Amounts of nutrients needed will be related to soil type and quantities removed in the harvested material, and will allow for recycling from fallen leaves, but may be of the order of 100 kg per ha of nitrogen, 50 kg per ha of phosphate and 80 kg per ha of potash annually.

Early regrowth from cut stumps

Crops are expected to be harvested in a 3-5 year cycle, probably about 6 times, giving a productive life of 20-30 years.

Harvesting, cutting and chipping

The stems are cut during winter when dry matter percentage is at its highest, and are bundled or immediately chipped; initial moisture content of about 50 percent may be reduced to more satisfactory levels by a few weeks of storage, the dry wood then being burnt under controlled conditions to produce other fuels, gas or liquid, which are then used for electricity generation. Productivity at present is about 10-12 (dry) t per ha annually, though it is anticipated that 15 t per ha may soon be regularly attainable. Attention has recently been paid to the development of suitable productive and disease-resistant clones, and of machinery for all stages of coppice production. It is at present uncertain how much root damage may be caused to plantations by harvesting during wet conditions: nor have the problems of returning the land to arable usage yet been fully explored or costed. Fuel production from coppice is energy-efficient but not yet generally cost-effective to the grower without some financial support. It is anticipated that cultural developments and price movements will ultimately result in coppice becoming more competitive as a fuel source and therefore profitable as an arable crop.