The mechanical harvesting of hemp is a key step toward a profitable use of the product. Various fractions (fiber, seeds, residual biomass) may be recovered, and their correct management is fundamental for complying with the requirements of processors/end users. In the light of the renewed interest for its industrial use (panels and insulators), this work proposes the use of modified commercial machines to implement a field separation of the fibrous fraction of stand-retted hemp, a practice that would be profitable if realized with the systems adopted for textile use. The present work was conducted to test the efficiency of harvesting partially macerated plants by using a modified self-propelled forage harvester (SPFH). In Northern Italy, a hemp crop was stand-retted for four months. Then, an SPFH—with rotor knives reduced in number from 24 to 12—was used. Stand-retting made it possible to separate cortical fibers from the inner stem cylinder during harvesting; 53.3% of the material (fibers and shives) was separated automatically by the SPFH together with the chopped bast fiber, while the remaining 46.7% was separated on exiting the launch tube. More than 50% of the fibers were shorter than 5 cm in length, while almost 15% were longer than 10 cm. The SPFH had an effective operating speed of 3.48 km h−1, and no clogging occurred during the test. Therefore, the combination of stand-retting with harvesting using a modified SPFH could be helpful in obtaining an early separation of fibers from shives, thus facilitating the product treatment during its subsequent processing, e.g., by enhancing the defibration.

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Chemical treatments are commonly adopted for poultry house sanitation. In fact, ordinary floor disinfection is needed to deplete the pathogenic population (i.e. various species of bacteria and fungi) and reduce the risk of meat contamination. The increasing focus on the health of consumers and operators, as well as on food quality, has led farmers to consider alternative environmentally friendly methods. Research was carried out to set up a new machine for floor disinfection of poultry houses by open flame. The trials were run in controlled conditions in the laboratory of the University of Pisa, Italy, and on a private farm. The first experiment consisted of a series of test bench trials carried out to evaluate the efficacy and the adjustment of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-fed open flame burners on pre-inoculated steel plates. In the second experiment, the operative parameters of a custom-built 1.5 m wide mounted flaming machine were determined and the biological effects of the treatment were compared to ordinary chemical treatments. The results obtained were very promising. Test bench trials showed a 4-log reduction in E. coli, and microbial determinations carried out on-farm did not show any difference between thermal and chemical treatment. In addition, the cost estimation showed that thermal disinfection is approximately 4-fold cheaper than chemical sanitation methods. The effective working capacity of the machine was approximately 1700 m² h^–1, and the LPG consumption was approximately 16 kg per 1000 m². Flame disinfection of poultry grow-out facilities could represent a valid alternative to chemical disinfection

Chemical treatments are commonly adopted for poultry house sanitation. In fact, ordinary floor disinfection is needed to deplete the pathogenic population (i.e. various species of bacteria and fungi) and reduce the risk of meat contamination. The increasing focus on the health of consumers and operators, as well as on food quality, has led farmers to consider alternative environmentally friendly methods. Research was carried out to set up a new machine for floor disinfection of poultry houses by open flame. The trials were run in controlled conditions in the laboratory of the University of Pisa, Italy, and on a private farm. The first experiment consisted of a series of test bench trials carried out to evaluate the efficacy and the adjustment of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-fed open flame burners on pre-inoculated steel plates. In the second experiment, the operative parameters of a custom-built 1.5 m wide mounted flaming machine were determined and the biological effects of the treatment were compared to ordinary chemical treatments. The results obtained were very promising. Test bench trials showed a 4-log reduction in E. coli, and microbial determinations carried out on-farm did not show any difference between thermal and chemical treatment. In addition, the cost estimation showed that thermal disinfection is approximately 4-fold cheaper than chemical sanitation methods. The effective working capacity of the machine was approximately 1700 m 2 h -1 , and the LPG consumption was approximately 16 kg per 1000 m 2 . Flame disinfection of poultry grow-out facilities could represent a valid alternative to chemical disinfection.