plants.

Consistency and power as well as the easy addition of fertiliser, water and additives open up more options.

He added that spot scarification allows for scarifying only around the seedling, thus reducing erosion risk on slopes.

In perfect conditions, the machine has the capacity to plant a maximum of 3,000 seedlings per hour in continuous planting, with a seedling storage capacity of up to 30 000 depending on the size of the seedlings.

The distance between seedlings, how fast the machine can travel on the terrain while preparing the ground, and the size and shape of the area all impact productivity, said Mr Larsson.

Data collection provides information on planting spots, the operator, tree species and the like for later analysis and the trials demonstrated that the Plantma X handles slopes with ease, he added.