Planting and tending productivity comparison in mounds and disc trenches using containerized and bareroot coniferous seedlings

摘要

In 2016 more then 40,300 ha of forest was regenerated in Latvia, where 13,000 ha wereseeded or planted and 30,300 ha were left in natural regeneration. Before planting, usually one oftwo soil preparation methods are used – mounding or disc trenching. In areas with optimal waterregime, disc trenching is used, while in wet areas mounding is used. Tree planting and afterplanting tending is done manually by hand tools. The aim of the study was to compare plantingand tending productivity in different soil preparation methods (mounding and disc trenching) byplanting different stocktypes (containerized and bareroot seedlings). Planting time studies weredone in 12 sites and tending time studies in 8 sites. In planting time studies, different plantingoperations were measured and compared. In tending time studies, GPS devices were used, wherearea, distance and working time (productive and rest) was counted from GPS data. Averageplanting time for containerized seedlings in disc trenches was 10.3 seconds, while in mounds 9.2seconds per seedling, an 11% improvement. Average planting time for bareroot seedlings inmounds was 28.3 seconds, while in trenches – 18.2 seconds, a 35% improvement. Tending intrenches was done faster than in mounds. On average, one hectare tending time in mounds was8.4 hours, while in trenches 7.4 hours, an 11% improvement. Walked distance for 1 hectaretending in mounds was 5.4 km, 7% shorter than the distance of 5.0 km in trenches. Factors thatinfluence planting and tending productivity are soil preparation quality, logging residue, andwater level on the site. Data from planting and tending time studies could be used for better planwork activities and select suitable planting material for a particular soil preparation method.