Productivity and costs of fully mechanized harvesting in Italian Appenines’ chestnut coppices

The paper deals with the role of mechanization in the treatment of chestnut coppice forests in the Italian Apennines. Two harvesting companies operating with mechanical processor in four different contexts in Liguria and in Tuscany regions were analyzed. The first enterprise was using a Keto 51 head mounted on a Valmet farm tractor, whereas the second one a Foresteri 25RH installed on a 14 tonne Caterpillar tracked excavator. Field data collection allowed detailing the operational methods applied by these enterprises and provided interesting figures: the rate of utilization of both processors was about 64%, and their productivity varied between 7 and 10 m3/net hour. Daily productivity was found in the range of 25-40 m3 using Keto 51, and 40-55 m3 for the Foresteri 25RH. Machine operating cost (including labour) was rated at about 100 €/scheduled hour. Considering the financial incentives provided by the regional Rural Development Programme, harvesting costs have been estimated in the range of 15 and 33 €/m3, allowing the two companies to carry out profitable activities in the local markets