Intensification of sod peat harvesting technology and the effects of it on production costs

The aim of this research was to study if the sod peat cutting could be improved by using a sod peat machine equipped with own engine, called the power unit, and what are the effects of it on sod peat production costs, and to clarify the production costs through the whole production chain from harvesting to stockpile. Research was carried out on production fields in Kankaanpaeae and Kauhajoki. The small ridge method was chosen to be used as sod peat production method, so same production method, excluding the sod cutting, was in use at both production fields. The tractor-PALA S-1 combination was used in Kankaanpaeae, and tractor-PALA S-2 combination in Kauhajoki. The aim of the research was the production: the load of the field, losses, amount of the stockpiled peat, the working and machine time used for different working phases, and fuel consumption. Drying of sod peat and the weather conditions were also detected. The production costs were calculated using production cost calculation software, developed by the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). The formation of production costs of different cost factors, the cutting costs of different cutting alternatives, and the effects of different production parameters: the losses, the area of the production field and the amount of heater yield on production costs, have been researched