Techniques for the transportation of complete-trees from the termination of Peach Orchards

Abstract The termination of a fruit orchard generates a considerable amount of residues that can be used as fuel in biomass-fired power plants. Various studies have explored the separate collection of the above-ground tree portion and the rootstock. The present work analyses the potential of complete-tree harvesting (aboveground biomass and rootstock) from a depleted peach orchard and compares this technique with the collection of the aboveground biomass (pruning residues and stems) only. Complete trees were extracted and piled, then ground into chunks and cleaned to reduce contamination with dirt and stones. As an alternative, trees were cut, stacked and chipped, leaving the rootstocks in the ground for later disposal. Extracting complete trees and piling them at the field's edge proceeded at a pace of ca. 1 ha day−1. Grinding and cleaning allowed reducing soil contamination by 10–15%. The study showed that complete-tree harvesting is a viable approach to containing the costs of biomass recovery from depleted orchards. Supply chain efficiency is maximized by including biomass compaction during the loading of trucks.