Application of a slash-bundler for collecting harvest residues in Eucalyptus plantations.

There are different biomass harvesting technologies which can be classified based on the source of biomass, machinery and logistic. Slash-bundlers have been used in biomass utilization to collect forest harvesting residues. In Australia, the harvesting residues are estimated about 3 million cubic meters. Thus this study aimed to evaluate the productivity and cost of bundling operation, assessment of collected and left slash in the operation site and cost of site preparation in clear felled area of Eucalyptus nitens. In a distinct plot firstly raking the slash into windrow by tracked excavator was timed. Then continues time study method was applied to evaluate the bundling production. Work cycle of bundling operation included loading the slash, bundling, cutting and removing the bundles. Any working delay was recorded during the operations. After bundling the left slash per ha was measured using the systematic-random grid. This paper presents the site preparation, bundling costs and en- ergy content of bundles. The information regarding to collected and left slash in Eucalyptus plantations can be useful for planning the biomass utilization in future.