Agricultural Pruning as Biomass Resource: Generation, Potentials and Current Fates. An Approach to its State in Europe

Agricultural pruning is an almost unexploited biomass resource in Europe. EuroPruning project has carried out a study of the current status in Europe in order to solve two main questions. Firstly how the pruning is being done. And secondly what is the current use or management of the residue. The work has been carried out through consultancy with agrarian players at national and local level in 8 European countries. The study of the sector at European scale reveals that olive, fruit and grape plantations will basically remain stable in terms of cultivated area in the future. However it is observed a tendency for intensification.On the base of 25 national templates and 61 local surveys it has been explored what is the current status, and the consequences that intensification can bring for establishing new biomass value chains. It has been stated that intensification will incorporate mechanical pre-pruning operations. That will cause a modification in the type of pruning that is being obtained: size,, shape of the pieces and tons per hectare. It has also been stated that pruning main fate is the disposal by burning it in fires in open air, or the shredding to the soil as an organic input. On the same side it has been observed that in many cases the incorporation to soil is not observed as a best practice for soil preservation, but considered by farmers as the easiest method to dispose pruning. As main conclusions,it has been stated that prunings are actually available for energy in a large share.