project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Establishing trees in dense bracken
Establishing trees in dense bracken
Objectives
This project will trial techniques to cultivate strips of varying widths using different types of machinery suitable for working on steep ground. The treated strips will then be planted with trees and their subsequent growth monitored.
The project will run on two sites over two and a half years and will include ground preparation using a mini digger cutting shallow benches, a mini digger with cultivator attachment, a crawler tractor with cultivator, and a forestry scarifier and a robocut machine with a cultivator. Alternative techniques of post planting weeding will also be carried out for comparison such as a strimming, and manual bashing.
Objectives
Bydd y prosiect hwn yn treialu technegau i drin stribedi o amrywiol led gan ddefnyddio gwahanol fathau o beiriannau sy’n addas i weithio ar dir serth. Yna, caiff coed eu plannu yn y stribedi a chaiff eu twf ei fonitro.
Bydd y prosiect yn rhedeg ar ddau safle dros ddwy flynedd a hanner a bydd yn cynnwys paratoi’r tir gan ddefnyddio tyrchwr bach i wneud rhychau bas, tyrchwr bach ag offer tyrchu yn sownd wrtho, tractor bach ar draciau ag offer tyrchu, ynghyd â pheiriant digroeni coedwigoedd a pheiriant ‘robocut’ ag offer tyrchu. Defnyddir hefyd wahanol dechnegau o chwynnu cyn plannu er mwyn cymharu, technegau fel strimio, a churo ag offer llaw.
Activities
Four tree species saplings will be planted:
1) Sessile oak
2) Downy birch
3) Rowan
4) Sitka spruce
The majority of these saplings will be 45-60 cm in length which is the industry standard.The success of each technique will be monitored through survival and growth rate of the trees. A cost benefit of each technique will also be made and an estimate of the likely costs of each technique when employed on a larger scale. Once the trees become sturdier and grow higher than the bracken, the impact of the bracken will be sharply reduced. It is the first one or two years after planting where bracken competition is critical.
Activities
Bydd pedair o rywogaethau coed ifanc yn cael eu plannu:
1) Derw dail digoes
2) Bedw cyffredin
3) Criafol
4) Pyrwydd Sitca
Bydd y rhan fwyaf o’r coed ifanc hyn yn 45-60 cm o hyd, sef maint safonol y diwydiant.
Caiff llwyddiant pob techneg ei fonitro yn ôl cyfraddau goroesi a thwf y coed. Cyfrifir cost a budd pob techneg hefyd a byddwn yn bwrw amcangyfrif o gostau tebygol pob techneg pan gânt eu defnyddio ar raddfa fwy. Ar ôl i’r coed gryfhau a thyfu’n uwch na’r rhedyn, bydd effaith y rhedyn yn cael ei lleihau’n aruthrol. Yn y flwyddyn neu ddwy gyntaf ar ôl plannu y mae’r gystadleuaeth oddi wrth redyn fwyaf tyngedfennol.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014UK06RDRP004 United Kingdom - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Wales
Emplacement
- Main geographical location
- Powys
€ 43176
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
1 Practice Abstracts
The main method currently used to treat bracken prior to planting trees is by spraying Azulox herbicide, typically by helicopter. This is problematic as the safety warnings around the product are very strong and it is likely to be withdrawn from the market in the near future. There are also situations where its use is not permitted such as on organic land and or near watercourses or water supplies.
Bracken can be controlled by cultivation (and or ploughing). This method is rarely used on farms because of the difficulties of working on steep ground and the costs involved. However, there is specialised machinery that could be used for this purpose. Because trees are planted 2m to 3m apart it should be possible to prepare in strips rather than ploughing the whole slope.
This project will trial techniques to cultivate strips of varying widths using different types of machinery suitable for working on steep ground. The treated strips will then be planted with trees and their subsequent growth monitored.
The results will be relevant to both to conventional and organic farms and provided the proposed techniques are effective they are likely to see widespread adoption particularly at a farm scale. For large-scale woodland plantings the comparative costs of mechanical techniques versus helicopter spraying is likely become a more critical factor. However, mechanical ground preparation confers other advantages than bracken control alone and it is by no means a foregone conclusion that mechanical control would not be a more cost-effective option.
Y prif ddull a ddefnyddir ar hyn o bryd i drin rhedyn cyn plannu coed yw chwistrellu’r chwynladdwr Azulox, o hofrennydd fel arfer. Mae hyn yn achosi problemau oherwydd bod y cynnyrch yn gallu bod yn beryglus iawn ac mae’n debygol o gael ei dynnu oddi ar y farchnad yn y dyfodol agos. Ceir sefyllfaoedd hefyd lle na chaniateir ei ddefnyddio, megis ar dir organig a / neu ger cyrsiau dŵr neu gyflenwadau dŵr.
Gellir rheoli rhedyn drwy drin (a neu aredig) y tir. Anaml iawn mae’r dull hwn yn cael ei ddefnyddio ar ffermydd oherwydd ei bod yn anodd iawn gweithio ar dir serth ac oherwydd y gost. Fodd bynnag, mae peiriant arbenigol y gellid ei ddefnyddio at y diben hwn. Oherwydd bod coed yn cael eu plannu 2m i 3m oddi wrth ei gilydd, dylid bod modd paratoi’r tir mewn stribedi yn hytrach nag aredig y llethr cyfan.
Bydd y prosiect hwn yn treialu technegau i drin stribedi o amrywiol led gan ddefnyddio gwahanol fathau o beiriannau sy’n addas i weithio ar dir serth. Yna, caiff coed eu plannu yn y stribedi a chaiff eu twf ei fonitro.
Bydd y canlyniadau yn berthnasol i ffermydd confensiynol a ffermydd organig a chyn belled ag y bo’r technegau arfaethedig yn effeithiol, maent yn debygol o gael eu defnyddio’n eang ar ffermydd. Ar gyfer plannu coetir ar raddfa fawr, mae costau’r technegau mecanyddol o’u cymharu â chostau chwistrellu â hofrennydd yn debygol o fod yn ffactor mwy tyngedfennol. Fodd bynnag, mae paratoi’r tir drwy ddulliau mecanyddol yn esgor ar fanteision eraill heblaw am reoli rhedyn yn unig ac nid yw’n anochel o bell ffordd na fyddai dull rheoli mecanyddol yn ddewis mwy cost-effeithiol.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Helen Barnes
Project coordinator
Project partners
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Alison Wheeler
Project partner
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Andre Gallagher
Project partner
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Gareth Davies
Project partner
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Jeremy Dale
Project partner
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Prof. Richard Lucas
Project partner
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Rhys Owen
Project partner
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Sharon Thomas
Project partner
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Prof Robin Pakeman
Project partner