PreprintArticleVersion 1This version is not peer-reviewed
Enhancing Silvicultural Practices: A Productivity and Quality Comparison of Manual and Semi-Mechanized Planting Methods in Commercial Forestry in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Version 1
: Received: 1 November 2024 / Approved: 4 November 2024 / Online: 6 November 2024 (02:39:40 CET)
How to cite:
Khoza, M. J.; Ramantswana, M.; Spinelli, R.; Magagnotti, N. Enhancing Silvicultural Practices: A Productivity and Quality Comparison of Manual and Semi-Mechanized Planting Methods in Commercial Forestry in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Preprints2024, 2024110143. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0143.v1
Khoza, M. J.; Ramantswana, M.; Spinelli, R.; Magagnotti, N. Enhancing Silvicultural Practices: A Productivity and Quality Comparison of Manual and Semi-Mechanized Planting Methods in Commercial Forestry in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Preprints 2024, 2024110143. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0143.v1
Khoza, M. J.; Ramantswana, M.; Spinelli, R.; Magagnotti, N. Enhancing Silvicultural Practices: A Productivity and Quality Comparison of Manual and Semi-Mechanized Planting Methods in Commercial Forestry in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Preprints2024, 2024110143. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0143.v1
APA Style
Khoza, M. J., Ramantswana, M., Spinelli, R., & Magagnotti, N. (2024). Enhancing Silvicultural Practices: A Productivity and Quality Comparison of Manual and Semi-Mechanized Planting Methods in Commercial Forestry in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0143.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Khoza, M. J., Raffaele Spinelli and Natascia Magagnotti. 2024 "Enhancing Silvicultural Practices: A Productivity and Quality Comparison of Manual and Semi-Mechanized Planting Methods in Commercial Forestry in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0143.v1
Abstract
Planting plays a significant role in commercial forestry. Labour-related issues (scarcity, increased wages, absenteeism, ageing and high turnover), inconsistent work quality, increased operational costs, and poor ergonomics prompted the development of innovative planting techniques. This study aimed to assess the productivity (plants/PMH), worker productivity (plants/worker PMH), work quality and tree survival of a manual and a semi-mechanised planting method. Two study sites at Flatcrown and Kwambonambi, consisting of 37 plots, were planted at 1333 stems per ha, alternating across the study sites. Block-level and elemental-level time studies were conducted, followed by work quality assessments. The manual method planted 7.23 ha/shift (Flatcrown) and 5.89 ha/shift (Kwambonambi), whilst the semi-mechanised method planted 4.72 ha/shift (Flatcrown) and 3.19 ha/shift (Kwambonambi). The manual method was 50 to 60% more productive (plants/PMH) than the semi-mechanised method. In terms of plants/worker PMH, higher worker efficiency of 30 - 40% was observed at the Flatcrown site, which was characterised by level terrain and low residue presence compared to the Kwambonambi site, which had a gentle (< 20%) terrain and medium residue presence. Planting quality was conducted according to planting specifications. The two methods did not significantly differ, although the study suggests that the proportion of good-quality plantings could be somewhat higher for the manual method. There was no significant difference in tree survival across methods and sites after one month.
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Sustainable Science and Technology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
