Room: Poster Area
Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Time: 11:30 - 12:45 CEST
Session code 1BV.4
Biomass supply from agriculture, forestry, and sustainable cropping systems
Hemp (Cannabis sativa, L.) Seed Harvesting in One or Two stage within an Italian Organic Farm
Short Introductive summary
Hemp harvesting presents several challenges due to the plant’s fibrous structure, non-uniform seed ripening, and often unfavorable weather conditions during harvest. This study, conducted on an organic farm in central Italy, compared two harvesting systems, a conventional single-pass method and a two-stage process involving mowing, windrowing, and field drying, to reduce seed moisture and improve seed quality. Results showed that while both systems had similar efficiency and seed losses, the two-stage approach significantly lowered seed moisture (14.4% vs. 24.9%), enhancing preservation potential. This method thus offers a promising solution for producing high-quality, chemical-free hemp seeds with reduced post-harvest energy costs.
Presenter
Alberto ASSIRELLI
CREA - Research Center for Engineering & Agro-Food Processing, ITALY
Presenter's biography
Dr. Alberto Assirelli has a PhD in Agricultural Engineering in 1997 and start working in the Department of Economics and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Bologna, continuing his works in other public and private research centers. Researcher in the Agricultural Engineering Unit (CREA-ING) of the Agricultural Research and Experimental Council (CREA), in Monterotondo (Roma). Author of more than 400 publications in the fields of agricultural mechanization with particular reference to the development and testing of new machinery for food, feed and energy crops.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
V. Civitarese, CREA - Research Center for Engineering & Agro-Food Processing, Monterotondo, ITALY
A. Del Giudice, CREA - Research Center for Engineering & Agro-Food Processing, Monterotondo, ITALY
E. Fischetti, CREA - Research Center for Engineering & Agro-Food Processing, Monterotondo, ITALY
A. Acampora, CREA - Research Center for Engineering & Agro-Food Processing, Monterotondo, ITALY
A. Scarfone, CREA - Research Center for Engineering & Agro-Food Processing, Monterotondo, ITALY
M. Montanari, CREA, Research Center for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Monterotondo, ITALY
A. Assirelli, CREA - Research Center for Engineering & Agro-Food Processing, Monterotondo, ITALY
Session reference: 1BV.4.15