Corn Residues for Biomethane Production: Three Years Trials in Lombardy Region (Italy) to select a Proper Collecting Mechanization System

The use of grain corn residues (stalks, cobs, bracts) can be an opportunity to feed Anaerobic Digestion Plants (ADP). For this reason, the Operative Group of the Lombardy Region Project "Mais100%" evaluated the technical and economical performances of the machines – currently available on market – able to collect (harvesting and transfer) the crop residues. The experimental data (machine work operating times, fuel consumption, residues losses, transfer distance etc.) are included in a specially studied model, able to calculate both the mechanical (work operating capacity, ha/h; residues losses, %; tractors nominal power, kW; transfer times (s); number of dumpers, etc.) and the economic performances of the mechanization systems (harvesting and transfer costs, €/h, €/ha, €/t DM, €/m3 CH4). The model can also simulate the variation of these performances by varying the transport distance, allowing the comparison among different solutions, and choosing the most performing one in function of the local operating conditions.