Browsing by Author "Pindozzi, Stefania"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Appraising Bioenergy Alternatives in Uganda Using Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)-Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and a Desirability Functions Approach
    (MDPI, 2014-02-26) Okello, Collins; Pindozzi, Stefania; Faugno, Salvatore; Boccia, Lorenzo
    Poor access to clean and reliable energy technologies is a major challenge to most developing countries. The decision to introduce new technologies is often faced by low adoption rates or even public opposition. In addition, the data required for effective decision making is often inadequate or even lacking, thus constraining the planning process. In this study, a methodology for participatory appraisal of technologies, integrating desirability functions to the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT)-analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methodology was developed. Application of the methodology was illustrated with an example for participatory appraisal of four bioenergy technologies in Uganda. Results showed that the methodology is effective in evaluating stakeholder preferences for bioenergy technologies. It showed a high potential to be used to identify and rate factors that stakeholders take into consideration when selecting bioenergy systems. The method could be used as a tool for technology screening, or reaching consensus in a participatory setup in a transparent manner.
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    Assessment of nitrogen content in buffalo manure and land application costs
    (Page Press, 2012-08-29) Faugno, Salvatore; Pindozzi, Stefania; Infascelli, Roberta; Okello, Collins; Ripa, Maria Nicolina; Boccia, Lorenzo
    Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) livestock for mozzarella cheese production plays a fundamental role in the economy of southern Italy. European and Italian regulations consider nitrogen content in buffalo manure to be the same as that of cattle manure. This study aimed to assess whether this assumption is true. The first aim of the study was to assess nitrogen con tent in buffalo manure. Samples were taken from 35 farms to analyse nitro gen and phosphorous concentration in the manure. Analysis confirmed a lower nitrogen concentration (2%) in buffalo manure. A secondary aim of the study was to evaluate whether manure application techniques that are apparently less suitable, e.g. splash plate spreader, could be feasible. The cost of different methods of land application of manure and their charac teristics were evaluated on the basis of one operational cycle. Considering losses for volatilisation, and taking into account cost assessment, the immediate incorporation of buffalo manure (nitrogen content 2%) is a suitable method of ammonia volatilisation. However, it is expensive and involves high fuel consumption in relation to the environmental benefit.
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    Experimental Evaluation of Manure Evaporation in The Paddock for a Management Algorithm Development
    (Academia, 2012-07) Pindozzi, Stefania; Faugno, Salvatore; Okello, Collins; Boccia, Lorenzo
    The aims of this study was to evaluate the possibility of reducing the weight of manure in paddocks by natural evaporation according to an appropriate management plan. The weight of buffalo manure was recorded by an experimental platform equipped with load cells and installed within the paddock. The data was used for assessing the real evaporation of manure in situ. A model for predicting manure evaporation was developed by adapting a soil evapotranspiration model. On the basis of the model an optimal management strategy was established, which corresponds to minimizing the use of the scraper from the 100th day of the year (DOY) to the 250th DOY. This lead to a potential reduction in weight of the manure by 650 kg/m2/year which corresponds to management cost reduction of about 30%. This approach is effective for reducing the bulkiness of buffalo manure for which the spreading costs per kg of nitrogen and the fuel needs for land application is very substantial considering its low nitrogen content of about 2 mg/m3.
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    Experimental tests on a new harvesting system for Burley tobacco
    (Page Press, 2013-09-12) Faugno, Salvatore; Okello, Collins; Infascelli, Roberta; Audino, Francesca; Ardito, Luca; Pindozzi, Stefania
    The globalization of the tobacco production has led to a drop in com petitiveness of the Italian tobacco on the world market. Burley is the main variety of tobacco cropped in Campania region of Southern Italy. Its leaves have to be sewn, in the curing phase. Aim of this work is to show the results of the implementation of a new harvest machine pro totype. Basically, the machine used for Bright tobacco, totally mechan ical harvested, which doesn’t need to be sewn because it requires an indirect-fire treatment into the curing furnaces. The machine was modified in order to mechanize harvesting of Burley tobacco, and test ed on four cultivars of Burley tobacco under three different planting layouts. The Burley tobacco leaves can be harvested mechanically by pulling individual leaves off the stalk; leaves are then sorted and tied in bundles prior to sewing. A mechanical burley tobacco harvesting system was evaluated. This machine consists in realizing a leaves ori entation system based on the different weight between the leaf blade and the stalk enhanced by an air flow. The measurements taken were harvest timing, work capacity, and quality standards of the work car ried out. The results, in terms of user time, range from 6.67 h/ha to 7.80 h/ha while in terms of operational efficiency are between 88% and 89%. The average user capacity recorded for the four cultivars is equal to 0.14 ha/h, a value far from the one recorded for the same harvesting machine used for Bright tobacco (0.25 ha/h). The harvest timing capacity, range from 0.51 t/h to 0.99 t/h. The work productivity goes from 0.17 t to 0.33 t per hour of human unit respectively. The average number of detached leaves, depending on the cultivar, has been between 523 and 744. Concerning the leaf orientation, a general per centage of 73% was achieved.
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    Indirect field technology for detecting areas object of illegal spills harmful to human health: application of drones, photogrammetry and hydrological models
    (PAGEPress Publications, 2014) Capolupo, Alessandra; Pindozzi, Stefania; Okello, Collins; Boccia, Lorenzo
    The accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soils is a serious environmental problem. The Campania region in southern Italy has higher levels of cancer risk, presumably due to the accumulation of geogenic and anthropogenic soil pollutants, some of which have been incorporated into organic matter. The aim of this study was to introduce and test an innovative, field-applicable methodology to detect heavy metal accumulation using drone-based photogrammetry and micro rill network modelling, specifically to generate wetlands wetlands prediction indices normally applied at large catchment scales, such as a large geographic basin. The processing of aerial photos taken using a hexacopter equipped with fifth-gen eration software for photogrammetry allowed the generation of a digital elevation model (DEM) with a resolution as high as 30 mm. Not only this provided a high potential for the study of micro-rill processes, but it was also useful for testing and comparing the capability of the topographic index (TI) and the clima-topographic index (CTI) to predict heavy metal sedi mentation points at scales from 0.1 to 10 ha. Our results indicate that the TI and CTI indices can be used to predict points of heavy metal accumulation for small field catchments.
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    Testing the application of an automatic milking system on buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)
    (PAGEPress, Italy, 2015-01-08) Faugno, Salvatore; Pindozzi, Stefania; Okello, Collins; Sannino, Maura
    The automatic milking systems (AMS) have been deeply studied in dairy cows applications, but not in the case of buffaloes; although, a few applications to the species can be found in literature. The objec tive of this study is to compare some important functional aspects of AMS with the conventional milking systems. Aspects such as adapta tion of buffalo to AMS and the possible relationship between milking frequency and daily milk yield were evaluated. Two groups of Bubalus bubalis were reared in the same barn, in a farm located in Piana del Sele (SA) southern Italy. Fourty primiparous buffaloes were milked using an AMS, and at the same time another herd of 40 were milked twice a day using traditional milking system (tandem). The adaptation period of buffaloes to AMS was 2 months. Milking frequency with the AMS was significantly higher compared to the one of traditional meth ods (2.3±0.17 times/d vs 2 times/d). Daily milk yield with the AMS was observed to be significantly higher than with traditional milking sys tem (7.9±1.3 kg/d vs 6.9±1.06 kg/d). In this study, there was no signif icant relationship between the increase of daily milking frequency and daily milk yield. We can conclude that a positive AMS effect on daily milk yield and milking frequency is possible and so we can expect suc cessful applications of the AMS to dairy buffalo farms.
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    Using historical maps to analyze two hundred years of land cover changes: case study of Sorrento peninsula (south Italy)
    (Taylor & Francis, 2015-08-14) Pindozzi, Stefania; Cervelli, Elena; Capolupo, Alessandra; Okello, Collins; Boccia, Lorenzo
    Historical maps are effective sources of geographical information and useful for historical and territorial research. In this study, the examination of landscape dynamics on the basis of historical maps over a period of more than 200 years was conducted. The study area is Sorrento peninsula and part of the near Sarno river basin in South Italy. This study provides a general framework for the assessment of the overall quality and accuracy of historical maps. The application of the methodology used in this specific case study can contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of the landscape in the long term. The derived knowledge can be applied in the planning of the landscape in order to implement correct conservation strategies. The comparison was made on four maps 1817, 1875, 1960, and 2006. Geodetic accuracy of the sheet maps of 1817 and 1875 offer a right basis for a macro analysis of land cover dynamics, evaluating conversion from one land cover category to another. Main trans formation, identified in the period between 1875 and 1960, was the disappearance of vineyards, which covered 25% of the total study area in 1875. Agricultural areas increased in this period to cover 57% of the total area.