Forest builders for the good of the community

These two forest builders were headed to the same customer in the Far East. Many areas have varied terrain and different types of soil.

Since the purpose is to secure the vitality of natural seedlings' growth on the slope, the customer chose our SKB type with different tools such as a 3-fork ripper, tilt and mounding bucket. (the picture shows a U-bucket. The U- bucket is chosen especially in some flat areas with a hard pan that can be used to break it).

ASP works commercial planting in flat areas, below 25 degrees. There are difficulties in transporting different machines to the fields for cleaning, tilling, applying herbicides and fertilizing, so the choice of equipment was clear, just one machine.
The most common reason for purchasing our equipment is a lack of labour. However, at the same time, we can raise the standard of living of the workforce we use by providing training around the infrastructure of machinery.
Here are clear reasons to invest in mechanization, trees' vitality, and people's vitality.

Subsoiling and mortality

Why do we need soil preparation to achieve 0 mortality? In some countries and regions, planting forest seedlings without subsoiling is preferred. The reason for this is primarily the preservation of moisture in the ground.
Especially if manual planting is done with a shovel, this is a clear way of doing things. However, modern forestry makes it possible to use a machine for tillage. Often, forestry cannot be compared to agriculture, but tree seedlings and root crops are comparable.
Why, because if you subsoil together with planting, you can plant deep and compact the seedling well to avoid evaporation from the soil. The roots get a quick start, and the competition of the grass decreases.
We are on our way to 100% survival.

Weed mechanical control

 In my previous post, I talked about the importance of a properly done field establishment for weed control.

When done correctly - cultivation, the right kind of seedlings, and other actions are a good foundation for the future growth of the stand.

But grass and bushes grow and compete for light and nutrients with the target crop.

In a plantation environment with straight lines and row spacings designed for extraction, it’s easy to control grass mechanically. But we shouldn’t discount cutting in northern conditions - where efficiencies can be gained with a small combi- or compact excavator.

It’s wise to cut the grass and bushes with an efficient method before the final cut. This is because the quantity and quality of the cut wood improve, while the final cut is quick and inexpensive, which is critical for controlling cost when operating with an expensive harvester.

Weed control in early stage plantation

Weed control is one of the most challenging things in forest management. Especially when planting, it is important to use pre-emergence herbicide, but if it is not allowed to use herbicide? We can control the weed in two ways: tilling the soil and using large seedlings.
Surprisingly, the best time to plant in very fertile soils is winter, when the grass is not growing. The planted seedling is ready to wake up with the sun and gets a few weeks ahead of the grass. This can be decisive. With mechanical planting, the seedling pot can be made deep enough. thus it is safe from the ravages of winter. The development and growth of the seedlings can also be accelerated in various ways, such as slowly releasing fertilizers and bioaccelerators. 

 

Subsoiling machnery is one of our branches

 

Although we are profiled as a manufacturer of forest builders (planters) and digital systems, we are also a manufacturer of other soil preparation equipment. The pitting tool PT-6 has been a success in forestry. The device subsoil fertilizes and digitally marks the location and working time tracking. Combined with mechanical planting, where water gel is added with a light planting machine, we have reached steep slopes with good work speed. Two PT-6 devices and one PM-120 are great team, especially for slope work or slash areas.

According to our customer's research, the system gives at best a 30 per cent growth rate compared to manual planting and bucket tillage!
The picture shows a device built by our licensed
manufacturer, this also shows our willingness to cooperate in sales, maintenance and license manufacturing. We are at your service for all questions!

The ASTA system is the key to productivity

 Many countries already use our digital system for documenting the location of seedlings, called ASTA.

This system provides a wide range of information such as area, speed of site formation, number of sites and density. Several different types of work points can be added to the system such as pit, tree, and seeding points and generate different types of data and API interface data.

You should contact us to hear more, data is key to processes that contribute to work for the forest and the land.

Looking for a trainer!

 

We want to provide our customers with continuity and certainty in the operation. Now we are looking for a trainer who is involved in the installation and commissioning of the device and stays for a while to train the customer's drivers in operation, maintenance and work methods. The training takes place in the customers' forests, so the living situation must allow long periods of absence. Between the training periods, the workplace is at the premises of Risutec Oy, where the trainer also installs machines and produces material for the training. This is how we maintain the trainer's professionalism in product management. The prerequisite is good English language skills, good driving skills of an excavator and, of course, willingness to travel.

Interested? Contact: jussi.aikala@risutec.fi