Ramial Chipped Wood

Ramial Chipped Wood (RCW) is a wood product used in cultivation for mulching, fertilizing, and soil enrichment.

The raw material consists of the twigs and branches of trees and woody shrubs, preferably deciduous, including small limbs up to 7 cm. (2 3/4 in.) in diameter. It is processed into small pieces by chipping, and the resulting product has a relatively high ratio of cambium to cellulose compared to other chipped wood products. Thus, it is higher in nutrients and is an effective promoter of the growth of soil fungi and of soil-building in general.

The raw material is primarily a byproduct of the hardwood logging industy, where it was traditionally regarded as a waste material. Research into forest soils and ecosystems at Laval University (Quebec, Canada) led to the recognition of the value of this material and to research into its uses. Originally termed BRF (French: "bois raméal fragmenté" or "chipped branch-wood".)

References

* Lemieux, G. & Lapointe R. A. "Le bois ramél et les mécanismes de fertilité du sol"; Laval University, Quebec, Canada; 1986; 17pp; ISBN 2-550-2138-1 - the seminal paper that introduced the term

* [http://www.sbf.ulaval.ca/brf/regenerating_soils_98.html Regenerating soils with ramial chipped wood]