A new Scandinavian technology for bundling forest residue was imported to Central Europe with the purpose of checking how it would handle the different working conditions encountered there. After a calibration study conducted on boreal spruce, the European research team tested the machine on I I sites in France. Species tested included chestnut (Castanea sativa L.), hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia L.), poplar (Populus x Euroamericana) and maritime pine (Pinus pinaster L.). While the machine was able to successfully handle all the above-mentioned species and produced good-quality bundles, best results were obtained with poplar and maritime pine. Productivity varied between 11 and 24 bundles per hour (machine time clock), corresponding to 5-9 t/h. Three main parameters most affect bundling productivity: the amount of residue available on the unit surface (t/ha), its average size and its distribution on the field. These parameters depend on stand type, but they can be manipulated to a certain extent, which may allow for large productivity gains. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.