Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5552/crojfe.2026.3801
Cardiovascular Response in Partly Mechanized Willow Planting Operations Indicates a Low to Moderate Intensity of Work
Stelian Alexandru Borz
orcid.org/0000-0003-4571-7235
; Transilvania University of Brasov Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering Department of Forest Engineering Forest Management Planning and Terrestrial Measurements Şirul Beethoven 1 500123, Brasov ROMANIA
*
Ebru Bilici
orcid.org/0000-0003-0532-0890
; Giresun University Dereli Vocational School 28902, Giresun TÜRKIYE
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Fast growing species such as willow have been found to be a viable alternative for bio-energy production. Establishment of willow crops requires a series of operations, among which planting is important for their success. Partly mechanized planting has been studied lately in terms of productivity and costs, and it was found to be a viable alternative for small and dispersed plots. However, no research has addressed its suitability in terms of work intensity. One important assumption is that physical strain would be higher in such operations, mainly due to an intense use of the upper limbs, probably leading to a high cardiovascular workload. This study evaluated the level of physical workload in partly mechanized willow planting operations by heart rate measurements taken on six subjects, which were observed during all the common planting tasks. Close to 65 hours of observations were taken at a rate of one second, and the heart rate increment was used as the main indicator to characterize the workload of planting work. The findings indicate that there was a task-based variability in cardiovascular response (ca. 87 to 96 bpm) and in the heart rate increment among the subjects (ca. 14 to 28%). In addition, there was a differentiation in terms of heart rate increment among the planting tasks. Nevertheless, most of the data indicated a low to moderate cardiovascular workload. Although these results validate partly mechanized planting as a suitable alternative in terms of cardiovascular output, future studies should evaluate other ergonomic conditions such as the biomechanical exposure and the risks of developing musculoskeletal disorders.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
343132
URI
Datum izdavanja:
16.1.2026.
Posjeta: 109 *