Title:
Mechanized Recovery of Olive Tree Pruning: Harvesting Losses and Ash Product Content
Author(s):
Acampora, A., Croce, S., Barontini, M., Assirelli, A., Pari, L.
Document(s):
Paper
Slide presentation
Abstract:
The authors tested six commercial pruning harvesters to determine harvesting losses and product contamination when recovering pruning residues from an overgrown olive orchard, typical of Southern Italy. All harvesters used a mechanical pickup to collect the residues and a shredder to reduce them into chips. Three different pickup settings were tested and namely: 1 cm above ground level, manufacturer’s specification and 3 cm above ground level. Ash content in the shredded material was taken as a measure of contamination. The ash content of uncontaminated branch material collected directly from the trees was 3.5%. Ash content in shredded residues varied between 4.5% and over 5.5%, for the shortest and the longest distance between the pickup and the soil surface, respectively. In contrast, harvesting losses were weakly (but significantly) related to pickup setting, and mainly depended on machine type.
Keywords:
biomass, energy, wood, ashes, harvesting losses, shredding
Topic:
Biomass Resources
Subtopic:
Biomass feedstock, residues and by-products
Event:
22nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
1BO.2.4
Pages:
70 - 73
ISBN:
978-88-89407-52-3
Paper DOI:
10.5071/22ndEUBCE2014-1BO.2.4
Price:
FREE
