Sappi builds smart nurseries for a changing environment

Bongani Shozi the Nursery Manager welcomes the visitors to Clan Nursery

Sappi's nursery transformation began with a fundamental question: how could the company simultaneously reduce unit costs, improve productivity, increase survival rates of seedlings before and after planting, and minimise its reliance on chemicals for pests and disease control while mitigating climate change?

Wynand de Swardt, Sappi South Africa's Divisional Nursery Manager, says the answer lay in over 25 years of tree breeding at the Sappi Shaw Research Centre and a lean-driven approach to identifying areas for improvement in its four nurseries.

Extreme weather conditions and the noticeable shifting seasons with later summer rainfall are reducing or extending the planting season, depending on the location and site conditions of the plantations. Hence, there is a drive for developing drought, frost, disease tolerance, volume growth, and pulp yield.

Tree breeding

Traditionally, tree breeding programmes are initiated by making mass selections in commercial plantations. This is followed by grafting, collecting seeds, establishing provenance trials and then waiting 10 to 20 years for test data, depending on the species.

Damien Naidu, Sappi's General Manager of Research, Planning and Nurseries, says the company realised early on that the best climate change adaptation strategy is an accelerated and holistic tree breeding programme.

Molecular technology and biotechnology tools allow a breeder to recover progeny data from existing plantations, predict breeding values and identify genetically superior individuals at the initial stage of the breeding program, effectively speeding up improved growing stock by at least a decade.

Hybrids

The rapid shift from planting pure species to more productive, better adapted, and pest- and disease-resistant hybrids is transforming the profile of hardwood and softwood trees grown in Sappi's South African plantations.

Speaking at the recent Modern Silviculture Symposium: Silviculture 4.0 in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, Wynand said, "The main objective of a nursery is to have plants ready when customers need them. A nursery is a profit centre adding value to our operations by ensuring that quality seedlings are produced efficiently, safely, cost-effectively and in time by well-trained and engaged staff".

That is easier said than done. Nurseries must be resilient to meet the demand for plants in a shorter time while the costs of resources and labour escalate. These challenges are magnified by ageing nursery infrastructure, broken process flows and increasing risks from pests and diseases driven by the changing environment and a lack of approved chemicals.

A quicker turnaround time was critical for tree breeders and planners to cope with a globalised world's dynamic challenges and demands. Something had to change because Sappi's nurseries were not meeting their customers' demands and needs.

Sappi has four nurseries, Ngodwana and Escarpment Nurseries in Mpumalanga and Richmond and Clan in KwaZulu-Natal. They produced 57.5 million seedlings in 2023 (47 million in 2017), 43 million for Sappi's plantations and 14.5 million seedlings were sold to other growers. It also significantly increased external seed sales.

Wynand said the developments at Sappi's state-of-the-art Clan nursery at Albert Falls in the KZN midlands were central to rapidly deploying improved trees into the plantations. To get to this point, he gave the attendees at the silviculture symposium a brief history of the company's nurseries and some of the operational challenges that arose.

In the beginning

In October 1988, Sappi bought the Waterton Timber Company and its nursery in KwaMbonambi, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in October 1988. E. grandis was the primary genotype cultivated in open hedges and tables, which exacerbated its tendency to be disease-prone. Water supply was always a challenge. The nursery was later closed.

Construction work on the Ngodwana Nursery near Machadorp in Mpumalanga commenced between 1986 and 1989, and it soon produced 18 million seedlings a year. Improvements in tree breeding and processing technologies put pressure on the Ngodwana Nursery. In 2015, Sappi rebuilt it to deliver 10 million seedlings and 7 million cuttings.

"Our focus on productivity led to clonal development and we had to adapt the nurseries from producing plants from seeds to cuttings. Changing a nursery system is a significant investment in the future and involves the whole silviculture value chain", Wynand remarked.

The Richmond Nursery was established as a cost-effective operation in 1992, with 36 permanent staff producing 16.5 million seedlings. However, it suffered severe storm damage and, with a single borehole, ran into water supply issues.

Twello Nursery was acquired in 1996 near Barberton in Mpumalanga. The open root nursery produced P. patula, P. taeda and P. elliottii from seeds. Encouraged by the results of research into pine-cutting propagation, Sappi established a one million cuttings operation at Twello.

Escarpment Nursery was next and saw several changes, enlargement, and improvements, including the growth of hedges in bags and shade-netted structures over 25 years. It had a capacity of 3.2 million pine cuttings.

Clan Nursery

Wynand said Clan Nursery's development began in 2011 as a greenfield project. "The site was carefully selected to ensure sufficient electricity and water of the required quality and, importantly, it could provide employment for people from nearby communities".

In the first phase, Clan was designed to produce 7 million GU (E. grandis x E. urophylla) seedlings. In the second phase, it expanded to produce 17 million GU, GN (E. grandis x E. nitens) and PPTL (P. patula × P. tecunumanii low elevation) seedlings.

Going lean

When it was time for phase two, Wynand explained, they formed a multi-disciplinary team led by a process engineer. They did value stream mapping, time studies, root cause analysis and fault tree analysis.

The outcomes were two main goals:

Increase rooting efficiency by 15%
Increase the survival rate of seedlings without relying on chemicals.

"Our lean team identified focus areas and developed a lean action plan. The objective was to reduce unit costs and increase revenue. Numerous time and work studies highlighted areas that would boost productivity. For example, time studies showed that it took, on average, 2,5 hours to get cuttings from the rooting hedges to propagation and into the germination tunnels".

Rooting efficiency

Wynand said, "In 2013, we engaged with Ellepot because rooting efficiency is critical", he said. Instead of planting a seedling into a plastic insert in a Unigrow tray, Ellepot is a plug wrapped in degradable paper that is not removed when planting".

An Ellepot FlexAIR propagation system was installed. The machine automatically deposits the growing medium onto the paper, encloses and glues the paper around the medium to form the pot shapes and places it into the trays reading to receive the cuttings.

The Ellepot system facilitates benefits, including an air-pruned root system and a stabilised plug that can be handled early in the nursery cycle. It is also well suited to manual and mechanised planting in the field.

Sappi and Ellepot invested months in developing a tray system for the Ellepots that met Sappi's unique requirements. Bongani Shozi, Clan's Nursery Manager, said the many benefits of the new trays include perfectly formed root architecture, ease of handling, and no time wasted searching for inserts infield and washing trays and inserts when they return from the field.

"The biggest benefit for us is that we can get the plants out of the nursery two weeks earlier than before. We have reduced the transit time and transplant shock. The less stress there is, the better the rooting and less mortality because the plants capture the pit quicker and easier", remarked Bongani.

Productivity

Between September 2023 and September 2024, Clan's system changes included:

Raising the mother hedge beds to improve ergonomics for the people taking the cuttings and limit pests and diseases
Installing pad and fan heating and cooling systems in the tunnels. It consists of exhaust fans at one end of the greenhouse and a pump circulating water through and over a porous pad installed at the opposite end. This cools the environment, benefiting the plants and the cutting and setting teams to work in the greenhouse.
Moving the cuttings setting team into the hedge tunnels and installing roller conveyors to speed up the propagation process.
Improving hygiene in the rooting tunnels by replacing the pebbles with a concrete slab.
Hang insect traps to monitor the types of pests and identify changes.
Stricter quality control using sensors and seedling height measurements
Building an additional germination camp block

Wynand said the outcomes of these changes are "just a step towards sustainability".

The nursery facility now has a massive solar system with 2,5 hours of battery capacity, generators, and an upgraded pump room. Water is recycled, and the irrigation systems are optimised. Water storage was increased to five days.

The Ellepots produce 75% of the product, and the Unigrow trays and inserts are used to increase production. The changes have increased Clan's Ellepot production to 28,000 pots per hour. Wynand said Bongani and his teams had an initial target of 17 million per year, which has been pushed to 20 million.

Sappi's Escarpment and Ngodwana nursery upgrades are complete, and Richmond's is underway. Sappi's nurseries are integrated with its research and existing and new technologies to manage risk and improve silviculture practices and diversification into new processes, technologies and markets.

By Joy Crane

Silviculture at scale in Brazil

Dr Alex Freitas and Bruno Reis of Brazil’s largest eucalyptus forestry company, Suzano, presented an overview of forestry in the country. Brazil’s resources and investment in silviculture technologies are mind-blowing compared to South Africa.

Because of the scale of their activities, Brazil’s forest owners increasingly rely on automated nurseries and mechanised planting. For them, nursery production automation is not a matter of whether it can be applied but rather when it will be used.

Suzano has four experimental nurseries geographically positioned in its main plantation areas. Suzano’s Towards 2030 high-tech nurseries strategy is focused on automating each step of the clonal development and production processes.

The company was the first adopter of Ellepot propagation systems and paper pots outside Scandinavia. It combines the Ellepot paper pot and staking system with robotic materials handling, RFID tagging, humidity sensors and electroconductivity within the germinating and hardening-off tunnels.

Freitas says they are now researching the optimal height of the seedlings and seedling trays for mechanised planting systems. They found that the survival rate of seedlings larger than 36cm used in mechanised planting was sub-optimal.

The company uses ArcGIS Survey 123 to evaluate seedling quality over time and provide traceability data for each seedling. Seedlings between 15cm and 25cm have a survival rate of 28 days regardless of the seedling tray (plastic or paper pots).

Brazil’s numbers

R$105 billion (R330 billion) investment in expansion projects.
R$12,7 billion (R40 billion) in exports.
4,92 billion tons of CO₂ stockpiled.
2,69 million direct and indirect jobs.
10,6 million hectares of certified area.
6,91 million hectares of conservation land.
87% renewable energy sources.
10,2 million hectares of afforested areas. The end-use distribution is 4% panels and floors, 11% charcoal, 36% pulp and paper, and 3% lumber.
38% of the forestry owners are independent producers.
8% are investors.

Suzano’s Investment in RD&I projects is R$122 million (R380 million)

Process optimisation 30%: Energy efficiency, new feedstocks, new soil management practices and forestry.
Use of technologies 20%: mechanisation, automation, robotisation of crop treatments and software development for climate prediction and management.
Forest genetic improvement 9%: new species and hybrids focused on water defiance, frost risks and increased wood density.
Product development is 27%: bioproducts, technological fertilisers, new forest fibres, and new markets for cellulose.
Other innovations are 14%: circular economy, waste reduction, reduction, and neutralising carbon emissions.

Suzano’s nurseries in numbers

One of the largest consumers of eucalyptus seedlings in the world.

500 million seedlings annually.
1,5 million seedlings per day.
63 genetic materials.
50 partner nurseries working within a radius of 577km.
The operational capacity is 155 million seedlings in paper pots per year.
250 000 hectares planted per year.

The supply chain of 500 million seedlings per year is from:

26% alliance nurseries.
27% borrowed nurseries.
19% own nurseries.
28% bought seedlings.

Suzano uses pXRF proximal sensing, which NASA uses to characterise the soils. The analysis lasts only 60 seconds, generates no chemical residues and avoids a cost of about R$ 1 million/year for the company. It is expected to internalise 100% of the soil and plant analyses.

(Exchange rate: B$1 = R3,15 on 13 Nov 2024)

The journey to modern silviculture systems

Muedanyi Ramantswana informs the crowd about the order of business at the field day

The second day of the Silviculture 4.0: Smart Technology from Nursery to Field conference moved from focusing on nurseries to the nitty gritty of getting the plants into the prepared soil and ensuring their survival as cost-effectively as possible.

The three-day event was hosted by Nelson Mandela University (NMU's) Forsilvitech, represented by Ellepot South Africa's Shaun Biggs and Dr Muedanyi Ramantswana of NMU. Modernisation and automation of silviculture operations, global trends, soil preparation for planting, planting systems, weeding, fertilising, remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and productivity were the main topics under the microscope.

Mondi

A regular speaker at precision forestry events, Dr Dean Da Costa from Mondi described the background to Mondi's journey in modernising its silviculture operations since 2012. He said the drivers are safety considerations such as ergonomics, productivity, quality, social responsibility and cost savings.

Dean said Mondi's strategic modernisation goal was to "Optimise timber volumes by growing the correct tree species on a sustainable basis through planned and documented processes".

The technical aspect focuses on overcoming steep slope and rough terrain challenges, integrating pitting, planting, and fertilising technologies, and considering the costs of mechanised and semi-mechanised operations on productivity and quality improvements.

The move from manual to motor-manual or mechanised silviculture improves working conditions, eliminates safety risks, upskills the workforce and improves productivity.

Dean emphasised the need for a clear silviculture strategy because it impacts the company's value chain. Mondi has and continues to invest in research site genotype matching, residue management, site preparation, planting, blanking, coppicing, plant maintenance and forest protection.

Sibusiso Sibanyoni presented Mondi's modern pre-canopy weeding operations. The company has embraced technologies including various boom sprayers, tracked John Deere and New Holland tractors, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) (commonly known as drones), boom sprayers with lances or dribble bards and manual tools.

Sibusiso said the next step is enhancing data analysis capabilities using digital tools, integrating systems, partnerships with machinery and herbicide manufacturers, and standardising operations.

Global trends

Dr Muedanyi Ramantswana from NMU spoke about the global modern silviculture trends. The change drivers are health and safety, escalating costs, quality and productivity improvements, social challenges, environmental issues and better adherence to certification body requirements.

Muedanyi said that globally, in 2035, most silviculture operations will still be manual; however, technology will influence them. Companies must be well informed about the latest technologies, have a clear silviculture strategy, constantly gather and analyse data from their operations, and adapt and improve.

Mulching

Dr Jacob Crous from Sappi Forest's land management research programme spoke about the benefits and disadvantages of mulching on early tree growth. Soil fertility is a concern because the treatments impact soil's chemical, physical and biological properties.

Sappi's research found that mulching improves soil moisture in dry conditions and conserves organic matter and nutrients. The survival rate of trees planted in burnt soil was 79.8% compared with 88.9% in mulched soil.

Jacob acknowledged there are downsides to mulching apart from its expense. However, "mulching should be the preferred slash-management practice. More research is needed to understand why not all sites respond positively to mulching, find ways to reduce mulching costs and find equipment that can work on steep slopes".

Mechanised planting

Dr Rafael Ribeiro Soler from Bracke Forest's presentation was about flat, moderate, and steep terrain planting technologies. He introduced the Bracke planters for excavators, which feature a slow-release fertiliser applicator and irrigation options.

Bracke P11.b for 14 and 20-ton excavators can plant up to 300 seedlings per hour. It holds seedling containers with a standard capacity of 196 seedlings (60mm) and an option for 100 seedlings (75mm).
Bracke P12.b for 20 to 24 tons excavators plants up to 250 seedlings per hour.
Bracke P22.b is designed for excavators weighing 24 tons and planting up to 600 seedlings per hour, with a similar container plant capacity to the P11.b and P12.b.
The D61 planter is coupled to the Komatsu D61 bulldozer for application on flat terrain. The planting unit weighs 950kg and can plant up to 900 seedlings per hour. It has georeferencing capabilities for accurate planting.

Fanie Viljoen from Novelquip Forestry shared insights on the company's journey towards a mechanised planter where the focus is on quality before quantity.

In 2021, Novelquip partnered with Ponsse and Epec to develop the world's first forwarder-based planter. The concept machine has been tested in South Africa and by Suzano in Brazil. It consists of a four-head planter built on the Ponsse Buffalo forwarder featuring four self-contained planting units.

The fully automatic machine feeds seedlings from cassettes to the planting heads that make the pits, place the seedlings, firm the soil, irrigate and restart. It has two planting modes:

Plant only achieves 1100 seedlings per hour
Pit and plant achieve 640 seedlings per hour.

The machine operates for 95 minutes before it needs to be replenished in the field in a process that takes about 12 minutes.

Fanie said the present planting quality achieved with the concept machine is 90%; however, they are pushing for 98%.

Data-driven technology

Duncan Fryer from Stihl continued the emphasis on technology. He spoke about the Stihl Smart Connector, a cloud-based system that captures the machines' usage data and transmits it via Bluetooth to the STIHL Connected App on a smartphone or tablet within range. The App stores and submits the data to the Stihl cloud via Wi-Fi or mobile network. The portal allows for easy management of fleet performance and management data.

Roedolf Nieuwenhuis from Cropwatch Africa discussed using advanced data-driven technology for pest and disease detection. High-resolution satellite imagery enables large-scale monitoring of forest areas. Drones with multispectral or thermal sensors enhance this data by conducting aerial surveillance. Geographic information system (GIS) mapping integrates the data to identify pest hotspots and disease-prone zones.

Ground-based sensors and weather stations provide critical real-time data on local microclimates. Roedolf said modern forest managers should combine advanced technologies and AI for a holistic, data-driven approach to early detection, precision interventions, sustainable practices, and adaptive management of pests and diseases.

Santiago Ferrando from Uruguay spoke about the benefits of using the STA logger system. It is an integrated data logging attachment that fits certain knapsack and boom sprayer brands. It records the location, time, herbicide application events, and area sprayed and categorises data into groups (like weed types).

Data is uploaded to the cloud, processed and delivered to his desktop or mobile device. It assists decision-making, letting his company achieve 95% traceability in planting, replanting, and replacement operations.

Chemical applications

Sean McKenzie from Silvix spoke about the operational productivity of infield equipment and ergonomic standards for operator comfort and efficiency. He highlighted a few of the company's products:

The motorised 15-litre knapsack is equipped with a 3m aluminium boom with different nozzles and application rates
The ergonomic FAKA Plenty planting tool and the 18-litre Squam backpack.
The Bendi Bar for direct application of glyphosate without drift

Sean introduced the company's latest product, the Nutree Bag, a precise fertiliser application. One bag in the hole while planting contains enough controlled-release fertiliser for a year.

Matt Houghting from PACSys said the benefits of using drones (RPAS) in silviculture operations are invaluable. Drones can be programmed to deliver precise amounts of pesticide in specified areas. There is limited spray drift because it is as low as 3m above the plants. It is productive, fuel-efficient and safe. He put the 40-litre drone through its paces on the field day in a demonstration that impressed the attendees.

Comparisons

NMU MSc student Mduduzi Junior Khoza discussed his research comparing the operational productivity and quality of manual and semi-mechanised planting methods. It compared manual planting tubes (pitless) and semi-mechanised high-pressure planting methods on burnt areas with different slash loads.

The results found higher productivity for the manual method (50 and 60% higher) across the different slash conditions. Regarding planting quality, both methods achieved high planting success rates (90%), with manual planting having a slight edge (+3%). Junior concluded that while manual planting methods continue to be productive, there is significant potential for semi-mechanised approaches in certain conditions, supporting ongoing initiatives to modernise planting techniques.

Aphelele Angel Goldsmith from Stellenbosch University said his research aimed to assess the effectiveness of slash burning and disc harrowing on fuel load and stand productivity of Eucalypts in Mpumalanga.

Angel found disc harrowing played a crucial role in fire management by breaking the horizontal continuity of fuel, which reduces the fire spread rate and fuel loading, thereby lowering fire intensity. However, the study noted a lack of quantified evidence regarding the long-term effects of these practices.

The study highlighted that repeated disc harrowing and prescribed burning influence root distribution patterns, significantly affecting the overall growth of Eucalyptus grandis × nitens, tree stand density, volume, and biomass production.

The last speaker of the event was Thembinkosi Zulu from NMU. He compared the operational productivity of pitting machine operators on burnt and mulched sites while also assessing the quality of the pits they produced in depth and diameter.

Using an M-PAT single-head pitting machine mounted on a Volvo EC55B compact excavator, data was collected from two compartments with similar terrain and soil types but different residue statuses (90% burnt versus 80% mulched). Each operator was assigned 10 plots, with 160 pits per plot, and productivity and pit quality were recorded.

The results showed that mulched sites had higher productivity (158 pits/plot) than burnt sites (136 pits/plot). More experienced operators consistently outperformed others, with productivity ranging from 200 to 600 pits per hour. Pit quality was strongly linked to operator experience rather than the specific site conditions, with more experienced operators producing a higher proportion of good-quality pits.

Thembinkosi concluded that operator experience significantly impacts productivity and pit quality and that marking planting positions on mulched sites increased efficiency.

By Joy Crane & Justin Nyakudanga

The journey to smart propagation systems

Advances in manual, semi-mechanised, automated and robot-assisted silvicultural technologies were discussed at the modern silviculture symposium, and it seems the common global thread in commercial nurseries is the Ellepot paper pots propagation system.

It is used extensively in South America and has taken root in South Africa, where it is used by most large forestry and horticultural nurseries. In New Zealand, Scion and forestry companies like Timberlands are experimenting with moving away from bare root hedges and using paper pots and containerised stock.

Underscoring the move to modernised nurseries is data collection and analysis and appropriate reactions. Speaking at the symposium, Dr Sascha Beck-Pay suggested that forestry nurseries join the Seedling Growers Association of South Africa (SGASA) and use its auditing system to add value to their nursery management practices.

Suzano

Suzano’s Dr Alex Freitas and Bruno Reis described the strategic and operational benefits of automating nurseries, paper pots and mechanised planting systems in Brazil. Suzano is Latin America’s largest paper and pulp company and celebrates its centenary this year.

Bruno and Alex said the company invests in research, development and innovation to mitigate climate change, the shortage of labour caused by mass urbanisation, increasing costs and challenges of managing the seedling supply chain over a vast geographic spread.

The company harnesses strategic nursery alliances, genomics, software, sensors, drones, aircraft, artificial intelligence (AI) and data from sources that include NASA to model, develop and implement high-tech, traceable and site-specific clonal forestry.

Ellepot

Wynand de Swardt of Sappi, Geert Maris of TTA, Joep Hendricks of ISO Horti Innovators, Darcy Werneck and Darren Stone of Ellepot and Craig Ford of Timberlands spoke about changing propagation regimes and automation and materials handling in “smart” nurseries.

Wynand, Sappi Forests Nurseries Divisional Manager, explained how the changing forestry environments, customer needs, technologies, employee health and safety, and production costs prompted Sappi’s journey to build intelligent nurseries.

He described the improved nursery systems Sappi is implementing and how ellepot propagation systems are integral to the process.

Darren and Darcey from Ellepot highlighted the significance of using Ellepots. They said Ellepot is a disruptive technology that has changed forestry nurseries for 20 years.

It reduces propagation time by 15%, optimises space and resources in the nursery, and increases seedling survival rate by 20-30% on marginal sites, saving money and resources on blanking and mortalities infield.

Geert of TTA in the Netherlands said that the country’s horticulture industry is facing issues including declining seed quality, rising cost of labour, and the lack of manual labour for nurseries. These challenges have necessitated innovations such as automated nursery propagation, seedling handling and transport systems.

Irrigation

Shaun of Ellepot SA emphasised the importance of managing irrigation in forestry nurseries. “I believe 90% of plant issues are caused in the nurseries”.

Irrigation systems must be well-designed and built around the macro- and micro-climate needs of the plants. The macro climate is influenced by the greenhouse design and climate control tools.

Nursery managers must understand the micro-climate because the pot dimensions, Ellepot paper and substrate properties affect the air-to-water ratio. “We must be more on the ball with irrigation when using paper pots”, he commented.

Moisture levels must be constantly managed, the data collected and processed and decisions made as quickly as possible. “Technology is moving fast, and sensors are getting cheaper”, Shaun said. “AI is coming in and giving us powerful environmental control tools. However, nothing beats letting the roots do the talking”, he advised.

Research in New Zealand

Craig is the Nursery Operations Manager at Kaingaroa Timberlands in New Zealand. He presented the research undertaken by the company in comparing the New Zealand standard practice of bare root production with containerised production.

Bare root production is manual labour intensive with highly seasonal production and planting times. The industry considers bare-root planting stock tough and containerised planting stock “softer. However, labour costs are escalating, temperatures are increasing with less predictable rainfall, fewer permitted chemicals and poor water management all contribute to containerised stock opportunities.

Craig said the research was done using two containerised and two barefoot treatments. The containerised systems with the TS48 trays, paper pots and ellepot trays. Clones in Ellepots lifted 11% higher than the identical clones in bare-root nurseries (62% vs 51%). Two clones in Ellepots were dispatched in May at 76% and 66%. They are usually ready only in September.

“Global and local experience has highlighted that the Ellepot system provides further advantages over other containerised systems”, he said.

Research in SA

Dr Ullrich Hechter discussed Mondi’s tests comparing paper pots with Unigro 128 inserts using Sutherland media or an Eucalyptus clone and seedling on a poor site at Dumbe. The control was Unigro 128 with Mondi media and no fertiliser.

The first objective was to test the robustness of paper pots in terms of initial survival using “single-pass planting” with semi-mechanised planting equipment to ascertain the potential to fully mechanise planting in the future.

The second objective was to evaluate tree survival and growth for two different root plug types to determine which root plug combination is the best suited for the implementation of “single-pass planting” (>95 % survival at three months). The third objective was determining which root plug type best suits fully automated planting.

Ullrich said they found planting paper pots more efficient because there is less handling. Also, paper pot root plugs are more consolidated, retain moisture better and have more active white roots than plastic insert root plugs. Significantly, paper pot root plugs are hardier than plastic insert root plugs and can withstand more mishandling, especially using semi-mechanised and fully mechanised planting systems.

He concluded that there are potential benefits of using paper pots for re-establishment purposes.

Three-month results at Dumbe show that paper pot plugs outperform Unigro 128 plugs in initial survival and growth, promoting “single-pass planting”. The reasons for this may lie with the improved survival of paper pot plants due to better quality root plugs and improved robustness.

Twelve-month results show that paper pot plugs improve growth and uniformity compared to Unigro 128 plugs, which is significant for seedlings and not for clones. Ullrich cautioned, “Determining final yield gains through paper pots and control release fertiliser requires monitoring for at least a rotation. However, early canopy closure results may indicate the potential improvement at the rotation end.

Labour

The question arising from the first day of the conference: How do we balance automation of operations and the social responsibility of employing communities living around tree plantations? How can the global forestry community marry advancement in nursery technology with semi- and skilled labour and address unemployment in rural areas?”.

By Joy Crane & Justin Nyakudanga

SA made Wuhlf mulcher put through its paces

*The Wuhlf 960-2 wheeled mulcher is designed and manufactured in South Africa for African conditions.*

The Wuhlf team put their big Wuhlf 960-2 wheeled mulcher through its paces at York’s Jessievale plantation in Mpumalanga in late October under close scrutiny from York’s forestry team as well as Brad Shuttleworth of Forestry Solutions, who was there to do a detailed productivity study to gauge its performance.

The Wuhlf 960-2 wheeled mulcher is a 276kW machine designed and manufactured by Pretoria-based Wuhlf Equipment. According to the Wuhlf team it compares favourably with any of the imported mulchers in terms of durability, reliability and productivity, with an additional advantage: It is designed and manufactured in SA specifically to suit conditions in Africa, so the purchase price is significantly cheaper than comparative imported machines while the spares, maintenance and technical skills required to keep it working productively are available on our doorstep. Electronics on the mulcher are kept to a minimum and there is no high-tech computer gadgetry requiring specialised skills to maintain. The machine can be repaired and serviced by any qualified hydraulic and diesel mechanics.

*This compartment has been mulched clean after clear felling, and is ready for the planting operation to follow.*

The Jessievale trials saw the mulcher clean up the stumps and slash left behind four months after clearfelling 20-25 year old Pinus patula grown for sawlogs. The slash conditions were ranked in three classes for purposes of the trial: Light slash; Medium; and Difficult (with big branches, stumps & high slash piles):-

Pass length	Light	Medium	Difficult
100 m	2.0 hrs/ha	2.6 hrs/ha	3.5 hrs/ha
200 m	1.8 hrs/ha	2.4 hrs/ha	3.3 hrs/ha
300 m	1.7 hrs/ha	2.3 hrs/ha	3.2 hrs/ha

Above is a quick snapshot of the time trial results. Note that the shorter the pass length the more time it takes to mulch a hectare due to the increased number of turns that the machine has to make. Also note that Brad said that the mulcher operator used in the trial was relatively inexperienced, and he would expect that a more experienced operator would improve productivity by 10-15%.

*The Wuhlf mulcher busy mulching the post-harvest slash.*

The aim of the mulching operation is to reduce the slash and stumps to a mulch blanket which covers the soil and protects it from erosion and moisture loss, while providing easy access for the pitting and planting operations to follow. Mulching also eliminates the need for a controlled burn of the slash which carries a fire risk and can damage the soil.

According to Wuhlf Sales Executive Grant Moodley, the 960-2 performed well at Jessievale and the York team were suitably impressed. It was trialled on compartments with light, medium and heavy slash to properly gauge its performance under different conditions.

Wuhlf started designing and building mulchers in 2013 and have a number of different machines in production including a T90 tracked mulcher for use in under-canopy mulching, a 930 (129 kW) medium size wheeled mulcher and the big 960-2 wheeled machine.

*These stumps have been reduced to ground level.*

The mulcher heads, canopies, hydraulic pipes and brackets etc are manufactured in-house, the Danfoss hydraulic pumps are sourced from a local manufacturer, while the chassis, wheels, gearbox, diffs and engine are imported. The machines are assembled in the Wuhlf manufacturing facility in Pretoria. The mulchers come with a 12 month/1 000 hours warranty, with more extended warranty options available.

The Wuhlf mulchers will be on show at the Focus on Forestry Conference taking place in Karkloof in the KZN midlands from 7-9 November, so go along to meet the team and see the mulchers in the flesh.

Big boost for the bakkie-sakkie

*Compact and powerful … the new bakkie sakkie is a result of collaboration between Anco Manufacturing and Husqvarna.*

Every land manager knows that early detection and rapid response is the best method for keeping your property safe from wildfires. Often the first person to arrive at a wildfire is a forester or farmer with a ‘bakkie sakkie’ which is able to get close enough to the fire to extinguish it before it gets big, dangerous and out of control.

Those precious few minutes provide a window of opportunity that can make the difference between a minor fire statistic and a major wildfire disaster. It’s at times like this that the forester/farmer wants to know that the bakkie sakkie on the back of his vehicle is armed and loaded and ready to deploy a jet of water with enough velocity to kill the fire quickly and efficiently.

Now two heavy-weight equipment suppliers - Husqvarna and ANCO Manufacturing - have collaborated in an exciting partnership to develop a highly effective, robust and reliable 'Bakkie Sakkie' mobile firefighting unit that is well adapted to combating veld and forest fires.

Ruan van Schalkwyk, Husqvarna's Area Business Manager for Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and the project's pointsman, explains: "The concept is simple yet remarkably ingenious. ANCO designed a water tank engineered to be mounted at the rear of a bakkie (pickup truck). Powered by a robust Husqvarna multi-purpose engine (MPE) and a high-capacity water pump, the result is a mobile firefighting unit that can be rapidly deployed to combat fires, even in the most remote and challenging terrains.”

The key component of this firefighting innovation is the Husqvarna HH 163 MP multi-purpose engine, known for its reliability and robustness. It features a powerful 163cc petrol engine that is durable, water, and rust-resistant, making it ideal for the 'Bakkie Sakkie' unit.

“This engine is built to withstand the harsh conditions often encountered during firefighting,” says Ruan.
One of the standout features of the HH 163 MP is its optimised combustion chamber and air vent, resulting in lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions during operation.

Casper Pieterse, the Operations Manager at ANCO Manufacturing, says that the decision to partner with Husqvarna was an easy one. “The idea for the collaboration originated with Husqvarna South Africa’s Managing Director, Pieter Smuts. When it was presented to us, we recognised the potential of their product powering the ‘Bakkie Sakkie’, offering farmers a game-changing, reliable solution to the very real and ongoing threat of veld fires.”

Anco Manufacturing is a proudly South African company that specialises in the manufacture of a variety of fire fighting units and equipment as well as silviculture equipment used in forestry, such as mechanised boom planters.

By combining the ‘Bakkie Sakkie’ with the HH 163 MP multi-purpose engine that fits snugly on the back of a bakkie, farmers and foresters can respond swiftly and effectively to fires, making all the difference in containing a blaze before it escalates.

“Husqvarna has an impressive reputation for reliability, and we are confident that by combining our manufacturing expertise with Husqvarna’s powerful MPE, we have a dependable resource that will deliver optimal performance when it’s needed most,” adds Casper.

The partnership between Husqvarna and ANCO Manufacturing has positioned both companies as innovators in firefighting technology. Their commitment to creating an effective product that will assist professionals, as well as farmers in their firefighting efforts, showcases their ongoing dedication to finding creative solutions that also maximise safety. The ‘Bakkie Sakkie’ represents a new standard in innovation and another step forward in ensuring that first responders have the tools they need to access and attack fires before they get away.

For more information on the HH 163 MP or to view Husqvarna’s range of products, visit https://www.husqvarna.com/za/

Phillip Mpangela – guardian of the KwaMbo forests

*Phillip Mpangela (right) and Muzi Sibiya discussing forestry business.*

Story and photos: Samora Chapman

Phillip Mpangela has been growing trees in KwaMbonambi, northern KwaZulu-Natal, for 25 years. He started working in the family forests alongside his father in 1997, immediately after finishing high school. Over the years he took over the maintenance of the woodlots and gradually acquired and planted all of the family land belonging to his siblings. Today he manages over 30 hectares of land – all stocked with carefully maintained Eucalyptus trees, which grow tall and strong in the sandy white soil of his ancestors.

“Our lives are tied to the animals and the earth,” says Phillip as he looks out on his timber farm. He is joined by Muzi Sibiya from Khulanathi Forestry and the two foresters take a walk to a newly planted compartment to check on the progress of the young trees. It’s a hot spring afternoon in Zululand – the homestead is surrounded by fields of maize and a noisy flock of goats scatter into a grassland nearby to graze.

The newly planted area is well fenced to protect it from livestock, and the seedlings are growing strong under the watchful eye of Phillip, the guardian of the forests.

Khulanathi Forestry supply both the seedlings and the market access for Phillip’s business, a vital partnership that supports the small grower through all the phases of forestry. The seedlings are sponsored by Mondi Zimele, Khulanathi’s strategic partner in empowering small-scale timber growers in the region. Mondi Zimele supplies 500 000 seedlings to small growers in the region every year.

*Phillip Mpangela passes on some insights into forestry to the next generation.*

“My father instilled in me a passion for the land,” reflects Phillip. “I wish to do the same for my children. This business will be passed on to them … but my hope is that they will do more skilled work and be able to employ people to manage the day-today running of the plantations.”

Phillip hires up to 20 local people when he is harvesting and 10-15 people when he is doing other work like planting, maintenance and fire break preparation. He recently bought his own labour carrier and three chainsaws.

Muzi Sibiya assists with timber orders as well as procuring timber transport to either the Khulanathi depot in KwaMbonambi, or directly to the Mondi Mill in Richards Bay. “Timber transport is a challenge because of the high cost … but at the same time it is good for others to have jobs,” comments Phillip.

Khulanathi also offers technical skills transfer through field days and ongoing mentorship on the business and operational aspects of forestry.

*Muzi Sibiya uses his bike to get around on his weekly visits to the small-scale growers he* *works with in the region.*

“The relationship with Khulanathi has been productive,” says Phillip as he sits on a log-stack in the shade to escape the blazing afternoon sun. “Muzi came to check this site and approve the land … makes sure that I’m not planting too close to the watercourse. All the support goes a long way – the seedlings, the market for the timber, the advice is all very valuable. Forestry is so important to life in KwaMbonambi.”

Phillip explains that he uses his knowledge and experience to support other small growers in the community. “My role is to guide the community, especially with the more technical things like burning firebreaks, spacing out during planting and advising on the right time to harvest. We are planting GU clones with a spacing of 2.4 metres and harvesting on a five-year rotation.”

*One of Phillip Mpangele’s well-kept Eucalyptus compartments.*

Phillip is in the process of diversifying into livestock (cattle and goats) as well as agriculture. A new development is that of intercropping – the planting of beans and peanuts in-between the Eucalyptus seedlings. This venture promises to create a new income stream and maximise use of the available land.

His future plans are to continue expanding his timber farm and set up a family trust for his children. “I’m not afraid to say that I will be a millionaire in five years,” he says without a shadow of doubt. A bold statement and proof that forestry is going a long way toward sustaining current and future generations in the communities of KwaMbonambi.