Cynara cardunculus exploitation for energy applications : development of a combine head for theshing and concurrent residues collecting and utilization

The CRA-ING took part to the Cynara cardunculus harvesting tests organized in Spain in 2007, where UPM has experimental cultivations in the Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDRA) de la Consejería de Economía y Innovación Tecnológica de la Comunidad de Madrid in El Encìn, near Alcalà De Henarez. The harvesting tests were carried out in week 33 (August 13th-17th); the cultivation was found part in good condition of maturity, part still not ready for harvesting. The project concept, supplied to a firm that already builds heads for maize, wheat, sunflower, soybean and so on, included the upper devices of a maize head and a classic wheat head (without the paddle wheel) in the lower part, to obtain capitula detachment and effective threshing and, at the same time, the stalk cut. The basic concept of the machine, to separate and thresh the capitula and to drop in windrow the biomass and then pick it up with a baler with a minimum soil presence, was proved to be feasible. The effective working capacity was good, so the costs should be sustainable.