Automation of the Acorn Scarification Process as a Contribution to Sustainable Forest Management. Case Study: Common Oak

The basic principle of silviculture is the rational use of natural regeneration. The acceleration and equalisation of seed germination and an increase of the field seed germination ability are affected by seed scarification, which results in the destruction or weakening of the seed cover. Acorn scar...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2017-12, Vol.9 (12), p.2276
Main Authors: Tadeusiewicz, Ryszard, Tylek, Paweł, Adamczyk, Florian, Kiełbasa, Paweł, Jabłoński, Mirosław, Pawlik, Piotr, Piłat, Adam, Walczyk, Józef, Szczepaniak, Jan, Juliszewski, Tadeusz, Szaroleta, Michał
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceleration
Anthropometry
Automation
Case studies
Cotyledons
Forest management
Germination
Seed germination
Seedlings
Seeds
Sustainability
Sustainable forestry
Vision systems
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The basic principle of silviculture is the rational use of natural regeneration. The acceleration and equalisation of seed germination and an increase of the field seed germination ability are affected by seed scarification, which results in the destruction or weakening of the seed cover. Acorn scarification is performed manually, in the standing position, most often in adapted work stations, whose geometry is adjusted by the staff to their own anthropometric dimensions. An added value of acorn scarification consists in the ability to visually assess the health status of the cotyledons visible on the cross-section, making it possible to infer the potential use of a seed for sowing. However, due to the scope and duration of the activities involved, manual scarification is a process that is monotonous and physically as well as psychologically tiring for its performer. Automating of this process allows for effective replacement of human labour. The results obtained from the use of the vision system designed to determine the length and orientation of acorns may be considered satisfactory. The implementation of the seed orientation detection algorithm using the Harris detector was 90% accurate. Studies and analyses have shown that the process of acorn scarification has a positive effect on the later improvement of uniformity and acceleration of seedling emergence. In the case of seeds subjected to scarification, 83% of the acorns germinated within 4 to 6 weeks after sowing.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su9122276