Harvesting of Diseased Timber Affected by DNB Takes Place in Central Scotland

Area Manager for Perthshire and Tayside, David Cousins is currently managing the removal of diseased lodgepole which has been heavily affected by Dothistroma Needle Blight (DNB), a fungal disease which causes the needles to shed and over time will lead to the death of the tree.

The harvesting is being undertaken by Dick Brothers who are doing a great job on a very wet site made especially challenging due to the deteriorated condition of the timber.  To make harvesting more efficient, a wide tracked excavator with tree shears is being used to fell the trees and gather multiple rows together for the harvester to process.  The harvester is able to process the trees more efficiently while minimising the numbers of passes it makes over the ground.  

The ground is being cleared to allow for draining and will be replanted with a more commercially viable timber crop.