GOOD THINNING PRACTICESHOWS INCREASED INCOME AND ENHANCES TIMBER QUALITY

Abstract

Teagasc forestry researcher, Dr Niall Farrelly, indicates that the removal of poor quality trees at first and second thinning is essential to focus production on trees with potential to achieve construction grade timber. It also puts more money in your pocket. • An analysis after two thinnings shows that thinning more heavily resulted in the production of a larger volume of commercial pallet wood. • The heaviest (Grade D) thinning has produced more than twice the volume of Pallet wood compared to the light (Grade B) thinning. • Income from timber sales in the heaviest thinning (Grade D) was almost 60% higher than for the light thinning (Grade B). • Timber quality measured by the volume of 5 metre+ straight logs was greatly enhanced by thinning with the greatest proportion of straight trees (by volume) in the heaviest (Grade D) thinning. • The heaviest (Grade D) thinning produced larger trees, a higher proportion of trees with straighter stems and the largest volume of commercial Pallet wood and offers the potential for earlier saw log timber production. On this basis heavier (Grade D) thinning is likely to be the most financially attractive thinning/ harvesting management option.