Forestry machinery, three days of field trials in Calabria
From June 5th to 7th a three-day demonstration of highly innovative forestry machinery was held in San Giovanni in Fiore, near Cosenza. It was an active display of resources to promote the value of woody biomass and land maintenance
There is a vast range of innovative forestry machinery and equipment available on the market today, with advanced mechanization offering great levels of production efficiency with safety and comfort standards unattainable with traditional work systems. According to scientific monitoring conducted by the CNR IBE on a large number of work sites equipped with these technologies, operator productivity is more than five times higher than manual labor, times for the work in progress are significantly reduced, and all operations performed are easily traceable, thus simplifying sustainability certification for the entire forest-wood-energy supply chain. Although the entry of large, powerful machinery into the forest worries many forestry workers due to the impact these vehicles can have on the soil (compaction, ruts, small animal and plant organisms, etc.) and on trees (bark cracks, root system compression, etc.), this impact can be caused by machinery. Thus to mitigate disturbances to the ecosystem, forestry operators will need to consciously adopt a series of specific measures which generally include: proper access planning to prevent widespread and indiscriminate traffic and use of a logical layout to prevent superfluous and repeated passages. Equally important is the use of low-pressure forestry tires or over-tracks, to distribute the weight over a larger area and reduce slippage, as well as proper "site and season" matching, forgoing access to the most sensitive sites when the ground is saturated with water and more vulnerable to compaction. Obviously, in a forestry context it is essential to use suitable vehicles, avoiding the use of oversized or undersized systems with respect to the type and mass of the wood to be moved. Under these conditions, modern forestry machinery is able to meet all the requirements of naturalistic forestry, and can be applied to selective felling, mixed forests and the most rugged terrain. What is still lacking in many areas of Italy is the ability to fully exploit the potential benefits of new vehicles. With this in mind, ITABIA, drawing on the technical expertise of two CNR researchers (and long-standing members), Natascia Magagnotti and Raffaele Spinelli, sponsored an informational and educational event in San Giovanni in Fiore, near Cosenza. The event, focused on the use of highly innovative forestry machinery in the mountainous setting of southern Italy, was held from June 5th-7th, 2026 (see the program in the box), with three days of tests and demonstrations that saw various types of new-generation forestry machinery in action, including the Ponsse Scorpion King harvester with H7 header and the Ponsse Buffalo forwarder. Trained operators also had the opportunity to try out the machinery provided by the organizers. The same event also offered the possibility to see the Pezzolato PTH 1400/1000 industrial chipper and various models of the futuristic radio-controlled tool carriers from the Energreen Robo line "live" and in action. These vehicles will also be on display at the EIMA Energy Show in Bologna from Tuesday the 10th to Saturday the 14th of November. They enable sustainable forest management, in its vital environmental, social and economic role, promoting the use of waste wood as energy biomass and proper land maintenance. The demonstrations also covered key aspects of adaptability to naturalistic forestry, mitigation of environmental impacts, digitalization, and traceability. These are highly topical and interesting issues, of vital importance for the active management of national forests which can no longer be put off. Using advanced mechanization solutions allows us to address these issues professionally and scientifically, without approximations or improper use, as well as offering operators the utmost in safety and comfort.
