Arundo Donax Planting Prototype

Abstract

The common cane cultivation is one of the most promising biomass crop due to its high biomass yielding. One of the main problems that do not permit its cultivations in large scale, is the planting procedures. CRA-ING, with the aims to find the best system to permit the planting of common cane taking in account the operation cost and the obtained results in term of plant surviving, stated the evaluation of 4 different planting systems: 1. Micro propagate plants; 2. Stem cut radicated; 3. Rhyzome cut; 4. Stem part planted along the row. Each system is under evaluation, in order to find the best one, with the aim of foster the possibility of start the plantation in large scale, a prototype to permit the last system (stem part planted along the row) was developed. Tests were carried out in a 5 ha plantations. The prototype is attached at the 3 points of the tractor, and need one operator. The last is sits on the seat (A) and manually introduces the stem pieces, which are allocated in the two lateral boxes (B), inside the rows. The rows, 200 - 250 mm deep, are open by two ploughs V shaped (C) positioned close to the operator. Two metal parties avoid the soil entering into the row during the operation the position of the stem (D). The row are then filled by ground by two discs (F), after that a compacting roll (G) permit to obtain a compacted flat ground. 5 ha were planted in 2008 using the new prototype, in different thesis. The thesis are related to the soil characteristics, and irrigation. Prototype technical evaluation and planting cost calculation are reported. After 6 months the evaluation of the new plants growth were evaluated in the different thesis, data collected are reported. The new prototype is able to plant common cane with good results and having a planting cost acceptable.