Willow is propagated and planted as cuttings, without roots, primarily from one-year-old shoots. All willow material
should be supplied in first grade quality
and produced in accordance with strict quality control procedures. Cuttings
should be harvested, sorted and placed directly in cold storage at - 4º. |
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For example, there must not be any sign of shooting or roots on the cuttings at the time of delivery/planting. The bark on the cuttings must be healthy and show no signs of mechanical damage. Nordic Biomass offers a guarantee that 95 per cent of all cuttings will shoot. |
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willow from cold storage in wax treated boxes ensures that optimum germination capacity is preserved |
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Planting using whole rod planter is an effective and proven planting method. It takes approx. two hours to plant one hectare of willow, and 16,000 cuttings are typically planted per hectare. Willow is approved as a non-food crop. |
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Step-planter |
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Nordic Biomass is working on developing new and cheaper establishment methods for planting, growing and harvesting willow. In cooperation with domestic and international partners, Nordic Biomass has trialled planting using coarse willow chips and horizontal planting of complete stalks with lateral branches. However, for commercial plantations, the Step Planter continues to be recommended as the most proven and effective establishment method |
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testing the lay-flat method |
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