• Energy Research

In Campania Region, the rise in Buffalo heads reared plays an important role in the manure management of the region. Moreover, in order to comply with the European regulation (the National Emission Ceiling), the updating of national emission inventories, as well as the investigation of different fertilizers, manure treatments prior to field application and innovative reducing ammonia techniques, are necessary. Specifically, controlling emissions techniques should help farms both during the storage period and during the spreading activities. Indeed, both steps in manure management affect the total ammonia volatilization. To this purpose, this paper presents an innovative view of the manure management system. The interaction between Biochar (a solid material obtained from the thermochemical conversion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment) and manure was evaluated, adding a commercial Biochar to the liquid fraction of buffalo digestate in the storage tank. The data obtained suggest that a reduction in ammonia emissions is still possible. A reduction in terms of ammonia emissions was recorded during the storage period due to nutrient retention capabilities of biochar. Specifically, Digestate without any coverage proved to emit 58% more than the same digestate covered by a 2 cm of biochar. Proceedings of the 28th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 July 2020, Virtual, pp. 860-863

Abstract A cradle-to-wheel life cycle analysis evaluated the greenhouse gas (GHG) contribution and fossil energy consumption (FEC) of bio-ethanol (EtOH) from dedicated crops on marginal lands in Campania Region (Southern Italy). The analysis processed experimental agronomic data of giant reed cultivated on hilly areas at high erosion risk and industrial data of feedstock conversion to EtOH, through second generation innovative technologies. Two ethanol–gasoline mixes (E10 and E85) were considered and compared with gasoline vehicle (GV). The E10 GHG and FEC profiles were driven by the gasoline input in the blend and the linked CO2 tailpipe emissions. The EtOH supply chain, especially the crop phase, was the major contributor to E85 impacts. The higher amount of biogenic C in E85 determined a marked reduction over GV of both GHG emissions (−60%) and FEC (−65%). The soil carbon storage would save 25 g CO2 eq per MJ; however, the issue is controversial due to the spatial and temporal variability of the process. Based on land availability, E85 contribution to renewables in the regional transport sector would amount to 4% and the blend wall would be far from saturation. A possible mismatch between future flexi-fuel vehicles density and E85 availability should be considered.

Campania region is undergoing a new and important land use change (LUC). Large areas under tobacco are experiencing a severe economic crisis and cereal areas, especially in the hill, are cultivated with increasing difficulty, with poor economic results (yield value of 2.5 t/ha/year) and under the risk of erosion. No-food crops suitable in these contexts are the perennial and in this case, the land use change would certainly lead to a positive impact on reducing erosion, but also on the reduction of nutrient requirement, on fuel consumption and perhaps it would also lead to an increase in profitability. The aim of this work is to identify the areas in which the land use change could be realistic and ecologically compatible and to evaluate the main consequence of the LUC. The study area includes the entire Campania region. It has been assumed that the areas that will undergo the LUC will be the hilly, not-irrigated cereal crop, with altitudes between 400 and 750 m a.s.l., not included in natural parks, in the Site of Community Importance and in the Special Protection Areas. Through the climate model, inferred from the Ground Water Protection Plan, the area to be examined was classified as ‘cold Lauretum’, which is a good area for the Arundo donax crops up to 750 m a.l.s., with recoverable biomass yield of about 12.6 t/year. The erosion has been estimated with RUSLE applied to the whole region. Using the ESRI ArcGis 10.0 software, seven large areas, partially convertible, were identified. The area that is realistic to convert amounted to approximately 500 km2. The value of the biomass production has been evaluated in the order of 25 million euro a year; actual wheat production would be 33 million euro a year but the production costs are far greater. With LUC there is a reduction in soil erosion in the order of 300000 t/year. This would lead a saving, on global scale, in the order of 10 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

In order to be able to provide useful indications for the reintroduction of peanuts in the Italian territory, the aim of this work is to compare the production yields of the peanut variety grown in two areas, San Severo (FG) and Frignano (CE) , evaluating the total losses experienced during the extraction and harvesting phase. The seed was positioned at a depth of 3-5 cm, with a planting layer of 0.08 m on the row and 0.75 m between the rows. Scrape Hull method was used, which consists of starting five representative plants in different part of area, get 100 developed pods is used. The peanut harvest is divided into two phases. For the first phase, the excavation phase was used the 2–row Digger-inverter COLOMBO C-200. The second phase of the harvest, in both areas, was carried out with the Colombo Double Master II Harvester, a machine specialized in the harvesting of peanuts and beans. The variables analyzed to evaluate the peanut mechanization process were: Estimated yield, Excavation losses, Harvest losses and net yield. The estimated yield was made before the excavation phase, 3 plots of 11.25 m2 (15.0 m x 0.75 m) were used in each area. The excavation losses were divided into visible losses (VDL), invisible losses (IDL) and total excavation losses given by the sum of the visible and invisible losses. For this purpose, to manually collect the visible leaks, metal frames (n.3 / areal) of about 7.5 m2 (10.0 m x 0.75 m) were positioned through the swaths. The harvest losses were sampled after the harvest of the Colombo Double Master II Harvester machine. The net yield was calculated considering the estimated yield net of total excavation losses added to harvest losses. The estimated excavation losses in both territories were practically equal, 0.79 q/ha in Frignano, equal to 2.89% of the estimated production, and 0.76 q/ha in San Severo, equal to 2.41% of the estimated production. The losses in the subsequent phase of separation of the pod were 2.08 q/ha in Frignano, approximately 7.6% of the estimated production and 1.79 q ha in San Severo, equal to 5.7% of the estimated production. Overall, total crop losses were 10.49% (2.89 q/ha) in Caserta and 8.11% (2.55 q/h) in the Apulian fields. The results achieved in this first experimental cultivation test with the use of mechanization yards not known in the area, show that with greater accuracy of the cultivation techniques and an improvement of the harvesting phase it is possible to have a margin for improving the production level, obtaining yields greater than about 10%, which in relation to the commercial value of the product can represent a significant increase in the profitability of cultivation. Proceedings of the 28th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 July 2020, Virtual, pp. 155-159

Hemp seed oils from Uso 31 monoecious variety were differently obtained by cold pressing or ultrasound-assisted maceration (UAM). In particular, the cold pressing technique was performed using an industrial scale plant and the extraction process was optimized by using nozzle of different diameters (6 mm, 8 mm and 15 mm), capable of imposing a different pressure, and therefore a different extraction temperature. These parameters influence the final product in terms of quality and chemical composition. Photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids), total phenols, and total cannabidiol (CBD) were comparatively assessed, as well as the formation of conjugated dienes and trienes. The UAM technique gave a higher oil yield (+ 6.5%) than that obtained with the traditional cold extraction system. The analysis of photosynthetic pigments has shown that the chlorophyll content in cold extracted oils decreases with the increase in the diameter of the bush, and that this content is in any case higher (+ 56%) than the oil mixture obtained with UAM. Considering the carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio, it was possible to observe that UAM technique appears to relatively favor a quantity of carotenoids higher than chlorophylls. Values of .K lower than 0.010 were obtained for cold extracted oil with a 15 mm nozzle and for oils extracted with UAM. The data seem to confirm that the use of a larger bush provides the enrichment of the oil and does not compromise the goodness of the constituents with beneficial action. The ultrasound technology also benefits the extraction of phenolics and cannabidiolic acid. The results obtained, although they require further investigation, allow us to assert that the complexity of the hemp oil mixture needs to be evaluated in its fullness and in a different way from what is commonly used for other edible oils. Proceedings of the 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 26-29 April 2021, Online, pp. 171-177

The aim of the study is to evaluate the possibility of two step harvesting system for giant reed. The biomass was shredded and dried in the field, in second time was baled and storage. First step was cutting and shredding with a specific shredder for biomass crops rear mounted in agricultural tractor and in the second time the Arundo biomass was harvested after more day of drying in the field with continuous monitoring of the biomass moisture content. This harvesting system presents some advantages such as: the possibility of long storage of biomass (moisture content lover 14-15%), baled with a farm mechanization for hay making, possibilities of diversified use of the dried biomass (combustion and II generation ethanol). The test showed technical and energy aspect of the harvest technology but there is necessary one specific machine for shredder while the other are normally presents in the farm. The machine adopted for shredder, designed and developed by Italian constructor for more biomass herbaceous crops (Arundo, Sorghum, Panicum, Mischantus, etc..) is indicated for high vegetative developed crop and can spread the product in all soil surface or windrowing. The tests were conducted in the South of Italy (Campania region) in an experimental farm of Torrelama. The tests have showed a good performance slightly lower than 1.5 ha h-1 (1.47) with operative speed of 4.88 km h-1. The hourly production is 58.35 t ha-1 with a biomass moisture content of 42.51%. After field drying the biomass are baled and storage. Proceedings of the 26th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 14-17 May 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp. 305-308

Short-rotation coppice (SRC) represents an important source of wood biomass. Many uncertainties create barriers to farmers establishing SRC plantations, especially under Mediterranean climate conditions. In this study, five species and respective genotypes were analyzed. The five species were Fraxinus angustifolia, Robinia pseudoacacia, Salix alba, Populus nigra (Limatola), and Populus × euroamericana, with the genotypes of the latter being Grimminge, Vesten, Hoogvorst, Muur. For the plantations studied, two different harvesting systems were replicated: the single machine pass, or cut-and-chip (CC); and the double machine pass, for which the tree are cut first, then chipped later (chip of stored trees CS). In the CC, fresh trees were harvested and chipped by Claas Jaguar 880. In the CS, dry trees were chipped by Farmi Forest CH 260. Within the same site, in climatic conditions and low-input management, the best result in terms of biomass yield was obtained from the black poplar Limatola. Both wood typologies and harvesting systems affected the chip quality. The disk chipper, when working on dried biomass, produced lower quality chips than the other chipping device in terms of particle size. In the chips obtained, there was an increase in the number of chips classified as being “larger size” and “oversized”, and a decrease in the percentage of those classified as “accept” (45–3 mm fraction). The chips obtained from dried trees were of better energy quality compared with the same biomass obtained from the fresh trees in terms of heating value and ash content.

Fast growing trees planted as Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) are an important source of lignocellulosic biomass, due to their high yields, good combustion quality, ecological and social benefits and relatively low production costs. The quality and the price of the biomass are determined by its particle size distribution, heating value, moisture and ash content. These parameters can vary significantly as a function of the wood species and the time between the cutting phase and the chipping phase.In 2015, the Department of Agriculture of the University of Naples Federico II and the Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria (Crea), carried out some tests to identify the characteristics of the chips in eight different species grown as SRC, chipped after two months of storage: Fraxinus angustifolia, Robinia pseudoacacia, Salix alba, Populus nigra (Limatola) and four genotypes of Populus x euroamericana (Grimminge, Vesten, Hoogvorst, Muur). The average moisture content of the species was 29.30%, with an average heating value and ash content of 21.77 MJ kg-1 and 2.02%, respectively. These values differ among the various species and genotypes considered. The particle size distribution analysis revealed, instead, that independently from the species, the most represented class size was 45 to 3 mm. The variability observed in terms of dried biomass quality suggest the possibility to identify the species more suitable for the biomass combustion analyzing the mainly quality parameters, choosing the best species or different species mix wood chips to offer a better product in the commercial biomass marketing. Proceedings of the 26th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 14-17 May 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp. 342-345