Short rotation coppice7/26/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() If the site is suitable, it can be ploughed and power harrowed in mid-March, six weeks before planting. Ploughing should be to a depth of at least 25 cm. A minimum of ten days after treatment the site should be ploughed. On grassland and set-aside sites, an application of 3.0 l/ha Dursban will be needed for leatherjacket control. Allow sufficient time for regrowth to allow herbicide uptake. If the site has excessively heavy vegetation, it should be cut and removed. In September, there should be an application of herbicide (4.0 - 5.0 l/ha) while vegetation is still actively growing. SRC willow will potentially be in the ground for a minimum of twenty years, so thorough and careful site preparation is essential. However as it can grow to a height of 5 - 6m by harvest this needs to be taken into consideration. SRC willow will blend into the landscape in most situations. Furthermore it is expensive to rabbit fence small areas if required. Smaller blocks make it difficult for planting and harvesting. AreaĪ minimum area of two hectare blocks is recommended. The root systems of the willow will support the harvesters during cutting, but hard access is vital for the removal of cut willow from the site. It is essential to have hard access to the plantation, particularly for the movement of harvesting machinery in the winter. The production site should be less than 100m above sea level and have slopes of less that 13 percent. However, soil moisture and structure may have implications for harvesting machinery. Willow will thrive in wet soils but will not tolerate water logged anaerobic soils. Optimum growth is achieved with annual rainfall of 900 - 1,100 mm. Willow is a water demanding crop and needs soils with good water retention. Light sandy soils may have a problem with moisture retention and heavily organic soils should be avoided because of difficulties with initial weed control. Medium to heavy clay soils with good aeration and moisture retention are ideal, although it must be possible to cultivate to a depth of 25cm to enable mechanical planting. Willow will grow in most agricultural soils with a pH of 5.5 - 7.0. The coppiced stools that remain after harvest re-sprout to form multiple stems and can give dry matter yields in excess of 10 t/ha/yr depending on the site and the climate. Willow produces vigorous juvenile growth when it is coppiced, that is, cut back to ground level. While there are a number of candidate crops, willow is particularly well suited to Irish climatic conditions. Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) is the practice of planting woody crops at high density, which are harvested every two to three years. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |