2007 Construction and Forestry News Releases and Information

MOLINE, IL (June 20, 2007)—John Deere is demonstrating how a fully mechanized harvesting system can economically remove merchantable trees and biomass while adhering to environmentally sound harvesting practices. The company’s unique biomass harvesting system—composed of a 1270D Wheeled Harvester, 1110D six-wheel Forwarder and 1490D Energy Wood Harvester—is working on a 40-acre parcel owned by Malheur Lumber outside Malheur National Forest in John Day, Ore.

“The whole idea is to efficiently and economically harvest saw logs and biomass while contributing to a healthy forest,” said Mike Schmidt, biomass project manager, John Deere Forestry. “This method is incredibly quick and efficient—it requires only a single entry into the forest and totally eliminates slash pile burning and waste.”

The way the Deere Biomass Harvesting System works is simple, according to Schmidt. First, the 1270D Harvester equipped with a H480 harvesting head will harvest the trees that are going to be cut from that particular timber stand. Using the machine’s on-board computer, the operator will decide how to process each tree—the length of the saw log, the amount of pulp wood and how much will be made into biomass bundles. Using the machine’s software makes merchandising and processing the logs much faster, since it’s totally automated. After processing, the different components are then laid out and organized, which increases the efficiency of the two machines that follow.

The 1270D Wheeled Harvester is followed by the 1490D Energy Wood Harvester, which will pick up the biomass that has been laid out and bundle it. Finally, the 1110D Forwarder will then pick up all the products—including pulp wood, logs, the biomass, posts and poles—and take it to the roadside, where it will be sorted and stacked for pickup. Landing areas and other modifications to the road system aren’t necessary—the product simply is stacked alongside the road since a regular log truck can handle the pickup. For added convenience, the 1490D and 1110D have knuckle-boom loaders that load the truck if necessary. The John Deere biomass harvesting system is designed to operate on the maximum U.S. Forest Service allowed slope percentage (35 percent).

“Harvesting biomass using our machine system is much more efficient from the Forest Service’s point of view,” Schmidt said. “When it’s done by hand, the contractors end up just piling and burning the excess. Since there is no burning when harvesting with our system, the air quality remains high and the risk of a forest fire is eliminated. And, they make a little bit of money selling it, rather than spending money disposing of it.”

Future enhancements to the John Deere system include new software that will generate production virtually in real time, according to Schmidt. The software will be available later in 2007.

“Using the new software, you can send the data back to the office—how much you’ve cut already, the lines where you’ve cut, the actual position on the tract and more,” he said. “It’s an amazing program that will really speed up the entire process and deliver efficiency that isn’t available using any other system.”

The timber stand for the Malheur Forest demonstration is composed of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. All timber less than 21 inches in diameter at breast height and greater than three inches will be harvested, per U.S. Forest Service specifications. Productivity and resource impact studies are being conducted throughout the demonstration. rosa pine and Douglas fir. All timber less than 21 inches in diameter at breast height and greater than three inches will be harvested, per U.S. Forest Service specifications. Productivity and resource impact studies are being conducted throughout the demonstration.

Contact:
Lara Holy
913/901-2119
holyl@weyforth-haas.com

Mary Young
913/901-2192
youngm@weyforth-haas.com