Work Inputs and Costs of Eradication of Energy Willow Plantation

Abstract

The objective of the paper was to determine the work expenditures and costs of eradication of an energy willow plantation with currently applied mechanical methods and with the use of the test model of a machine for cutting willow rootstocks as a part of the scientific project no. PBS2/A8/26/2014. The scope of the paper covered research for four machine units constructed for a twelve-year willow plantation with the surface area of 3 ha. Work inputs for eradication of the plantation of the investigated aggregates were within 8.1 to 50.4 mhr∙ha^-1. Work inputs with the new machine were 22.3 mhr∙ha^-1. The level of work inputs was influenced by low working speeds of the tractor-machine unit and working speeds from 0.4 to 2.3 m. Costs of willow plantation eradication with current mechanical methods were from 4302 to 15536 PLN ∙ ha^-1, and with the use of the new machine it was 5457 PLN ∙ ha^-1.