Ramial chipped wood

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Ramial chipped wood (RCW), also called BRF (from the French name, bois raméal fragmenté, "chipped branch-wood"), is a type of woodchips made solely from small to medium-sized branches. The adjective "ramial" refers to branches (rami). RCW is a forest product used in agriculture for mulching and soil enrichment. It may be laid on top of the soil (as in mulching), mixed into it (as a green manure), or composted first and then applied.

RCW consists of the twigs and branches of

soil-building in general. The goal is to develop an airy and spongy soil that holds an ideal amount of water and resists evaporation and compaction, while containing a long-term source of fertility. It can effectively serve as a panacea for depleted and eroded soils. [1]

The raw material is primarily a byproduct of the

Laval University (Quebec, Canada
) led to the recognition of the value of this material and to research into its uses.

The use of willow RCW mulch on mine waste rock can promote the spontaneous colonization of boreal tree seedlings.[2] This material may therefore prove useful for the ecological restoration of extremely disturbed habitats.

Usable types of wood

The wood from heartwood and branches larger than 3 inches in diameter is not desirable due to its high C/N (carbon to nitrogen) ratio (averaging 600:1), which then requires additional nitrogen for decomposition. Only the sapwood and young branches from the various noble hardwoods (such as oak, chestnut, maple, beech, and acacia) are used because the heartwood in larger branches is high in tannin.

Because of their specific

cedars are characterized by their constituents of the heartwood toxic to microorganisms, tropolone
derivatives (thujaplicines) phenolic nature, and are therefore to be avoided in the production of ramial chipped wood.

The acidification of soils by RCW has not been observed. In contrast, acidic soils tend to have their pH raised by RCW applications.

While some species, such as

Larix
, which resists decomposition and is also a conifer, promoted successful forest regeneration in Quebec and was found to be the best of the conifer for use in RCW (even better than some hardwoods).

Composition of RCW

Because they are the most exposed part of the tree to the light, and the most actively growing, young branches (and young trees) used in RCW are from the richest parts of the trees. They contain 75% of the minerals, amino acids, proteins, phytohormones and biological catalysts (enzymes) found in the tree.

See also

References

  1. ISSN 1085-3278
    . Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  2. ISSN 0378-1127
    .

External links

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References

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