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The increasing importance of protected cultures in the last decades has led to the definition of aims for greenhouse design and functioning, in order to conjugate productivity and environmental sustainability. In particular, the optimization of greenhouses is finalized to better solar radiation adsorption and ensure to the crops a homogeneous temperature field for the whole growth time. An Italian case study is presented in this paper: the studied farm needs to project greenhouse geometry and design a hot-water pipes heating system to cultivate basil during the winter season, improving the exploitation of natural resources. A simulative analysis has been carried out by mean of COMSOL Multiphysics software, investigating the effects of greenhouse height, number of pipes and water temperature of the heating system on the inside temperature field through a parametric sweep approach. Twenty-seven scenarios have been simulated and three of them have been considered suitable for the farm applications. The simulative approach allows to collect data about the minimum number of pipes, the sensitivity of the internal temperature field to the outside temperature fluctuation (referred also to the height of the greenhouse) and the more suitable heating water temperature needed to ensure the required habitat to the basil crops, minimizing also temperature fluctuations.

Noise is a major physical hazard in agricultural activities, and numerous research activities have managed to detect its effects, resulting in surveys and measurements which help to define exposure limits, prevention methods, and control strategies. This review aims to collect and analyse the data from research studies and to provide a comprehensive overview on the subject. Thus, a set of 81 papers, gathered from the Scopus and PubMed scientific databases, has been analysed to provide information regarding the evolution of noise exposure levels over time, to highlight findings on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), and to list strategies for noise prevention and control in agriculture. Bibliographic research showed that noise measurements between 1991 and 2022, included in scientific research on farming, forestry, and animal husbandry, mainly reported values beyond the threshold of 85 dB(A); furthermore, several research activities on NIHL showed that farmers’ family members and children are often exposed to high levels of noise. Lastly, an analysis of the prevention and control strategies over time is provided, focusing on prevention programmes, screening, and the use of hearing protection devices (HPD). The identified literature suggests that additional efforts are required in regards to machinery design relating to the socio-technical aspects of agricultural activities and that side-effects of NIHL, as well as the negative impact of noise on other risks, might deserve further investigation.

The aim of this study focuses on the possibility of producing biogas from brewery spent grains through an anaerobic digestion (AD) process. Beer, in fact, is one of the most consumed drinks all over the world and its highly impactful production process releases a large quantity of wastes, such as spent grains (BSG). In the first part of this work, an energetic characterization of raw BSG has been carried out to define moisture, ashes and volatile solids contents. Then, two pre-treatments of BSG have been analysed, in order to establish how to improve the energetic characteristics of this biomass for an anaerobic conversion process. The first pre-treatment has consisted in a low temperature process, while the second one is an alkali pre-treatment. After the raw biomass has been subjected to each pre-treatment, the energetic characterization has been repeated to evaluate the change of the BSG’s properties. The obtained results show that the raw BSG is a suitable biomass for AD application, because of the high content of volatile solids (around 90.9%) and the low percentage of ash on dry basis (about 3.53%). These characteristics has been bettered through the low temperature pre-treatment (volatile solids percentage near 92.7% and ash content approximately equal to 3.59 %) in terms of digestibility by anaerobic digestion reaction, while the alkali one has worsened the volatile solids content (around 73.8%) and increased the ash percentage (near 38.61%).

The deployment of bioenergy has turned into a severe issue associated with energy security and greenhouse gas reduction. The development of technologies in the renewable energy market depends on the profitability of their investment. However, the Net Present Value of new technologies’ investment is affected by technical and economic uncertainties. Hence, the probability assessment of a positive Net Present Value and identifying critical economic and technical parameters can inform investors and decision-makers about any investment risks. This study evaluates the overall uncertainty in the Net Present Value of investment in cogeneration plants composed of a gasifier fed with biomass and a bottoming Internal Combustion Engine fed by the gasification product gas. Monte Carlo simulation assesses the probability of a positive Net Present Value for three sizes of cogeneration plants.Regarding sizes, the chance of generating a positive Net Present Value ranges from 66% to 90%, while the larger plants have a higher chance. The sensitivity analysis findings show that above all, biomass cost and then the sale price of electricity and the quantity of gasification product gas are the most dominant parameters. Using an internally produced biomass waste resource and possible achievement of green energy certificates on energy produced would make the initiative successful.

Filtration is a process that eliminates solid sediments and moisture in olive oil to maintain its shelf life during storage. The influence of filtration on the oil characteristics is linked to many parameters such as chemical and sensory traits, cultivars and filtration systems. After assessing the literature on filtration research, we observed that there are contrasting findings and it is complicated to answer the question of whether to filter or not. An analysis of the influence of different filtration technologies used in extra-virgin olive oil production on the phenolic compounds, volatile fractions, antioxidant activity and sensory characteristics is given in this review. The information compiled could help olive oil producers to enhance extra-virgin olive oil quality and maintain it during storage.

The world production of olive oil represented 3.1 million tons in 2021 and the choice aimed at high quality extra virgin olive oils is increasingly appearing (IOC, 2022). Moreover, the production of a product of quality with environmental respect is grown in demand. Consequently, the so-called “ecological” processes mostly interest the production market of extra virgin olive oils. Despite the current processing and extraction technologies, the characteristics of olive oil can still be optimized. In this regard, interesting technology to produce olive oil remains the stone removal of the olives before the extraction of the oil. Recently, the destoners preserved a less low oil yield. In light of recent progress, the review focuses on the influence of destoning on the quality of extra virgin olive oil, using a systematic approach. Interest in this technology is increasing and many researchers report that destoned olive oils show superior characteristics confronting with those obtained by the traditional method. These data indicate that destoning is one of the most significant advantages for the improvement of the oil qualitative traits and the system’s sustainability.

In recent years, the increasing interest in energy production from renewable energy sources has led to photovoltaic elements being placed on greenhouse coverings. The shading of crops by these elements can, however, cause problems regarding the normal course of agricultural activity. All studies thus far on the application of photovoltaic (PV) panels as a greenhouse covering material have focused on flat roof structures. Tunnel greenhouses, due to their curved shape, do not lend themselves easily to accommodating PV panels on even part of the cover. In this study, we analysed the shading variation inside a tunnel greenhouse that was produced by applying flexible and transparent PV panels in a checkerboard arrangement. The transparent flexible PV panels are manufactured using monocrystalline silicon cells, with an efficiency of 18%, incorporated into polymers with high resistance. The PV panel dimensions are 1.116×0.165 m. The simulation software Autodesk® Autocad2010® was used for this study. The variation and distribution of the shading percentage of PV panels were analysed in relation to the surface area affected by the photovoltaic roof, the total area of the greenhouse and the section of the greenhouse. In particular, we studied the variations in the percentage of shading and the size of the shaded area on the twenty-first day of each month of the year. The results show some regularity in the shading percentage, mainly due to the curvilinear shape of the section of the greenhouse. From mid-March to mid- September, the shading in the middle of the day is almost always inside the greenhouse. In the other months of the year, it is partly inside and partly outside the tunnel greenhouse. With the photovoltaic arrangement adopted, the percentage of shading during the year never exceeds 40%.

The effects of a mechanical process on the solid fuel quality and anaerobic biodegradability of hazelnut and olive pruning were determined. The feedstock was treated using a two-stage dry milling process, followed by fractionation into four different products. The coarser products from the processing of both the raw materials, named C and M, were notable for the high reduction in both the ash and nitrogen content. Therefore, for hazelnut, they met the requirement of the EN ISO 17225-2 standard for both the industrial and residential pellets, whereas C and M from olive processing met the requirements only for the industrial pellet. The raw materials and the finest products from processing, named F1 and F2, were anaerobically digested in batch reactors under mesophilic conditions. The F2 product from hazelnut processing reached a methane yield of 118.1 Nm3 tVS−1, corresponding to a +70.1% gain over the untreated substrate, whereas F2 from olive pruning processing reached 176.5 Nm3 tVS−1, corresponding to a methane yield gain of about +93.5% over the untreated raw material. These results suggest that the investigated process could be successfully used to improve the quality of pruning and establish new markets for them.

In recent years the use of photovoltaic panels as cover materials for greenhouses developed a great interest due to the state’s incentives obtainable by such applications. Shading caused by these elements inside the structure appears to be often too much for the normal development of agricultural activity. In this study it was analyzed the behaviour of shading caused by the photovoltaic panels inside a prototype of dynamic photovoltaic greenhouse whose particularity lies in the possibility of rotation of the panels along the longitudinal axis. The panels’ rotation allows varying shading degree in function of some parameters such as latitude and the different solar angles. In order to avoid any reflection losses due to imperfect inclination of the photovoltaic panels, 24 highly reflective aluminium mirrors were prepared with the objective of recovering the portion of solar radiation otherwise lost by reflection. For the study it was used the simulation software Autodesk® Ecotect® Analysis which allows to analyse the path of the shadows during the day and throughout the year for any latitude considered. For this study it was analyzed shading with the panels in a horizontal position. It was also analyzed the evolution of the percentage of shading simulating different latitudes. The results obtained show a great variation of the shading degree inside the structure during a single day and during the year. We can conclude that integrating this analysis with the energy balance it is possible to study the behaviour of photovoltaic greenhouses in order to integrate the energy production from renewable energy sources and agricultural production.

Gasification technology is actually one of the most effective ways to produce power and hydrogen from biomass. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have proved to be an excellent energy conversion device. They can transform the chemical energy content in the syngas, produced by a gasifier, directly into electrical energy. A steady-state model of a biomass-SOFC was developed using process simulation software, ASPEN Plus (10, AspenTech, Bedford, MA, USA). The objective of this work was to implement a biomass-SOFC system capable of predicting performance under diverse operating conditions. The system is made of a gasification zone, gas cleaning steps, and SOFC. The SOFC modelling was done without external subroutines, unlike most models in the literature, using only the existing ASPEN Plus blocks, making the model simpler and more reliable. The analysis of the syngas composition out of each cleaning step is in accordance with literature data. Then, a sensitivity analysis was carried out on the main parameters. The results indicate that there must be a trade-off between voltage, electrical efficiency, and power with respect to current density and it is preferable to stay at a low steam-to-biomass ratio. The electrical efficiency achieved under the operating conditions is 57%, a high value, making these systems very attractive.

Papers submitted and published in this Special Issue “WP3—Innovation in Agriculture and Forestry Sector for Energetic Sustainability” bring together some of the latest research results in the field of biomass valorization and the process of energy production and climate change and other items about energetic sustainability [...]

Biomass is one of the most widespread and accessible energy source and steam gasification is one of the most important processes to convert biomass into combustible gases. However, to date the difference of results between the main models used to predict steam gasification producer gas composition have been not analyzed in details. Indeed, gasification, involving heterogeneous reactions, does not reach thermodynamic equilibrium and so thermodynamic models with experimental corrections and kinetic models are mainly applied. Thus, this paper compares a 1-D kinetic model developed in MATLAB, combining hydrodynamics and reaction kinetics, and a 0-D thermodynamic model developed in Aspen Plus, based on Gibbs free energy minimization applying the quasi-equilibrium approach, calibrated by experimental data. After a comparison of the results of the models against experimental data at two S/B ratios, a sensitivity analysis for a wide range of S/B ratios has been performed. The experimental comparison and sensitivity analysis shows that the two models provide sufficiently similar data in terms of the main components of the syngas although the thermodynamic model shows, with increasing S/B, a greater increase of H2 and CO2 and lower decrease of CH4 and CO respect to the kinetic one and the experimental data. Thus, the thermodynamic model, despite being calibrated by experimental data, can be used mainly to analyze global plant performance due to the reduced importance of the discrepancy from a global energy and plant perspective. Meanwhile, the more complex kinetic model should be used when a more precise gas composition is needed and, of course, for reactor design.

The Italian dairy production is characterized by high heterogeneity. The typology quantitatively more important (80% of national production) is represented by cow’s milk cheeses (Grana Padano cheese, string cheese, Parmesan cheese, etc.), while the cheese from buffalo’s milk (especially string cheese such as mozzarella) and cheese from sheep and goats represents respectively 4% and 8% of the national dairy production, and are linked to specific regional contexts. Some phases of the cycle of milk processing occur at certain temperatures that are not comfortable for the workers also in relation to possible problems due to thermal shock. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of heat stress on workers operating in a dairy for processing of buffalo milk. The research was conducted at a dairy farm located in the province of Viterbo, Italy, during the spring-summer period. To carry out the research were detected major climatic parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, mean radiant temperature, air velocity) and the main parameters of the individual operators (clothing thermal insulation and the energy expenditure required from the work done by employees). Subsequently, main indices of heat stress assessment provided by the main technical standards were calculated. In particular have been calculated predicted mean vote and predicted percentage of dissatisfied in moderate thermal environments (environments in which the objective, in the design and management phases, is to achieve the thermal comfort), provided by the UNI EN ISO 7730 and the wet bulb globe temperature in severe hot environments (environments in which you must protect the health of workers) required by UNI EN ISO 27243. The results show some phases of risk from heat stress especially during times of test in which the internal air temperature exceeds the threshold of 30°C and possible solutions to improve the safety of the operators.

it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 10th AIIA Conference: “AIIA13 – Horizons in agricultural, forestry and biosystems engineering”, and to welcome you to Viterbo. For the first time the AIIA conference will be held in English. The purpose of this choice is to involve academics and researchers coming from other nations. This conference will then be a unique opportunity for scientists, researchers, experts, students and people representing the business world to show, share and discuss the results of their researches. Another goal of this conference is the promotion of the cooperation and networking in the field of Biosystems Engineering, also trying to include the business world in it. By doing that, we will be able to take on the new challenge of Horizon 2020, the new European Framework Programme. This programme attributes a capital and fundamental role to research and innovation, seen as important means to guarantee an intelligent, sustainable and comprehensive growth to Europe. Horizon 2020 is articulated on 3 strategic objectives 1) Excellent science, intended to secure Europe’s leadership in science worldwide. 2) Industrial Leadership , aimed at supporting research and innovation of European industry, with a strong focus on industrial technologies and investments for SMEs, 3) Societal challenges , aimed at tackling major global challenges in the following areas: health, demographic change and wellbeing, food security, sustainable agriculture, secure, clean and efficient energy, smart, green and integrated transport, climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials, inclusive, innovative and secure societies. In all these fields Agricultural, Forestry and Biosystems Engineering in the coming years will have a major role. I conclude by saying that AIIA13 is also an opportunity to know the Tuscia, a still intact territory, in which culture and respect for the land, innovation and tradition come together in a truly original model of sustainable development. I wish all the participants a pleasant stay in Viterbo and Italy. In closing this brief greeting I want to thank: - CEFAS, Special Agency of the Chamber of Commerce, for the logistic support to the Conference, - the Tuscia University, which offered the beautiful and historic seat of the Conference - the Ministry of Agriculture, the Lazio Region, the Provincial Administration and the Municipality of Viterbo, UNACOMA and CRA-Ing, for their support, - CIGR and EURAGENG, for their sponsorship, - FACMA and Enama, sponsors of the Conference. A special thanks to the Carivit Foundation of Viterbo, whose contribution has enabled the printing of the Conference Proceedings.

An internationally acknowledged requirement is to analyze and provide technical solutions for prevention and safety during the use and maintenance of manure spreader wagons. Injuries statistics data and specific studies show that particular constructive criticalities have been identified on these machines, which are the cause of serious and often fatal accidents. These accidents particularly occur during the washing and maintenance phases—especially when such practices are carried out inside the hopper when the rotating parts of the machine are in action. The current technical standards and the various safety requirements under consideration have not always been effective for protecting workers. To this end, the use of SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) allowed us to highlight critical and positive aspects of the different solutions studied for reducing the risk due to contact with the rotating parts. The selected and tested solution consists of a decoupling system automatically activated when the wheels of the wagon are not moving. Such a solution prevents the contact with the moving rotating parts of the machine when the worker is inside the hopper. This mechatronic solution allowed us to obtain a prototype that has led to the resolution of the issues related to the use of the wagon itself: in fact, the system guarantees the stopping of manure spreading organs in about 12 s from the moment of the wheels stopping.

Wood-chippers are widely used machines in the forestry, urban and agricultural sectors. The use of these machines implies various risks for workers, primarily the risk of contact with moving and cutting parts. These machine parts have a high moment of inertia that can lead to entrainment with the cutting components. This risk is particularly high in the case of manually fed chippers. Following cases of injury with wood-chippers and the improvement of the technical standard (ComitéEuropéen de Normalisation-European Norm) EN 13525: 2005 + A2: 2009, this technical note presents the prototype of an innovative system to reduce risks related to the involved moving parts, based on the “brake caliper” system and electromagnetic clutch for the declutching of the power take-off (PTO). The prototype has demonstrated its potential for reducing the run-down time of the chipper disc (95%) and for reducing the worker’s risk of entanglement and entrainment in the machine’s feed mouth.

Sicily is a region located in the southern Italy. Its typical Mediterranean landscape is appreciated due to its high biodiversity. Specifically, hazelnut plantations have adapted in a definite area in Sicily (the Nebroidi park) due to specific morphological and climatic characteristics. However, many of these plantations are not used today due to adverse conditions, both to collect hazelnuts and to reach hazel groves. Though a geospatial analysis, the present paper aims to identify which hazelnut contexts can be actively used for agricultural, economic (e.g., introduction of a circular economy) and energetic purposes (to establish a potential agro-energetic district). The examination revealed the most suitable areas giving several criteria (e.g., slope, road system), ensuring an effective cultivation and consequent harvesting of hazelnuts and (ii) providing security for the operators since many of hazelnut plants are placed in very sloped contexts that are difficult to reach by traditional machines. In this sense, this paper also suggests optimal mechanization processes for harvesting hazelnuts in this part of Sicily.

In the agro-industrial sector there are many activities whose urgent rhythms can cause a considerable exposure to bio-mechanical risk factors. In the hazelnut sorting, the workers are subject to several biomechanical risks, with repetitive movements, and operations that require a remarkable degree of strength. A thorough study of the workers’ exposure to repetitive manual movements has been carried out, with the aim of setting up the necessary measures to reduce the risk factors. The aim of the research is to assess the risk of work-related musculo-skeletal disorders (WMSDs) due to repetitive work, for workers employed to hazelnut shells sorting. The research was carried out in an agricultural cooperative in the Viterbo’s area. For risk assessment authors used a method (Occupational Repetitive Actions “OCRA” index according to ISO 11228- 3:2009, Ergonomics - Manual handling - Part 3: Handling of low loads at high frequency) which keeps into consideration several risk factors (such as repetitiveness, prehension force, posture). The risk was assessed for 16 female workers (in eight workplaces and in two different shifts) through this classification: workers with experience less than 1 year, from 1 to 10 years and more than 10 years. This classification is very important for knowing if the professional experience could be considered a “prevention measure” for the risk reduction. The results show a high risk level for the right and left limb. The factors which more have contributed to reach such risk level are the great number of movements and the lack of recovering time.

Since occupational accidents often occur in farm tractor drivers, it is extremely important to focus the attention on specific devices in order to avoid risks from tractor overturning. This phenomenon is actually considered as the leading cause of deaths or injuries related to agricultural work. The system adopted to reduce the above-mentioned risk consists of passive protection devices aimed at preventing the hazardous event which may affect workers’ health. More precisely, the tractor chassis (i.e. ROPS) and the proper seat belt define a “safety volume” around the worker. The aim of the present research is to carry out tests on narrow-track wheeled tractors with fixed roll over protective structures in those areas – such as hazel and olive groves and vineyards - where problems related to under–tree activities occur. This is to implement planting layout and/or cultivation techniques which can be considered suitable for tractors with roll over protective structures. According to that, their project parameters – i.e. safety volume, seat position and typology, test methods - can be successfully modified and improved. The results show that nowadays only a few agricultural vehicles are provided with specific fixed devices able to work under tree without damaging orchards.

The study demonstrated the feasibility of the near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy use for hazelnut-cultivar sorting. Hazelnut spectra were acquired from 600 fruit for each cultivar sample, two diffuse reflectance spectra were acquired from opposite sides of the same hazelnut. Spectral data were transformed into absorbance before the computations. A different variety of spectral pretreatments were applied to extract characteristics for the classification. An iterative Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) algorithm was used to select a relatively small set of variables to correctly classify samples. The optimal group of features selected for each test was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA). The spectral region most frequently chosen was the 1980-2060 nm range, which corresponds to best differentiation performance for a total minimum error rate lower than 1.00%. This wavelength range is generally associated with stretching and bending of the N-H functional group of amino acids and proteins. The feasibility of using NIR Spectroscopy to distinguish different hazelnut cultivars was demonstrated.

Concerns about climate change and food productivity have spurred interest in biochar, a form of charred organic material typically used in agriculture to improve soil productivity and as a means of carbon sequestration. An innovative approach in agriculture is the use of agro-forestry waste for the production of soil fertilisers for agricultural purposes and as a source of energy. A common agricultural practice is to burn crop residues in the field to produce ashes that can be used as soil fertilisers. This approach is able to supply plants with certain nutrients, such as Ca, K, Mg, Na, B, S, and Mo. However, the low concentration of N and P in the ashes, together with the occasional presence of heavy metals (Ni, Pb, Cd, Se, Al, etc.), has a negative effect on soil and, therefore, crop productivity. This work describes the opportunity to create an innovative supply chain from agricultural waste biomass. Olive (Olea europaea) and hazelnut (Corylus avellana) pruning residues represent a major component of biomass waste in the area of Viterbo (Italy). In this study, we evaluated the production of biochar from these residues. Furthermore, a physicochemical characterisation of the produced biochar was performed to assess the quality of the two biochars according to the standards of the European Biochar Certificate (EBC). The results of this study indicate the cost-effective production of high-quality biochar from olive and hazelnut biomass residues.