Safety Improvements on Wood Chippers Currently in Use: A Study on Feasibility in the Italian Context

Following formal opposition by France, the harmonized safety standards regarding manually-loaded wood chippers (EN 13525:2005+A2:2009) which presumed compliance with the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSR) required by the Machine Directive (Directive 2006/42/EC), have recently been withdrawn, and a new draft of the standard is currently under revision. In order to assess the potential impact of the expected future harmonized standards within the Italian context, this study has examined the main issues in implementing EHSRs on wood chippers already being used. Safety issues regarding wood chippers already in use were identified in an analysis of the draft standard, through the observation of a number of case studies, and qualitative analysis of the essential technical interventions. A number of agricultural and forestry operators and companies participated in the study, pointing out the technical and economic obstacle facing the safety features requested by the pending new standard. It emerged that the main safety issues concerned the implementation of the reverse function, the stop bar, and the protective devices, the infeed chute dimension, the emergency stop function, and the designated feeding area. The possibility of adopting such solutions mainly depends on technical feasibility and costs, but an important role is also played by the attitude towards safety and a lack of adequate information regarding safety obligations and procedures among users

Replacing Agricultural Diesel Fuel with Biomethane from Agricultural Waste: Assessment of Biomass Availability and Potential Energy Supply in Piedmont (North-West Italy)

Agricultural and livestock wastes are an important resource for the production of renewable fuels such as biomethane, and the effective management of the components of supply chain, such as available biomass feedstock, are critical to the transition to a low-carbon circular economy. Considering that more than half of the emissions (CO2eq) generated in agriculture come from the use of fossil fuels to power tractors and other agricultural machinery, replacing diesel fuel in tractors with biofuels produced within the agricultural supply chain could contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reduction and to energy self-sufficiency for the local agricultural sectors. This study evaluated, at the regional level (Piedmont—north-west Italy), the potential production of biomethane from local agricultural wastes (crop residues and livestock manure), the potential energy supply to power tractors and the potential CO2 emission reduction by replacing diesel fuel. Based on mean annual available agricultural wastes over the last seven years (2015–2021) in the Piedmont region, the annual potential biomethane yield of 910 × 106 m3 year−1 was estimated, equivalent to a thermal energy of 30.1 × 109 MJ year−1, which is 3.8 times higher than the energy requirements for the regional tractors’ fleet. The estimated potential CO2 emission reduction is about 93.8 t of CO2 year−1, corresponding to 16.8% potential reduction. The study demonstrates the potential of local agriculture to replace diesel fuel with biomethane from waste to meet energy needs and carbon neutrality

The Role of Social Interaction and Personal Characteristics in Affecting the Adoption of Compost from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste in Italy

The composting process allows one to minimize quantities of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) disposed through landfills. Compost obtained from OFMSW is not yet widespread across all European countries, including Italy. Even though previous studies emphasized the role that social interaction and socio-demographic users’ characteristics may have toward the adoption of sustainable practices, to our knowledge, few studies have specifically addressed OFMSW compost. Considering the need to integrate the social perspective in sustainable agriculture literature, further research is required regarding the intention to adopt this organic product, especially among potential users. A questionnaire was used to investigate potential users’ level of interest in using OFMSW compost and their a priori perceptions on its fertilizing properties, if anyone ever suggested using OFMSW compost, as well as the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics. Fifty-eight participants were involved. The results demonstrated a significant association between education level and received suggestions from peer or social networks in the interest of adopting OFMSW compost. In addition, participants who received suggestions had higher odds of being highly interested in adopting OFMSW compost versus those who did not receive it. In conclusion, institutions, where formal knowledge has a place, and agricultural policy makers should be engaged with the aim to facilitate knowledge exchange and connections among different actors, supporting local-level initiatives

Effects of pelletizing pressure and the addition of woody bulking agents on the physical and mechanical properties of pellets made from composted pig solid fraction

This study reports the effects of the addition of different woody bulking agents and pelletizing pressure on the final bulk density, durability and compression resistance of pellets manufactured from composted pig solid fraction. Two pressure levels (3.5 and 5.0 MPa) and three different types of compost (SFC - pig solid fraction, BC - pig solid fraction mixed with woody biochar, and WC - pig solid fraction mixed with wood chips) were investigated. The study shows that the different pressures adopted - in the range of 3.5 to 5.0 MPa - and the addition of woody bulking agents did not significantly affect the physical and mechanical properties of the pellets. However, according to the results of the study, the particle dimension of the woody bulking agents plays a key role in the mechanical properties of the pellets; the smaller the particles, the higher the pellet mechanical properties. The pelletizing process increased the bulk density of the investigated composts, and pellet durability was always high (> 80%). Nevertheless, when comparing the two bulking agents, the best results in terms of final quality were observed for pellets made from pig solid fraction mixed with woody biochar

Factors Influencing Adoption of Compost Made from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste and Purchasing Pattern: A Survey of Italian Professional and Hobbyist Users

Composting represents an alternative for the management of the organic fraction from municipal waste. However, the adoption of compost made from municipal waste is not yet widespread across all European countries, including Italy. Being ‘professional’ (i.e., farmers and gardeners) and ‘hobbyists’ the most representative categories of compost buyers in Italy, this study investigated their attitude toward municipal waste compost adoption and their purchasing pattern, pointing out criticalities and strategies to promote a wider use of this kind of compost. For the two categories of users, frequency of use of different information, buying habits, opinions on marketing issues, and factors which encourage compost utilization were investigated. The ‘professionals’ and ‘hobbyists’ reported different purchasing behaviors in terms of quantity, frequency, and preferred packaging format. The capability of compost from municipal waste to improve soil characteristics and its low environmental impact were identified as the most significant aspects for users, while availability of economic subsidies was not a determining factor for municipal waste compost adoption. With regard to the information sources, the broader use of personal communication channels like peers’ suggestions may have influence on compost adoption pointing out how social influence can promote sustainable behavior and influence users’ purchasing choices

Greenhouse Robots: Ultimate Solutions to Improve Automation in Protected Cropping Systems—A Review

In recent years, agricultural robotics has received great attention in research studies, being considered a way to address some important issues of the agricultural sector, such as precision agriculture, resources saving, improvement of safety conditions, and shortage of human labor. These issues are particularly relevant in greenhouse production systems, where many highly repetitive and sometimes dangerous operations are still required to be performed by humans. The purpose of the present review is providing an overview of the research conducted in recent years related to robotic automation for greenhouse applications. The currently available literature about robots and automated solutions for greenhouse applications has been reviewed through the consultation of international databases of journals. A total of 38 publications were included after screening and the information related to each retrieved automated solution was classified. The research highlighted great variability among studies, which often describe automation solutions designed for specific crops and define the specific “supporting tasks” necessary for the completion of a “main task”. Specifically, the technologies used for guidance and navigation systems, crop detection and fruit grasping system, spraying system, and other minor supporting tasks have been described. Furthermore, a critical appraisal of the main challenges of the sector and future research directions are provided

Greenhouse Robots: Ultimate Solutions to Improve Automation in Protected Cropping Systems—A Review

In recent years, agricultural robotics has received great attention in research studies, being considered a way to address some important issues of the agricultural sector, such as precision agriculture, resources saving, improvement of safety conditions, and shortage of human labor. These issues are particularly relevant in greenhouse production systems, where many highly repetitive and sometimes dangerous operations are still required to be performed by humans. The purpose of the present review is providing an overview of the research conducted in recent years related to robotic automation for greenhouse applications. The currently available literature about robots and automated solutions for greenhouse applications has been reviewed through the consultation of international databases of journals. A total of 38 publications were included after screening and the information related to each retrieved automated solution was classified. The research highlighted great variability among studies, which often describe automation solutions designed for specific crops and define the specific “supporting tasks” necessary for the completion of a “main task”. Specifically, the technologies used for guidance and navigation systems, crop detection and fruit grasping system, spraying system, and other minor supporting tasks have been described. Furthermore, a critical appraisal of the main challenges of the sector and future research directions are provided