Valutazione tecnico-agronomica di due diverse tipologie di impianto di origano in funzione della raccolta meccanica

Harvest is one of the most important agronomical techniques of oregano cultivation. Traditionally, oregano is manually harvested but the times of this operation are very long. On the contrary, the mechanical harvest could decrease the harvest times and, therefore, the production costs. Tests of mechanical harvest were carried out between 2003 and 2004 in an experimental field of Dipartimento di Agronomia Ambientale e Territoriale of Palermo University, using a reaper-binder made by BCS for cereal and forage crops but specifically modified for harvesting oregano. The working capacity, productivity and efficiency of this machine were evaluated according to the variation of minimum forward spe…

Il pistacchio sperimenta la meccanica

Prime prove di un prototipo di pirolizzatore per la produzione di biochar

La pirolisi è un processo di decomposizione chimica di biomassa, effettuata in assenza o limitata presenza di ossigeno. Durante la pirolisi complesse molecole polimeriche di biomassa sono scisse in molecole semplici di gas (syngas), sostanze liquide e carbone (char). Le quantità relative delle tre frazioni dipendono da parecchi fattori quali, ad esempio, la velocità di riscaldamento, la temperatura finale, il tempo di residenza dei gas nel reattore, il tipo di pirolizzatore, le caratteristiche fisiche e chimiche della biomassa utilizzata. Il biochar ottenuto dai sottoprodotti dell’industria agro-alimentare, dai residui di potatura, dal legno proveniente dalle utilizzazioni di colture specia…

Response of Origanum vulgare L. to different plant densities and first results of mechanical harvest

Tests for evaluating the agronomical response of Origanum to four plant densities were carried out from 1998 to 2001, on a local biotype of Origanum collected at Monreale (Palermo), in an area having the typical soil and climatic conditions of the Sicilian environment. Data about plant biometric characteristics (height at different growth phases, number of branches per plant, fresh weight yield) and the proportions among inflorescences, leaves and stems were monitored. Moreover, essential oil analyses were carried out for each plant density. The results showed that the plant density influenced the yield but not the plant height. The best results were obtained in the second year, when the hi…

Research activities in the first two cycles of Italian Biosystems Engineering University studies

In Italy, from the academic year 2000-2001, Universities offer 3-year 1st cycle degree study programmes, 2-year 2nd cycle degree study programmes and 3rd cycle degrees. During the implementation of the Bologna process in Italy, from the academic year 2008-2009, 3+2 year University study programmes were updated. In the Italian Agricultural Engineering teaching institutions the students of the 1st and 2nd cycles can carry out research activities, through their thesis work and/or their coursework project. In Italy the access to research positions for the 2nd cycle graduates is a little more common than for the 1st cycle graduates. Possible actions and activities for preserving the topics of ra…

Mapping of penetrometer resistance in relation to tractor traffic using multivariate geostatistics

Abstract The traffic of agricultural machines can cause soil compaction and high variability of soil structure, both along normal lines and along those parallel to the field plane. The aim of this work was to investigate the potential of an electronic penetrometer, a GPS, a GIS and geostatistical techniques for mapping soil compaction. In July 2003 soil cone penetrometer resistance was measured using a semi-automatic electronic penetrometer in a sandy-silt soil (Vertic Xerochrept) of inland Sicily where a three-year rotation wheat ( Triticum durum Desf.)–wheat–tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) was practiced. The measurements were carried out along three parallel 3-m long transects, from the…

Fundamentals of Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture or precision farming is the targeted application of crop input according to the locally determined crop needs. Therefore, it is the geo-referenced application of crop inputs, whose rates should be those required by the crop. The most essential points of information about the topic being described are: overview; brief history of precision agriculture; theoretical basics of precision agriculture; precision agriculture cycle; geo-referenced measurement of within-field parameters; analysis and interpretation of geo-referenced data for mapping within-field parameters; spatially variable rate application of crop inputs; instruments for precision agriculture; current scenario…

Precision Agriculture: Past, Present and Future

From 1978 the Global Positioning System, needed for sensing the position of military targets (e.g. buildings, machinery), was developed as a pure military system, while in 1983 it was made available also for public use. Therefore, at the beginning of 80s precision agriculture, requiring GPS for sensing the position to which any measured field parameter must be geo-referenced, was implemented for the first time in US. In fact, soil and crop parameters are spatially variable in a field, so that spatially uniform rate crop input applications cause increased environmental impact and crop input waste. In order to reduce the environmental impact and optimise the use of crop inputs, precision agri…

Harmonisation of Higher Education in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering

The international harmonisation of the Higher Education Area (HEA) in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering (ABE), was started by Prof. Giuseppe Pellizzi during the CIGR 1989 Conference. This action was carried out in the EU by EurAgEng SIG RD12 - Education and Communication (Chairman Prof. Pierluigi Febo from 1994) and also elsewhere by CIGR WG1 - Agricultural Engineering University Curricula Harmonization (Chairman Prof. Pierluigi Febo from 1994 and Secretary Dr. Antonio Comparetti from 2007). The book and CD-ROM: “The University Structure and Curricula on Agricultural Engineering. An overview of 36 countries”, were presented by Prof. Pierluigi Febo during the AgEng 2000 Conference. Three t…

Biogas yield from Sicilian kitchen waste and cheese whey

The aim of this study is to determine the chemical composition of kitchen waste and cheese whey, as well as the biogas yield obtained from the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) tests of these two raw materials. Since the separated waste collection is performed in the town of Marineo (Palermo), a sample of kitchen waste, different from food industry one and included in the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW), was collected from the mass stored at the households of this town. Moreover, a sample of cheese whey was collected in a Sicilian mini dairy plant, where sheep milk is processed. This investigation was carried out inside laboratory digesters of Aleksandras Stulginskis University (Li…

Valutazione di sistemi GPS e DGPS combinati con metodi di correzione e sistemi non satellitari

The aim of this work is assess the accuracy of three positiotining systems: a hand-held GPS receiver, tested on itself and together with a pseudo-differential method; a DGPS system; a dead reckoning system. Test results suggest that, for row crops, the "corrected" GPS, the DGPS and the dead reckoning systems satisfy the accuracy requirement for mapping in post-processing soil and crop parameters. It is possible to improve the reliability of position resolution, by using a combined DGPS-dead reckoning system that overcomes the problems of signal weakening and obstruction.

Assessment of the Vegetation Parameters of Almond and Vine Plants for Designing a Compact Tractor

The aim of this research is to assess the vegetation parameters of almond and vine plants, aimed at designing a compact tractor suitable for these orchards. The research is part of the Italian project TRACLAS, involving the Universities of Palermo, Milan, Bari, “Tuscia” of Viterbo and Agricultural Research and Economics - Research Unit for Agricultural Engineering (CREA-ING) of Treviglio (Bergamo). Based on the results of the surveys carried out in a sample of almond and vine farms, it was possible to define the vegetation parameters that will allow to design a very low and narrow tractor equipped with a fixed ROPS and suitable for these orchards.

Nomenclature for Hydrogeological Instability Risks

The nomenclature for hydrogeological instability risks includes four main risks, which are distinguished according to the risk causes : 1) hydrogeological risk, that is slowly caused by natural factors (e.g. collapse landslides in a calcareous cliff in uninhabited areas and erosion along a marly-calcareous slope) in environments where human activities are minimal, i.e. woods, forests and mountain pastures; 2) hydraulic-pedological farming risk, that implies the occurrence of landslides in every winter and is caused by incorrect crop selection, not suitable for the soil and climate parameters (e.g. on a hilly slope with a clay vertisol type with a landslide having different fronts, when the …

Un sistema innovativo applicabile all'agricoltura di precisione

Nowadays manufacturers of agricultural machines produce electronic systems for monitoring field operations which are compatible with GPS systems. Unfortunately, the communication protocols and data link interfaces among the various system components are not standardised. Therefore, each manufacturer produced spare parts, which are compatible only with their own electronic devices. Thus the system components produced by different manufacturers are incompatible with each other and result very expensive. The Dipartimento I.T.A.F. (Department of Engineering and Technologies in Agriculture and Forestry) of Palermo University is developing an electronic system, which is compatible with most GPS i…

Multivariate geostatistics for assessing and predicting soil compaction

The aim of this research is to investigate the potential of geostatistical techniques for understanding and evaluating the spatial variability of soil compaction, caused by the traffic of agricultural machines and/or the action of tillage implements. Soil cone penetrometer resistance was measured in a field of inland Sicily, along a transect of 3 m length, from the soil surface until 70 cm depth. The 3D mean maps showed a random variation on the surface and a high spatial correlation among penetrometer resistance data measured at different depths. The map corresponding to five tractor passes showed the largest extension of the areas characterised by the highest values of penetrometer resist…

Simulation of granular organic fertilizer application by centrifugal spreader

There is no specialized equipment designed to spread granular cylindrical organic fertilizer in the soil. There are also no rational recommendations available on how to spread this type of fertilizer. Mineral fertilizer spreaders are most often used for spreading granulated organic fertilizer. However, these fertilizers are significantly different from mineral fertilizers. Due to these differences, organic granular fertilizers often are spread unevenly, and the fertilizer does not reach the required working width. Furthermore, the rate of spreading is not accurate, and the fertilizer is often crushed too much. The objective of this research is to develop a simulation model for granular orga…

A system for spatially variable rate fertiliser application

The crop yield can be spatially variable within the same field, because of spatially variable soil characteristics (slope, texture, pH, etc.), influencing the soil nutrient content (of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc.). Because of this within-field spatial variability, in the precision agriculture cycle, the targeted fertiliser spreading can be highly profitable for both environment protection and cost saving. For this aim the yield and, then, the soil nutrient content must be measured on a localised basis and, therefore, mapped. Relying on the yield map and on the map of each nutrient available in the field it is possible to produce the fertiliser application map, which must be stored…

First tests of mechanical harvest of Origanum vulgare L.

In Italy Origanum vulgare L. is cultivated only in few areas and its production does not even satisfy the national market demand. Until now the interest on this crop has been very low because of the high cost of manual harvest and bunch binding. The aim of this work is to evaluate the use of a reaper-binder (made for harvesting cereal crops) for harvesting and bunch binding Origanum vulgare L. The tests were carried out in Sicily, in the summer of 2001. The mechanical harvest was carried out using the reaper-binder unmodified, but the results were not satisfactory. The machine was then modified reducing its forward speed and cutting height, in order to improve its working productivity and h…

Systems for evaluating the correlation between soil cone penetrometer resistance and shear strength

The aim of this research is to study possible correlations between soil compaction (and related soil cone penetrometer resistance measurements) and shear strength normal to the field plane, required to cut the soil with a subsoiler. A measurement system for sensing the soil cone penetrometer resistance was built mounting, on a frame fixed to the front part of a tractor, a rod and a penetration cone with a load cell. A load cell, mounted on the tractor drawbar, pulling a subsoiler, allowed to measure the shear strength normal to the field plane, required to cut the soil. Both load cells were connected, through a display, to a portable computer, where a software was used for acquiring the dat…

News from the SIGs - SIG RD12 Education and Communication

A home made system for precision agriculture. First tests of variable rate herbicide application

Effects of plant density on Rosmarinus officinalis L. and first tests of mechanical transplanting

Tests for evaluating the agronomical response of Rosmarinus to four plant densities were carried out from 1998 to 2001, on a local ecotype of Rosmarinus, in an area having the typical soil and climatic conditions of the Sicilian inland hilly environment. Data about biometric characteristics (plant height, number of stems per plant, fresh and dry yield), the ratio between leaf weight and dry weight and the ratio between stem weight and dry weight, both expressed as percent, were monitored. Moreover, essential oil analyses were carried out for each plant density. The results showed that the plant density positively influenced the fresh and dry yield, while it negatively affects the number of …

Develop biosystems engineering study programs towards bio-fuels, bio-materials and quality of products: current situation and perspectives in Italy

Nowadays in Italy specific modules-specialisations in the area of bio-fuels, biomaterials and quality of products are offered by the Faculties of Engineering of the Universities of Bologna, Milan Polytechnic, Padua, Pisa, Rome “La Sapienza” and Rome “Tor Vergata”. Specific courses in bio-fuels, bio-materials and quality of products are offered by the Italian Faculties of Agriculture of the Universities of Bari, Bologna, Florence, Milan, Campobasso, Padua and Teramo. Because most of the above study programs were established in the last year, according to the D.M. (Law of the Ministry of Education, University and Research) n. 270 of the 22nd October 2004 and, above all, offered only from the …

Un amico per non...perdersi

Effect of Standard Disk Plough on Soil Translocation in Sloping Sicilian Vineyards

Tillage is the main force of soil redistribution in agricultural land use and has been seen as more critical than water erosion. This study aims to evaluate the effect of tillage with standard disk in vineyards. A representative study area with grapevines was selected, and 39 inter-rows were selected to test the effect of slope and forward speed. In each inter-row, a strip of soil was collected, and mixed with 2 kg of coloured sand used as a tracer, then replaced in the strip, and shallow soil tillage was performed by means of a standard disk plough. Three soil subsamples were collected along the slope every 0.30 m from the coloured strip and the sand tracer was separated from the soil and …

Mapping soil compaction measuring cone penetrometer resistance

The quickest way for monitoring soil compaction differences in a field is measuring cone penetrometer resistance. Soil compaction can be significantly spatially variable, depending on the amount and distribution of the traffic of agricultural machines in the field. Therefore, it could be useful to measure soil compaction on a localised basis, in order to produce maps of the damages caused by the traffic of agricultural machines and/or the action of tillage implements. Aim of this paper is to present a system developed by the Department I.T.A.F. for the geo-referenced measurement of cone penetrometer resistance and for mapping soil compaction. This system was built fitting a minitransporter …

Accuracy assessment and position correction for low-cost non-differential GPS as applied on an industrial peat bog

A low-cost, non-differentially corrected hand-held GPS receiver was tested on an industrial peat production bog. A correction procedure (‘pseudo-differential correction’) was derived that corrected data points to the nearest position on a line defining the centre of each 15-m wide field. The result was a corrected log of track points for each field for all points lying along the field. It was found that the mean orthogonal distance from a field centreline was linearly correlated with mean uncorrected GPS data error (r 2 0.99) such that as GPS error increased so the accuracy obtained by correction decreased. For a signal with a mean uncorrected error of 30 m it was possible to reduce the err…

The Italian University Structure and Degrees on Agricultural Engineering

In Italy the University structure and degree courses changed dramatically in 2001, moving from degrees of five years, plus three years of Ph.D., to two levels of degree: a first level of three years, plus, eventually, a second level of two years and the unchanged Ph.D. This “revolution” explains the lack of information in some topics and leaves the possibility of further changes in the number, titles and contents of the degrees presented in this paper.

Effects of the Extraction Technology on Pomegranate Juice Quality

Pomegranate juice is a rich source of phenolic components; its consumption has considerably increased throughout the world in recent years, due to its nutraceutical properties. Commercial juice production involves pressing the fruits. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the pressing stage on pomegranate juice properties, in terms of value, duration of the applied pressure and juice yield in order to examine the influence of pressure level on volatiles and nutraceutical properties of the juice. Pomegranate fruits cv. Wonderful One were manually harvested and mechanically processed for extracting the juice by means of a shelling machine, a peristaltic pump and a pneumatic pre…

Agricultural Engineering programmes meeting the FEANI and EurAgEng criteria in Italy

The only administrative change which took place in Italian institutions from the status described in the 1st Workshop, in the framework of Bologna process, is the updating of 3+2 years University study programmes. According to the ECTS credit system used in Italian institutions, the total student workload in one year is 60 CFU, which are considered equivalent to 60 ECTS; each CFU represents 25 hours of learning, both as aided learning and as individual studies. The 1st cycle degree study programme (“Laurea”) consists of 180 ECTS, while the 2nd cycle one (“Laurea Magistrale”) is constituted by 120 ECTS. No adjustment, alteration or difference concerning the quality assurance scheme used in I…

The evaluation of urban soils aimed at the sustainability of plants in public and private flowerbeds

The authors report the survey of some flowerbeds located in the city of Palermo with the aim of assessing the sustainability of the plants and the interventions to be implemented, i.e. cutting or transfer of plants, to achieve a sustainable green. In the case in which it is possible to insert other plants in the flowerbeds, it is recommended to elaborate a project using programs that allow to have a preview of the spaces available for the new plants. This work is methodological and is aimed at creating a green that can achieve the functional objectives in relation to the site where it is located (sustainability in all aspects) and at low management costs with no or almost no irrigation prac…

Proposal of a Nomenclature for Hydrogeological Instability Risks and Case Studies of Conservative Soil Tillage for Environmental Protection

In order to implement environmental protection, within the Soil Cadastre, previously proposed as a multipurpose inventory that aims to promote sustainable soil uses, the hydrogeological instability caused by human activities is the focus of this work. These activities can be aimed at sustainable agricultural soil use or the building of roads to allow the access to the fields. The soil’s hydrogeological instability causes the unsustainable use and management of a cadastral parcel. Therefore, the aim of this work is to propose a nomenclature for hydrogeological instability risks, as well as the best practices of conservative soil tillage in case studies, in order to reduce environmental impac…

Accreditation practices of Agricultural Engineering university studies in Italy

Agricultural Engineering University studies in Italy are practically starting now only in a very few Faculties of Agriculture or of Engineering. Therefore, this paper refers to the accreditation practices which exist at present in Italy and which can be applied to existing study courses of any type.

Il rilevamento georeferenziato di caratteristiche fisico-meccaniche del terreno

Lo scopo del presente lavoro è di eseguire il rilevamento georeferenziato di caratteristiche fisico-meccaniche del terreno (resistenza alla penetrazione, indice del relativo stato di compattamento, e sforzo di taglio normale al piano di campagna, richiesto per lavorare il terreno mediante l’utilizzo di un ripuntatore) in un appezzamento della Sicilia interna, lungo traiettorie parallele a quelle già percorse da un sistema trattore - aratro durante l’aratura eseguita cinque anni prima delle prove stesse. Il sistema di rilevamento della resistenza alla penetrazione è costituito da una cella di carico, collegata ad un’asta di penetrazione, che termina con il relativo cono ed è installata su un…

Analisi di tre sistemi di posizionamento applicabili all'agricoltura di precisione

The implementation of ECTS in Italian university departments and institutes of Agricultural Engineering

Dall’Ingegneria Agraria all’Ingegneria dei Biosistemi: didattica e ricerca in Europa e negli USA

Il tradizionale settore dell’Ingegneria Agraria da alcuni anni si sta evolvendo, a livello internazionale, verso quello più ampio dell’Ingegneria dei Biosistemi. L’Ingegneria Agraria applica l’ingegneria alle scienze agrarie, mentre l’Ingegneria dei Biosistemi estende le applicazioni dell’ingegneria alle scienze biologiche ed ambientali, per uno sviluppo sostenibile dell’agricoltura, del settore alimentare, dell’uso del suolo e dell’ambiente, includendo pertanto tematiche innovative quali i bio-materiali, le energie rinnovabili, la gestione dei reflui, la tracciabilità, la qualità e la sicurezza degli alimenti, ecc. Come conseguenza della suddetta evoluzione sono stati istituiti: - a livell…

Effects of Vermicompost, Compost and Digestate as Commercial Alternative Peat-Based Substrates on Qualitative Parameters of Salvia officinalis

Peat is a common substrate used for the cultivation of potted plants. However, the use of peat in horticulture has recently been questioned from an environmental standpoint, since it is a non-renewable resource and plays a major role in atmospheric CO2 sequestration. The aim of this work was to assess the potentialities of substrates obtained from vermicompost, compost and anaerobic digestion processes to partially substitute peat for sage (Salvia officinalis L.) cultivation. Therefore, we planned an experiment to assess the effect of these substrates on essential oil (EO) yield and composition, as well as on leaf nutrients concentration of sage plants. The three substrates were mixed with …

Misurare la resa con precisione

Adjustment time and offset of a system for spatially variable rate fertilisation

The aim of this research is to measure the adjustment time and offset of a cheap system for spatially variable rate fertilisation, designed, developed and set up by the Mechanics Section of I.T.A.F. Department. In order to test the system, a centrifugal fertiliser spreader, working by gravity, was modified connecting an actuator with the two hopper shutter slides. Two different actuator types were tested, in order to measure the accordingly variable adjustment time and offset. The adjustment offset of the centrifugal spreader increases with increasing machine average forward speed and decreases with increasing fertiliser rate, considering the same rate variation. The main components of the …

Sicilian potential biogas production

This study is aimed at predicting the Sicilian potential biogas production, using the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW), animal manure and food industry by-products, in a region where only one biogas plant using MSW and one co-digestion plant are nowadays available. The statistical data about OFMSW, the number of animals bred in medium and large farms and the amounts of by-products of food processing industries were evaluated, in order to compute the Sicilian potential biogas and energy production. The OFMSW produced in Sicily, that is 0.8 million tons ca. per year (37% of MSW), could be used in a bio-reactor, together with other raw materials, for Anaerobic Digestion (AD) p…

Confronto tra un sistema laser e due sistemi GPS per il trapianto meccanizzato di barbatelle

The transplanters of grafted vines at present on the market are equipped with laser transmitters and receivers, which ensure the parallelism among the vineyard rows. These high cost instruments cause some operational problems: not operational return way of the machine, the need for more than one surveyed point when the soil shape is irregularar, the need of two operators, besides the machine driver, etc. The aim of this work is to assess the accuracy of GPS systems in order to use them in place of the laser systems. The distances among the grafted vines and the distances among the vineyard rows were measured using two positioning systems (a differentially corrected GPS system - DGPS) and a …

Life Cycle Impact Assessment applied to cactus pear crop production for generating bioenergy and biofertiliser

Among the potential uses of cactus pear, the generation of bioenergy (biogas) and biofertiliser (digestate), from the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) of cladodes and fruits, is surveyed in this paper. Data for Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) was drawn from a farm located in Roccapalumba (Palermo, Sicily, Italy), where three cultivars were cultivated: 1) yellow pulp cultivar; 2) red pulp cultivar; 3) white pulp cultivar. LCIA was applied to six scenarios: 1) current dry crop; 2) current irrigated crop; 3) dry crop for fruit and bioenergy production; 4) irrigated crop for fruit and bioenergy production; 5) dry crop for bioenergy production; 6) irrigated crop for bioenergy production. According t…

Identify needs of industry (current and future employers)

Biosystems Engineering curricula in Europe

This paper describes the history of the harmonisation of agricultural/biosystems engineering degree study programs in Europe from 1989, when the need for this process was widely felt, until now, when this need was partly satisfied through the implementation of the projects of two EU funded thematic networks, i.e., USAEE-TN and ERABEE-TN. The objective of this paper is to contribute to promote, in each EU country and elsewhere, the process of harmonisation of agricultural/biosystems engineering degree study programs, and student and graduate mobility within the EU, as well as between the EU and the USA. At present, in Europe, this harmonisation process is aided by the key results of the proj…

Valorisation of urban green areas for producing renewable energy and biochar as growing substrate of Sicilian aromatic and nutraceutical species in a circular economy

This work is aimed at evaluating the possible building up of a gasifier for the energy valorisation of residual biomass deriving from urban areas and their surroundings. The area and the volumes of supply and economic convenience have been determined by implementing a GIS-based geographic method to the localisation and quantification of non-uniform elements of plant biomass. The pyrolysis and gasification processes of the lignocellulosic biomass obtained from pruning and maintenance operations of the urban and ornamental green include the production of a residual amount of biochar. The biochar can be used in agriculture as a soil improver and a substrate alternative to peat in the sustainab…

Consumi energetici in diverse tipologie di minicaseifici

Recent regulations about the food health and safety and methods of milk processing obliged most sheep farmers not to process it on their own. Therefore, in Sicily most sheep breeders sold their milk to some small dairies. On the contrary, if sheep breeders had modern plants for processing also small amounts of milk in some suitable farm rooms, they could earn the additional value, due to cheese and ricotta sale. The agricultural Mechanics and Food Industry Sections of the Department of Engineering and Technologies in Agriculture and Forestry (ITAF) of Palermo University measured and assessed the consumptions of fuel electrical energy in some small dairies of 200 and 300 l capacity, in order…

Sustainable Valorisation of Biowaste for Soilless Cultivation of Salvia Officinalis in a Circular Bioeconomy

The aim of this work is to assess the usefulness of biowaste deriving from CircularBioeconomy (CBE) processes (i.e., vermicompost, compost and digestate), as growing substratesfor the partial or total replacement of peat, by measuring the vegetation biometric parameters ofsage (Salvia officinalis L.)&mdash

Italian Potential Biogas and Biomethane Production from OFMSW

This work is aimed at predicting the potential biogas and biomethane production, using the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW), in Italy, where 1388 Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plants (power of 7.4 TWh, equal to 640.4 ktep) are nowadays available. In order to compute the potential biogas and biomethane production in the 20 Italian regions, the data about OFMSW production in 2010-2013 period have been evaluated. The Italian production of OFMSW, that was 5.2 million tons in 2013 (18% of MSW), could be used inside bioreactors for producing biogas and digestate, that must be aerobically composted into a biofertiliser. In 2013, the Italian potential biogas production from OFMSW was 73…

Restructuring agricultural/biosystems engineering studies and employability in Italy

In Italy there is a society of Agricultural Engineering (Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering - AIIA), to which agronomists and engineers involved in agricultural, forestry and food processing sectors belong, but only recently a few Agricultural Engineering degrees were introduced. However, they are inadequately educated as Agricultural Engineers, because of the limited amount of Engineering learning outcomes. The “recognition” process of Agricultural Engineering study programs proposed by USAEE-TN will make the Agricultural Engineer profession much more known than before and the related degree more appreciated by industries, companies, private and public sectors and, therefore, …

Le condizioni dei dispositivi di sicurezza delle macchine operatrici in alcune aziende agricole siciliane

The agricultural machines available in a sample of farms in the Central and Western Sicily were surveyed, in order to evaluate the compliance of their safety conditions with the related laws. Often the regulations of these laws resulted partially or totally not applied. Among the machines moved by p.t.o. the crop protection machines showed the best overall conditions while the harvesting and baling machines showed the worst ones; among the machines not moved by p.t.o. the trailers showed the best overall conditions while the ploughs showed the worst ones. These results are generally caused by an insufficient maintenance and/or the lack of protection and safety devices and/or the year of man…

The current status of the agricultural science core curricula in Italian University Faculties of Agriculture

In Italian University Faculties of Agriculture the 1st cycle of studies concerns a BSc. degree offering completed application-oriented studies ensuring employability or an intermediate pivot-point degree towards an integrated MSc. In each first cycle program of studies offered by the Faculties of Agriculture a core curriculum exists and has the scope of providing students with a basic cultural background, common to every program of studies. In Italy the Faculties of Agriculture offer Agricultural Engineering programs of studies and no specialisation both for the 1st and the 2nd cycles of studies. Students can achieve the degree in Agricultural Sciences with a Agricultural Engineering specia…

State of the Art on Degree Study Programs in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering in EU

The process of international harmonisation of the degree study programs in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering (ABE) was started by Prof. Giuseppe Pellizzi during CIGR 1989 Conference and was continued by Prof. Pierluigi Febo in EU, within EurAgEng SIG RD12 - Education and Communication, and also within CIGR WG1 - Agricultural Engineering University Curricula Harmonization. Then, four thematic networks were effective: 1) USAEE-TN (University Studies of Agricultural Engineering in Europe - A Thematic Network), comprising 31 HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) from 27 countries, from 2002 to 2006; 2) Consortium POMSEBES (Policy Oriented Measures in Support of the Evolving Biosystems Engineer…

Un sistema innovativo per l'agricoltura di precisione. Prime prove di diserbo a dose variabile

A Contribution to Environmental Protection Through the Valorisation of Kitchen Biowaste

The worldwide interest in Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is gathering momentum. Anaerobic Digestion (AD) process is steadily growing, as more people are setting up bioreactors in order to produce biogas and digestate. AD process is the fermentation of solid biowaste in the absence of oxygen and is zero emission, i.e. it is CO2 neutral. The aim of this work is to test HomeBiogas 2.0, i.e. a revolutionary equipment that used the kitchen biowaste from the canteen of the agricultural institute of Marsala (Trapani, Italy). This equipment works as a continuous flow bioreactor: the waste is fed in one end, while biogas and digestate come out from the other. The process continuously took place at a…

Spatially variable rate herbicide application on durum wheat in Sicily

Using the conventional farming system, durum wheat requires high rates of herbicide spraying. Herbicide residues can cause pollution of soil and ground water and, therefore, of the entire environment. In order to minimise the environmental impact of herbicides, a home made system for spatially variable rate crop input application was designed, developed and set up by the Department of Engineering and Technologies in Agriculture and Forestry (I.T.A.F.). This system consists of a DGPS, a portable computer, a specifically developed software and a device for applying rates proportionally related to the machine forward speed (DPA). Tests of spatially variable rate herbicide application were carr…

Comparison of Mechanical, Assisted and Manual Harvest of Origanum vulgare L.

In Italy, the production of Origanum vulgare L. is lower than the national market demand, so there is an increasing interest in this crop, even if the manual harvest and bunch binding represent ca. 60% of the production cost. The aim of this work is to evaluate the harvest efficiency, as well as the working capacity, productivity and quality of mechanical harvesting by means of a reaper-binder designed for cereal and forage crops and assisted harvesting by means of a long-reach edge trimmer. In fact, the final aim is to suggest a machine and a method for oregano harvesting that could significantly reduce the time and, therefore, the cost of this crop operation, while achieving a product qua…

Sistemi per la valutazione del compattamento dei terreni agrari

The traffic of agricultural machines can cause soil compaction, reducing, above all, its porosity. The measurement of soil cone penetrometer resistance is the easiest and quickest method for monitoring and assessing soil compaction. The aim of this research is to test two mechanised systems for the geo-referenced measurement and, therefore, producing maps of soil cone penetrometer resistance. The first system was developed mounting an electronic penetrometer and a DGPS mobile receiver on a tracked minitransporter. The second system was built mounting, on a frame fixed to the front part of a tractor: four load cells; a system for signal conditioning and data acquisition; four rods and penetr…

Un sistema per la concimazione spazialmente variabile

Lo scopo del lavoro è quello di misurare il tempo e la distanza di regolazione di un sistema per l’applicazione di fattori produttivi a dosi spazialmente variabili, progettato, sviluppato, messo a punto e già sperimentato positivamente per il diserbo dalla Sezione Meccanica del Dipartimento I.T.A.F. Tale sistema è stato sperimentato per la concimazione spazialmente variabile, installando, su uno spandiconcime ad azione centrifuga a due dischi di distribuzione opportunamente modificato, due diversi tipi di attuatori, collegati al sistema di regolazione delle luci di caduta del concime. E’ risultato che, a parità di variazione di dose, la distanza di regolazione del sistema, con entrambi gli …

Assessment of organic waste management methods through energy balance

In Italy, the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid W aste (OFMSW) is nowadays landfilled or processed through aerobic composting. The Italian towns curre ntly support a high cost for OFMSW disposal and cause a high environmental impact, because of long distance s travelled from towns to a few available landfills and fewer treatment places, as well as the used waste m anagement methods. An interesting option for OFMSW is Anaerobic Digestion (AD), producing biogas and “digestate”. In this survey a theoretical biogas plant was placed near a town of Sicily Region (Italy), centra lised with reference to the area considered for pro ducing OFMSW. The distances travelled every year to transport OFMS…

Case Study of Potential Production of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) from Livestock Wastes in Mediterranean Islands

The aim of this work is to evaluate the potential production of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) from livestock wastes that are commonly found on Mediterranean islands, by using the island of Malta as a case study. Organic wastes in the form of livestock manure and slurry, as well as other by-products originating from the food transformation industry in the making of alcoholic beverages and the processing of olives, tomatoes and other streams, if mixed in such a way to achieve a correct C/N ratio, can be subjected to anaerobic co-digestion for the production of biogas and digestate. Biogas can be further transformed into biomethane, a fuel that can be used to power surface transportation and …

A System to Simplify the Use of Mounted Shakers for Harvesting Olives and Dry Fruits

The shakers for harvesting olives and dry fruits have reached a high standard and their use is increasing rapidly. In order to satisfy the different demand, manufacturers offer a wide range of shakers, from the more expensive self-propelled ones to those to be mounted on the tractor’s power lift, with shaking headers of different mass and size, suitable for the different orchard characteristics. Self-propelled shakers have high steering capacity and optimum visual field for the operator, so their working capacity is very high with respect to that of mounted shakers, which are less expensive but have lower steering capacity and a limited view on the header. Therefore the approaching of mount…

Consumi energetici in diverse tipologie di minicaseifici

First tests of spatially variable rate herbicide application on Durum wheat in Sicily

Using the conventional farming system, durum wheat requires the spraying of high herbicide rates. Herbicide residues can cause pollution of soil and ground water. This paper refers to first tests of spatially variable rate herbicide application on durum wheat. The tests showed the effectiveness of the variable rate herbicide application, which allowed an almost even grain yield over the entire field and a saving of 27% of herbicide mixture.

Research activities in Italian university departments and institutes of Agricultural Engineering

The most common topics of research activities in Italian University Departments and Institutes of Agricultural Engineering are Power & Machinery, Post harvest technology and Soil & Water. The sources of funding in Italy come both from the public and the private sector. Especially postgraduate students are involved in research. External research funding is the largest part. Efficiency, effectiveness and quality of the research are evaluated using various parameters like total number of projects, number of participants, papers published, innovations and/or prototypes developed, patents awarded, etc. The results of research activities are disseminated by means of publications, conferences, wor…

Fondamenti dell'agricoltura di precisione

L'ergonomia e la sicurezza delle macchine operatrici nelle aziende agricole siciliane

The agricultural machines available in a meaningful sample of farms in the Eastern and Central Sicily were surveyed with particular reference to the laws concerning with ergonomics and safety. The agricultural machines examined showed poor ergonomics and safety conditions. These results are caused by an insufficient maintenance or lack of protection and safety devices, depending also on the year of manufacture of the agricultural machines.

Energy consumptions in different mini dairy plants

Using modern plants, suitable for processing also small amounts of milk, sheep breeders, instead to sell their milk to some dairies, could earn the additional income due to cheese and ricotta sale. The fuel and electrical energy consumptions were measured and evaluated in some mini dairy plants. The results show that mini dairy plants powered by diesel fuel consume less energy per processed milk volume unit than those powered by liquid propane gas.

Prove di diserbo spazialmente variabile in un'azienda cerealicola siciliana

In soils having a significant within-field spatial variability of physiical, chemical and biological characteristics, conventional agriculture, based on the the distribution of equal rates of crop inputs (fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides, etc.) can cause excess of these inputs in some points and deficit in others. The implementation of precision agriculture can prevent these spoilage or deficit. Herbicide spraying is one of the field operations which can get economical benefits from the spatially variable soil managemnent. The section of Agricultural Mechanisation of the Department of Engineering and Technologies in Agriculture and Forestry (ITAF) has set up a system for spraying herbici…

Use of Sentinel-2 Satellite for Spatially Variable Rate Fertiliser Management in a Sicilian Vineyard

Satellites can be used for producing maps of within-field crop and soil parameters and, consequentially, spatially variable rate crop input application maps. The plant vegetative vigour index (i.e., Normalised Difference Vegetation Index—NDVI) and the leaf water content index (i.e., Normalised Difference Water Index—NDWI) maps were used to study—through both time and space—the phenological phases of two plots, with Syrah and Nero d’Avola grapevine varieties, in a Sicilian vineyard farm, located in Naro (Agrigento, Sicily, Italy). The aim of this work is to produce spatially variable rate nitrogen fertiliser maps to be applied in the two vineyard plots under stu…

Potential production of biogas from prinkly pear (opuntia ficus-indica L.) in sicilian uncultivated areas

The aim of this work is to evaluate the potential production of biogas and, indirectly, biomethane or electric and thermal energy, from prinkly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.), to be grown in a part of Sicilian uncultivated areas and co-digested together with the available livestock manure and slurry. In order to increase the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and reduce the dependency from fossil ones, the conversion of biomass into biogas through Anaerobic Digestion (AD) process is paramount for producing biomethane, to be used as fuel for means of transport and agricultural machines or heating, or electric and thermal energy through Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants. Moreover, the digestat…

Plants for Environmental Protection

Plants for environmental protection are Anaerobic Digestion plants for converting biomass as Renewable Energy Source (RES), i.e. biowaste, agricultural feedstock, livestock effluents (manure and slurry) and food industry by-products, into biogas, i.e. bioenergy, as well as digestate, i.e. biofertiliser. In turn, biogas can be converted into electrical and thermal energy or can be used for extracting biomethane, i.e. biofuel, or can be injected in the natural gas grid. Moreover, digestate can be divided into solid and liquid fractions, that can be used for fertilisation or fertirrigation, respectively, sometimes after aerobic composting.

Towards the European harmonisation of a Soil Cadastre inventory as a tool for environmental, social, economic, legal and taxation purposes

The cadastral systems existing in EU Member States satisfy private and public needs but there is no common regulation describing the purposes, minimum requirements and functions of the Cadastre in each State. In order to satisfy the need for harmonisation of Cadastres at the EU level, the Spanish Government's Official Performance Programme of the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council supported, in the first semester of 2002, the initiative proposed by the Spanish General Directorate for the Cadastre to hold the "First Congress on Cadastre in the European Union" (15-17 May 2002). The main objective of this conference was to study the role of the Cadastre at EU level and the methods for the in…

Survey of the mean pressure exerted by a wide range of tractors on the soil

In order to predict the mean pressure exerted by a vehicle tyre on the soil, in 1984 Plackett suggested measuring the contact area of a tyre on a hard surface. The model proposed by Hallonborg in 1996, based on the “super ellipse theory”, provided the best results in terms of prediction of the tyre-soil contact area. In this study 82 4WD tractors with different power, mass and age of manufacture were surveyed. Relying on their technical features, the contact area of the front and rear tyres of each tractor and, therefore, their pressure on the soil was calculated, in order to assess the attention paid by manufacturers to soil compaction. The results of this survey showed that the mean press…

Identify research needs/opportunities in Biosystems Engineering

Synopsis of the tools for enhancing the attractiveness of European study programs in Biosystems Engineering

Sicilian potential biogas production from Citrus industry by-product

In Europe, Italy is the second nation after Spain in Citrus production and 49% ca. of national fruit production is located in Sicily. The by-product obtained from the industrial processing of Citrus fruits into juice and essential oils is called “pastazzo” or Citrus Waste (CW). This study is aimed at evaluating the Sicilian potential biogas and energy production from the above “pastazzo” and verifying the possibility of using this by-product for Anaerobic Digestion (AD) process within 30 km from processing plants. The areas cultivated with Citrus species in Sicily and their distribution in the various municipal districts were mapped and analysed by means of QGIS software, together with the …

Dispositivi elettronici all'avanguardia

The harmonisation applied to European higher education in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering

Even if the process of harmonisation applied to European Higher Education in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering started in 1989, it is still in progress. Until now this process benefited, above all, from the results of the projects of two European thematic networks : • USAEE-TN, whose best results were the core curricula to be used as benchmarks for the degree study programs in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering; • ERABEE-TN, still working for developing the results of USAEE-TN, above all, at the 3rd cycle in Biosystems Engineering. Another important contribution to the harmonisation of the European curricula in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering was obtained from the cooperation between…

La rete tematica sugli studi universitari in Ingegneria Agraria in Europa (USAEE-TN)

Positioning Accuracy Comparison of GNSS Receivers Used for Mapping and Guidance of Agricultural Machines

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) allow the determination of the 3D position of a point on the Earth&rsquo

Manure as a potential source of renewable energy: The behaviour and characterisation of biofuels generated from three animal manure types when subjected to pyrolysis

Regions with high livestock density lack sufficient land on which to apply manure without exceeding the legal limits set by the European Union Directives. The lack of manure processing alternatives aggravates the situation, especially in the case of islands. Consequently, manure becomes a liability rather than an asset. Results indicate that pyrolysis is an option for manure processing. However, a significant limitation is the moisture content of the starting material, that could compromise the process efficiency. Yields of biogas, bio-oil and biochar, all of which have a potential use as biofuels, are particular to animal type and manure handling system. The conversion of manure to biofuel…

Definition of the Emerging Biosystems Engineering Discipline in Europe: the Current Situation in Italy

Rare knowledge in Biosystems Engineering : a heritage to be preserved and implemented in the European degree study programs

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The employment situation of the graduates of the Italian Faculties of Agriculture

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"University - Enterprise Cooperation" in Biosystems Engineering: an ERABEE Thematic Network European survey

This survey was carried out through the data analysis of the “University-Enterprise Cooperation” questionnaire, which was developed and distributed to all the partners of the EU funded ERABEE-TN . 37 industries involved in the area of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (i.e. industries of machines, equipment and materials for agriculture, food processing industries, companies of renewable energy systems and services for agriculture and environment) from 13 European countries replied to this questionnaire. The most significant result of this survey is the importance given to the cooperation between Universities and enterprises specialised in Biosystems Engineering. In fact, the majority…