Pruning Biomass Potential in Italy Related to Crop Characteristics, Agricultural Practices and Agro-Climatic Conditions

Pari, Luigi; Alfano, Vincenzo; García-Galindo, D.; Suardi, Alessandro; Santangelo, Enrico

doi:10.3390/en11061365

Cited by 21 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Conversely, there is no information on the suitability of other perennial crops such as cup plant, Virginia mallow or wild plant species such as common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.), common knapweed (Centaurea nigra L.) and mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) [88,122] for erosion prone sites with steep slope. Furthermore, steep slope conditions remain challenging for all agricultural, mechanized management procedures [199][200][201]. However, we assume that erosion affected sites could be economically and social-ecologically more sustainably utilized through perennial BCS compared with annual crops.…”

Section: Soil Erosion Mitigation Under Steep Slope Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospects of Bioenergy Cropping Systems for A More Social-Ecologically Sound Bioeconomy

et al. 2019

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The growing bioeconomy will require a greater supply of biomass in the future for both bioenergy and bio-based products. Today, many bioenergy cropping systems (BCS) are suboptimal due to either social-ecological threats or technical limitations. In addition, the competition for land between bioenergy-crop cultivation, food-crop cultivation, and biodiversity conservation is expected to increase as a result of both continuous world population growth and expected severe climate change effects. This study investigates how BCS can become more social-ecologically sustainable in future. It brings together expert opinions from the fields of agronomy, economics, meteorology, and geography. Potential solutions to the following five main requirements for a more holistically sustainable supply of biomass are summarized: (i) bioenergy-crop cultivation should provide a beneficial social-ecological contribution, such as an increase in both biodiversity and landscape aesthetics, (ii) bioenergy crops should be cultivated on marginal agricultural land so as not to compete with food-crop production, (iii) BCS need to be resilient in the face of projected severe climate change effects, (iv) BCS should foster rural development and support the vast number of small-scale family farmers, managing about 80% of agricultural land and natural resources globally, and (v) bioenergy-crop cultivation must be planned and implemented systematically, using holistic approaches. Further research activities and policy incentives should not only consider the economic potential of bioenergy-crop cultivation, but also aspects of biodiversity, soil fertility, and climate change adaptation specific to site conditions and the given social context. This will help to adapt existing agricultural systems in a changing world and foster the development of a more social-ecologically sustainable bioeconomy.

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Section: Soil Erosion Mitigation Under Steep Slope Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospects of Bioenergy Cropping Systems for A More Social-Ecologically Sound Bioeconomy

et al. 2019

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“…All orchards require regular pruning, which is performed at 1-3-year intervals. This operation generates a substantial amount of residues, estimated in the range of 1-5 tons per hectare [2], and an estimated annual quantity of pruning biomass of over 2600 kt of dry matter from the only olive groves in Italy [3] that could represent an important source of biomass for energy production [4]. However, these residues are usually field-burnt or mulched [5][6][7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of the Work Productivity and Costs of a Stationary Chipper Applied to the Harvesting of Olive Tree Pruning for Bio-Energy Production

et al. 2020

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Pruning residues could represent an important biomass resources for energy production. Only in Italy it has been estimated that an annual quantity of biomass of over 2600 kt of dry matter could be obtained from olive residues. Several machines developed for pruning harvesting are available in the market, most of which are tractor-driven, while limited knowledge is available on performance, quality of work and costs of harvesting logistics based on stationary chippers. The aim of the present paper is to analyze machine performance of a forestry stationary chipper applied to pruning harvesting for what concerns work productivity, quality of the comminuted product and harvesting operating costs. This system is actually applied by Fiusis Company, an Italian enterprise which manages a biomass power plant exclusively powered by olive trees’ pruning residues, and it has never been analyzed in literature. The results obtained showed consistent work productivity, which resulted the highest ever found in olive pruning harvesting systems and equal to 5.23 ± 0.81 tdm·h−1. This high work productivity allowed also to obtain a little economic gain from a matter, which is actually considered a problem for olive groves’ owners and not a potential source of income. In particular, the use of a stationary chipper seemed very efficient in olive groves with a consistent amount of wooden residues to be processed and with big branches not harvestable by the most common towed pruning harvester. In addition, the stationary chipper has the advantage of avoiding the preliminary raking operation, which results in reduced costs for the farmer.

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“…Therefore, proper examination of the processed material allows the selection of the process, as well as the components and materials, that build the machine. For this purpose, it is necessary to determine the strength parameters of the grinding material [18][19][20][21][22]. Some of the most common methods for testing the strength properties of plants are bending stiffness, impact resistance and determination of destructive stresses, including shearing stresses [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determination of Strength Properties of Energy Plants on the Example of Miscanthus × Giganteus, Rosa Multiflora and Salix Viminalis

2019

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Energy from biomass accounts for 70% of all renewables used for heat and electricity production. Such a significant share of biomass determines the need for the investigation of their mechanical properties, as most of the lignocellulosic material requires cutting, chipping or milling before its utilization for energy purposes. Therefore, the knowledge about cutting resistance, bending stiffness, and impact strength of the energy plants is very important. The values of these parameters are used in the proper selection of shredding machines and their elements, wrapping nets or determination of power demand during raw material conversion. This paper presents the results of research on the mechanical properties of selected energy plants. The scope of the research included three different plant species: Miscanthus × giganteus, Rosa multiflora, and Salix viminalis, investigated in terms of cutting resistance, bending stiffness and impact strength of stalks. The results showed that the average stalk cutting resistance for the rotation speed of 4200 RPM was 0.17 N·mm−2 for the Miscanthus × giganteus, 0.15 N·mm−2 for the Rosa multiflora and 0.2 N·mm−2 for the Salix viminalis. Meanwhile, for a rotation speed of 3200 RPM, the cutting resistance amounted to 0.15 N·mm−2 for Miscanthus × giganteus, 0.16 N·mm−2 for Rosa multiflora and 0.18 N·mm−2 for Salix viminalis. For the impact measurements, the Salix viminalis exceeded 40 J·mm−2 of absorbed energy. Meanwhile, the average impact strength value for the Rosa multiflora was 0.53 J·mm−2 and for the Miscanthus × giganteus was 0.22 J·mm−2. The bending stiffness of Miscanthus × giganteus at an average modulus of 3.44 GPa was 1.1 N·m2 for the basal zone, 0.78 N·m2 for the central zone, and 0.72 N·m2 of the apical zone. For the average Young’s modulus of 0.19 GPa, the bending stiffness of the Rosa multiflora reached a value of 0.64 N·m2 for the basal zone, 0.23 N·m2 for the central zone, and 0.28 N·m2 for the apical zone. The Salix viminalis, with an average modulus of elasticity of 0.23 GPa, achieved bending stiffness in the basal zone of 0.99 N·m2, the central zone 0.33 N·m2, and the tip zone 0.38 N·m2. This research makes it possible to expand our knowledge in the field of biomass processing and construction of agricultural machinery with higher processing efficiency.

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Pruning Biomass Potential in Italy Related to Crop Characteristics, Agricultural Practices and Agro-Climatic Conditions

Cited by 21 publications

References 33 publications

Prospects of Bioenergy Cropping Systems for A More Social-Ecologically Sound Bioeconomy

Prospects of Bioenergy Cropping Systems for A More Social-Ecologically Sound Bioeconomy

Analysis of the Work Productivity and Costs of a Stationary Chipper Applied to the Harvesting of Olive Tree Pruning for Bio-Energy Production

Determination of Strength Properties of Energy Plants on the Example of Miscanthus × Giganteus, Rosa Multiflora and Salix Viminalis

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