Planting rates and delays during the establishment of willow biomass crops

Biomass for bioproducts and bioenergy can be sourced from multiple sources. There is little information on commercial planting operations for willow biomass crops in North America. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the field capacities of two commercial machines (Step and Egedal Energy Planter) planting willow crops in northern New York State, determine the amount and distribution of delays. A study was conducted to evaluate planter activities. The two machines had similar mean field capacities (Cf) ranging from 0.89 to 1.14 ha h−1. Above-average rainfall in the later part of the planting season decreased Cf by over 20% for the Step planter from 1.14 to 0.91 ha h−1; largely due to delays in the headlands. Approximately 70% of the total delay time associated with the Step planter consisted of long-duration delays (>5 min) compared to 35% for the Egedal. Quality of planting stock was an issue for operations; undersized stems resulted in feeding issues. Several potential factors were identified for improved planting operations: loading stems and clearing feeding mechanisms at each turn, improved planting stock and quality control, improving machine design for wet conditions, and improved preparation for in-field repairs. In-field delays should be minimized to reduce demand on the crew and ensure a more uniform crop is established in the field.