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Prof. Giuseppe Zimbalatti
Dipartimento di Agraria, Università "Mediterranea" di Reggio Calabria. Feo di Vito 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy

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0 Productivity
0 safety and health
0 Forest Mechanization
0 Sustainability of forest operation
0 Energy use of forest biomass

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Journal article
Published: 23 June 2021 in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
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Anthracnose is one of the primary diseases that affect olive production before and after harvest, causing severe damage and economic losses. The objective of this work is to detect this disease in the early stages, using hyperspectral images and advanced modelling techniques of Deep Learning (DL) and convolutional neural networks (CNN). The olives were artificially inoculated with the fungus. Hyperspectral images (450–1050 nm) of each olive were acquired until visual symptoms of the disease were observed, in some cases up to 9 days. The olives were classified into two classes: control, inoculated with water, and fungi composed of olives inoculated with the fungus. The ResNet101 architecture was chosen and adapted to process 61-band hyperspectral images with only two classes. The result showed that the applied model is very effective in detecting infected olives since the sensitivity of the method was very high from the beginning (85% on day 3 and 100% onwards). From a commercial point of view, these results align with the need to detect the maximum number of infected fruits.

ACS Style

Antonio Fazari; Oscar J. Pellicer-Valero; Juan Gómez-Sanchıs; Bruno Bernardi; Sergio Cubero; Souraya Benalia; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Jose Blasco. Application of deep convolutional neural networks for the detection of anthracnose in olives using VIS/NIR hyperspectral images. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 2021, 187, 106252 .

AMA Style

Antonio Fazari, Oscar J. Pellicer-Valero, Juan Gómez-Sanchıs, Bruno Bernardi, Sergio Cubero, Souraya Benalia, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Jose Blasco. Application of deep convolutional neural networks for the detection of anthracnose in olives using VIS/NIR hyperspectral images. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 2021; 187 ():106252.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Fazari; Oscar J. Pellicer-Valero; Juan Gómez-Sanchıs; Bruno Bernardi; Sergio Cubero; Souraya Benalia; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Jose Blasco. 2021. "Application of deep convolutional neural networks for the detection of anthracnose in olives using VIS/NIR hyperspectral images." Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 187, no. : 106252.

Journal article
Published: 10 May 2021 in Foods
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Anaerobic codigestion of olive mill wastewater for renewable energy production constitutes a promising process to overcome management and environmental issues due to their conventional disposal. The present study aims at assessing biogas and biomethane production from olive mill wastewater by performing biochemical methane potential tests. Hence, mixtures containing 0% (blank), 20% and 30% olive mill wastewater, in volume, were experimented on under mesophilic conditions. In addition, life cycle assessment and life cycle costing were performed for sustainability analysis. Particularly, life cycle assessment allowed assessing the potential environmental impact resulting from the tested process, while life cycle costing in conjunction with specific economic indicators allowed performing the economic feasibility analysis. The research highlighted reliable outcomes: higher amounts of biogas (80.22 ± 24.49 NL.kgSV −1) and methane (47.68 ± 17.55 NL.kgSV −1) were obtained when implementing a higher amount of olive mill wastewater (30%) (v/v) in the batch reactors. According to life cycle assessment, the biogas ecoprofile was better when using 20% (v/v) olive mill wastewater. Similarly, the economic results demonstrated the profitability of the process, with better performances when using 20% (v/v) olive mill wastewater. These findings confirm the advantages from using farm and food industry by-products for the production of renewable energy as well as organic fertilizers, which could be used in situ to enhance farm sustainability.

ACS Style

Souraya Benalia; Giacomo Falcone; Teodora Stillitano; Anna De Luca; Alfio Strano; Giovanni Gulisano; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Bruno Bernardi. Increasing the Content of Olive Mill Wastewater in Biogas Reactors for a Sustainable Recovery: Methane Productivity and Life Cycle Analyses of the Process. Foods 2021, 10, 1029 .

AMA Style

Souraya Benalia, Giacomo Falcone, Teodora Stillitano, Anna De Luca, Alfio Strano, Giovanni Gulisano, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Bruno Bernardi. Increasing the Content of Olive Mill Wastewater in Biogas Reactors for a Sustainable Recovery: Methane Productivity and Life Cycle Analyses of the Process. Foods. 2021; 10 (5):1029.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Souraya Benalia; Giacomo Falcone; Teodora Stillitano; Anna De Luca; Alfio Strano; Giovanni Gulisano; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Bruno Bernardi. 2021. "Increasing the Content of Olive Mill Wastewater in Biogas Reactors for a Sustainable Recovery: Methane Productivity and Life Cycle Analyses of the Process." Foods 10, no. 5: 1029.

Conference paper
Published: 12 November 2020 in Proceedings of The 1st International Electronic Conference on Forests — Forests for a Better Future: Sustainability, Innovation, Interdisciplinarity
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Green areas in cities are acquiring an increasingly important role in urban architecture. However, a crucial problem associated with urban trees is the need to know and evaluate the health of plants in order to ensure the safety and security of citizens. One important process consists of the technical assessment of the conditions of standing trees, in order to prevent their falling due to strength failure or damage caused by internal decay. In recent years, investigations with non-destructive techniques on urban trees have shown great success in detecting internal decay, which, depending on the severity of the case, makes the stability of the entire plant or parts of it precarious. This study reports the results of an inspection protocol that combines single-path stress wave timer and micro-drilling resistance to detect internal defects on Melia trees (Melia azedarach L.) located in the city of Reggio Calabria, Southern Italy.

ACS Style

Salvatore F. Papandrea; Andrea R. Proto; Maria F. Cataldo; Giuseppe Zimbalatti. Comparative Evaluation of Inspection Techniques for Decay Detection in Urban Trees. Proceedings of The 1st International Electronic Conference on Forests — Forests for a Better Future: Sustainability, Innovation, Interdisciplinarity 2020, 3, 14 .

AMA Style

Salvatore F. Papandrea, Andrea R. Proto, Maria F. Cataldo, Giuseppe Zimbalatti. Comparative Evaluation of Inspection Techniques for Decay Detection in Urban Trees. Proceedings of The 1st International Electronic Conference on Forests — Forests for a Better Future: Sustainability, Innovation, Interdisciplinarity. 2020; 3 (1):14.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Salvatore F. Papandrea; Andrea R. Proto; Maria F. Cataldo; Giuseppe Zimbalatti. 2020. "Comparative Evaluation of Inspection Techniques for Decay Detection in Urban Trees." Proceedings of The 1st International Electronic Conference on Forests — Forests for a Better Future: Sustainability, Innovation, Interdisciplinarity 3, no. 1: 14.

Journal article
Published: 18 December 2019 in Forests
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Mixed-species forests may deliver more forest functions and services than monocultures, as being considered more resistant to disturbances than pure stands. However, information on wood quality in mixed-species vs. corresponding pure forests is poor. In this study, nine plots grouped into three triplets of pure and mixed-species stands of European beech and Calabrian pine (three dominated by European beech, three dominated by Calabrian pine, and three mixed-species plots) were analysed. We evaluated tree growth and wood quality through dendrochronological approaches and non-destructive technologies (acoustic detection), respectively, hypothesizing that the mixture might improve the fitness of each species and its wood quality. A linear mixed model was applied to test the effects of exogenous influences on the basal area index (BAI) and the dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOEd). The recruitment period (Rp) was studied to verify whether wood quality was independent from stem radial growth patterns. Results showed that the mixture effect influenced both wood quality and BAI. In the mixed-species plots, for each species, MOEd values were significantly higher than in the corresponding pure stands. The mixture effect aligned MOEd values, making wood quality uniform across the different diameter classes. In the mixed-species plots, a significant positive relationship between MOEd and Rp, but also significantly higher BAI values than in the pure plots, were found for European beech, but not for Calabrian pine. The results suggest the promotion of mixing of European beech and Calabrian pine in this harsh environment to potentially improve both tree growth and wood quality.

ACS Style

Diego Russo; Pasquale A. Marziliano; Giorgio Macrì; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Roberto Tognetti; Fabio Lombardi. Tree Growth and Wood Quality in Pure Vs. Mixed-Species Stands of European Beech and Calabrian Pine in Mediterranean Mountain Forests. Forests 2019, 11, 6 .

AMA Style

Diego Russo, Pasquale A. Marziliano, Giorgio Macrì, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Roberto Tognetti, Fabio Lombardi. Tree Growth and Wood Quality in Pure Vs. Mixed-Species Stands of European Beech and Calabrian Pine in Mediterranean Mountain Forests. Forests. 2019; 11 (1):6.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Diego Russo; Pasquale A. Marziliano; Giorgio Macrì; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Roberto Tognetti; Fabio Lombardi. 2019. "Tree Growth and Wood Quality in Pure Vs. Mixed-Species Stands of European Beech and Calabrian Pine in Mediterranean Mountain Forests." Forests 11, no. 1: 6.

Journal article
Published: 05 November 2019 in Croatian journal of forest engineering
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The improvement of harvesting methodologies plays an important role in the optimization of wood production in a context of sustainable forest management. Different harvesting methods can be applied according to forest site-specific condition and the appropriate mechanization level depends on a number of factors. Therefore, efficiency and functionality of wood harvesting operations depend on several factors. The aim of this study is to analyze how the different harvesting processes affect operational costs and labor productivity in typical small-scale Italian harvesting companies. A multiple linear regression model (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) have been carried out to predict gross time, productivity and costs estimation in a series of qualitative and quantitative variables. The results have created a correct statistical model able to accurately estimate the technical parameters (work time and productivity) and economic parameters (costs per unit of product and per hectare) useful to the forestry entrepreneur to predict the results of the work in advance, considering only the values detectable of some characteristic elements of the worksite.

ACS Style

Andrea Rosario Proto; Mauro Maesano; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Giuseppe Scarascia Mugnozza; Giorgio Macrì; Francesca Antonucci; Corrado Costa; Giulio Sperandio. A Three-Step Neural Network Artificial Intelligence Modeling Approach for Time, Productivity and Costs Prediction. Croatian journal of forest engineering 2019, 41, 35 -47.

AMA Style

Andrea Rosario Proto, Mauro Maesano, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Giuseppe Scarascia Mugnozza, Giorgio Macrì, Francesca Antonucci, Corrado Costa, Giulio Sperandio. A Three-Step Neural Network Artificial Intelligence Modeling Approach for Time, Productivity and Costs Prediction. Croatian journal of forest engineering. 2019; 41 (1):35-47.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Rosario Proto; Mauro Maesano; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Giuseppe Scarascia Mugnozza; Giorgio Macrì; Francesca Antonucci; Corrado Costa; Giulio Sperandio. 2019. "A Three-Step Neural Network Artificial Intelligence Modeling Approach for Time, Productivity and Costs Prediction." Croatian journal of forest engineering 41, no. 1: 35-47.

Original paper
Published: 02 July 2019 in European Journal of Forest Research
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This study analysed the skyline tensile forces in 502 complete work cycles during ordinary cable logging operations on 12 different cable lines in the Italian Alps. The objectives of the research were to quantify the frequency of exceeding the recommended safe working limits and to determine the skyline peak tensile forces and dynamic amplifications, as well as their explanatory variables. Data collection was based on skyline tensile force monitoring synchronized with the video recording of the logging operations and the monitoring of the carriage positions. The load volumes were measured at the landing, and the total loads were estimated for each cycle. The results showed 55% of the work cycles exceeding the safe working load. The highest peak tensile forces were often recorded while starting the load moving during lateral skid. High-peak tensile forces were also recorded during inhaul, where the tensile forces were amplified by the cyclic load behaviour. It appears that some operators underestimate the effects of pretension, payload, and cable line geometry on the magnitude of the skyline tensile force. The complexity in identifying reliable theoretical models inclusive of dynamic amplifications and the inefficacy of the load limiters installed on the machines highlighted the need to improve the best practices within the operators, and to adopt technical solutions for the continuous skyline tensile force monitoring during ordinary cable logging operations.

ACS Style

Omar Mologni; C. Kevin Lyons; Giulio Zambon; Andrea R. Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Raffaele Cavalli; Stefano Grigolato. Skyline tensile force monitoring of mobile tower yarders operating in the Italian Alps. European Journal of Forest Research 2019, 138, 847 -862.

AMA Style

Omar Mologni, C. Kevin Lyons, Giulio Zambon, Andrea R. Proto, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Raffaele Cavalli, Stefano Grigolato. Skyline tensile force monitoring of mobile tower yarders operating in the Italian Alps. European Journal of Forest Research. 2019; 138 (5):847-862.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Omar Mologni; C. Kevin Lyons; Giulio Zambon; Andrea R. Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Raffaele Cavalli; Stefano Grigolato. 2019. "Skyline tensile force monitoring of mobile tower yarders operating in the Italian Alps." European Journal of Forest Research 138, no. 5: 847-862.

Journal article
Published: 02 April 2019 in Forests
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In the middle of XIX century, Calabrian pine was planted in southern Italy to increase the forest cover in mountainous areas. Many of these forest stands were never managed, since they were considered non-profitable for wood production. Therefore, in order to promote timber value, it is fundamental to study, more deeply, the characteristics and management options for this species. The acoustic technologies applied to predict the mechanical and physical properties of timber are well-established practices in forest research. In this study, we hypothesized that the tree stand density could influence the dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOEd) and, therefore, the future wood quality. We specifically aimed to verify if different management options, when applied, could influence the timber quality of Calabrian pine growing in similar environmental conditions. The study was conducted in the Aspromonte National Park (Calabria, Southern Italy). We derived the MOEd values from data obtained by the acoustic velocity measured through the TreeSonic™ timer. Calabrian pine trees were selected in stands where different intensities of thinning were applied eleven years before this study began (no thinning, thinning 25%, thinning 50%, and thinning 75%). The percentage refers to the number of trees cut with respect to the total number of occurring trees. The analyses were conducted on a total of 804 trees (201 trees for each intensity of thinning). A strong positive correlation was observed between the acoustic velocity, the thinning treatments and diameter at breast height (DBH). The thinning realized at 25% induced better tree wood quality. We also analyzed the best predictors for MOEd estimation, using variables easily measurable in the field, such as tree diameter, tree height, or their transformations (number of trees per hectare, basal area per hectare). We provide, here, a useful tool for predicting the wood stiffness in relation to stand parameters easily measurable in forest inventories.

ACS Style

Diego Russo; Pasquale A. Marziliano; Giorgio Macri; Andrea R. Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Fabio Lombardi. Does Thinning Intensity Affect Wood Quality? An Analysis of Calabrian Pine in Southern Italy Using a Non-Destructive Acoustic Method. Forests 2019, 10, 303 .

AMA Style

Diego Russo, Pasquale A. Marziliano, Giorgio Macri, Andrea R. Proto, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Fabio Lombardi. Does Thinning Intensity Affect Wood Quality? An Analysis of Calabrian Pine in Southern Italy Using a Non-Destructive Acoustic Method. Forests. 2019; 10 (4):303.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Diego Russo; Pasquale A. Marziliano; Giorgio Macri; Andrea R. Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Fabio Lombardi. 2019. "Does Thinning Intensity Affect Wood Quality? An Analysis of Calabrian Pine in Southern Italy Using a Non-Destructive Acoustic Method." Forests 10, no. 4: 303.

Journal article
Published: 26 January 2018 in Forests
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Forests in southern Italy are mainly located in mountainous areas, where ground-based extraction is still the most common harvesting technique. In particular, 60% of southern Italy’s forests are on slopes with an angle of inclination between 20–60%. The low level of mechanization in forest operations is due to the difficult site conditions, as well as the small-scale characteristics of both the forest owners and the harvesting contractors. The most common work method uses chainsaws to fell the trees, and animals or farm tractors equipped with winches for bunching and extraction. This study assesses the productivity and cost effectiveness of extraction with a purpose-built John Deere 548H skidder, including a comparison of winch and grapple configurations. The results show that the productivity of skidding depends on distance as well as the condition of the skid trail. The number of trees per cycle and volume of each load also had a clear effect. While large purpose-built skidders represent a significant investment, this study demonstrates that the productivity is very high compared to traditional extraction methods and the resulting extraction costs are very competitive. As such, this study indicates that, over time, southern Italian harvesting operations should invest in purpose-built harvesting systems.

ACS Style

Andrea Rosario Proto; Giorgio Macrì; Rien Visser; Diego Russo; Giuseppe Zimbalatti. Comparison of Timber Extraction Productivity between Winch and Grapple Skidding: A Case Study in Southern Italian Forests. Forests 2018, 9, 61 .

AMA Style

Andrea Rosario Proto, Giorgio Macrì, Rien Visser, Diego Russo, Giuseppe Zimbalatti. Comparison of Timber Extraction Productivity between Winch and Grapple Skidding: A Case Study in Southern Italian Forests. Forests. 2018; 9 (2):61.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Rosario Proto; Giorgio Macrì; Rien Visser; Diego Russo; Giuseppe Zimbalatti. 2018. "Comparison of Timber Extraction Productivity between Winch and Grapple Skidding: A Case Study in Southern Italian Forests." Forests 9, no. 2: 61.

Article
Published: 20 January 2018 in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
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The use of helicopter rises discussion about environmental noise propagation especially when it operates in proximity of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) for an extended period because of its potential implications in wildlife behaviours. In order to support decisions on helicopter logging operation management in proximity of ESAs, this study focused on (i) analysing the noise spectrum of a light-lift helicopter during logging operations and on (ii) assessing the noise propagation in the surrounding environments. This study investigated a helicopter logging operation for wood fuel extraction in the eastern part of the Italian Alps. The potential disturbance area covered for the entire helicopter logging operation was evaluated by a specific GIS application according to hearing sensitivity of the most sensitive wildlife species in the study area (different strigiform species). The noise level at the ground appeared to be affected by the location regardless both the use of equivalent continuous sound pressures level dB(A) (LAeq) and the single-event level (SEL) noise metrics. The lowest values were recorded when the helicopter was flown over the sound meter level located under the forest canopy, while the highest was recorded when the helicopter was unhooking the loads at the landing. The GIS application highlighted the consistent of the exceeded noise area (weighted to strigiform hearing range and sensitivity) for the lower frequency bands (0.016–0.250 kHz). A more restricted exceeded noise area concerned instead the most sensitive frequency bands" for the strigiform (1–2 kHz).

ACS Style

Stefano Grigolato; Omar Mologni; Andrea Rosario Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Raffaele Cavalli. Assessment of noise level and noise propagation generated by light-lift helicopters in mountain natural environments. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 2018, 190, 88 .

AMA Style

Stefano Grigolato, Omar Mologni, Andrea Rosario Proto, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Raffaele Cavalli. Assessment of noise level and noise propagation generated by light-lift helicopters in mountain natural environments. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 2018; 190 (2):88.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefano Grigolato; Omar Mologni; Andrea Rosario Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Raffaele Cavalli. 2018. "Assessment of noise level and noise propagation generated by light-lift helicopters in mountain natural environments." Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 190, no. 2: 88.

Journal article
Published: 15 December 2016 in Journal of Agricultural Engineering
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Cable cranes are among the most important means of yarding and transporting timber in many mountainous regions of Europe. In the last decade, all-terrain mobile tower cable cranes have been increasing due to their adaptability to operate both in uphill as well in downhill configuration. This research assesses the efficiency and the costs of a mobile cable crane manufactured in Czech Republic and designed for all-terrain application and specifically mounted on a wheeled agricultural tractor. A total of 100 cycle times were recorded in order to obtain evaluate the performance in the downhill as well uphill extraction configuration. The productivity analysis was based on regression equation as a function lateral distance, skyline slope distance and extracted volume. Increasing in number of lateral distance and extraction distance resulted as significant variables affecting the cycle time. Even if the test highlights a good efficiency of the extraction system for both the configuration (uphill vs downhill) there a still many organisational features that could be improved in order to fully exploit the potentiality of the tested cable crane system.

ACS Style

Andrea Rosario Proto; Alois Skoupy; Giorgio Macri; Giuseppe Zimbalatti. Time consumption and productivity of a medium size mobile tower yarder in downhill and uphill configurations: a case study in Czech Republic. Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2016, 47, 216 .

AMA Style

Andrea Rosario Proto, Alois Skoupy, Giorgio Macri, Giuseppe Zimbalatti. Time consumption and productivity of a medium size mobile tower yarder in downhill and uphill configurations: a case study in Czech Republic. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2016; 47 (4):216.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Rosario Proto; Alois Skoupy; Giorgio Macri; Giuseppe Zimbalatti. 2016. "Time consumption and productivity of a medium size mobile tower yarder in downhill and uphill configurations: a case study in Czech Republic." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 47, no. 4: 216.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2016 in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
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This work reports the development of automated systems based on computer vision to improve the quality control and sorting of dried figs of Cosenza (protected denomination of origin) focusing on two research issues. The first was based on qualitative discrimination of figs through colour assessment comparing the analysis of colour images obtained using a digital camera with those obtained according to conventional instrumental methods, i.e. colourimetry currently done in laboratories. Data were expressed in terms of CIE XYZ, CIELAB and HunterLab colour spaces, as well as the browning index measurement of each fruit, and then, analysed using PCA and PLS-DA based methods. The results showed that both chroma meter and image analysis allowed a complete distinction between high quality and deteriorated figs, according to colour attributes. The second research issue had the purpose of developing image processing algorithms to achieve real-time sorting of figs using an experimental prototype based on machine vision, simulating an industrial application. An extremely high 99.5% of deteriorated figs were classified correctly as well as 89.0% of light coloured good quality figs A lower percentage was obtained for dark good quality figs but results were acceptable since the most of the confusion was among the two classes of good product.

ACS Style

Souraya Benalia; Sergio Cubero; José Manuel Prats-Montalbán; Bruno Bernardi; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Jose Blasco. Computer vision for automatic quality inspection of dried figs (Ficus carica L.) in real-time. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 2016, 120, 17 -25.

AMA Style

Souraya Benalia, Sergio Cubero, José Manuel Prats-Montalbán, Bruno Bernardi, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Jose Blasco. Computer vision for automatic quality inspection of dried figs (Ficus carica L.) in real-time. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 2016; 120 ():17-25.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Souraya Benalia; Sergio Cubero; José Manuel Prats-Montalbán; Bruno Bernardi; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Jose Blasco. 2016. "Computer vision for automatic quality inspection of dried figs (Ficus carica L.) in real-time." Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 120, no. : 17-25.

Articles
Published: 23 April 2015 in Forest Science and Technology
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This research assesses the efficiency and the costs of different cable cranes used in harvesting, in the forests of the southern Mediterranean area of Italy. During the study process a total of 100 cycle times were recorded in order to obtain the average performance. The cable cranes were tested in six different sites. Machine costs make up an essential part of timber harvesting costs; it is necessary to analyze these costs in order to decide which methods or machine types to use. Costs have been calculated using a standard hourly method. The present investigation showed that the three cable cranes extracted inferior volumes of timber compared to their load potential; in fact, the average extracted volume was inferior compared to the load capacity of the carriage. Nevertheless, from the comparison between cost per m3 and the market price of firewood, sufficient margins of value for the producer emerged. The level of productivity analyzed on these different sites showed that unproductive time influenced the extraction costs of wood. In fact, when the three cable cranes were productive the extraction cost of 1 m3 of firewood varied from €20.89 to €27.84.

ACS Style

Andrea R. Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti. Firewood cable extraction in the southern Mediterranean area of Italy. Forest Science and Technology 2015, 12, 16 -23.

AMA Style

Andrea R. Proto, Giuseppe Zimbalatti. Firewood cable extraction in the southern Mediterranean area of Italy. Forest Science and Technology. 2015; 12 (1):16-23.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea R. Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti. 2015. "Firewood cable extraction in the southern Mediterranean area of Italy." Forest Science and Technology 12, no. 1: 16-23.

Journal article
Published: 10 June 2014 in Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine
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Special strains are an occupational hazard often due to physical loads and inadequately designed work equipment. The aim of this pilot study was to determine occupational illnesses related to physical strains through an experimental design that assesses the associated working postures and oxygen uptake in apple harvesting.Three methods were applied to define the physical stress provoked by apple farming tasks. The experiments considered 5 labourers - 3 women and 2 men. The physical fatigue was assessed through oxygen consumption and heartbeat frequency according to UNI EN ISO 8996 standards. Measurements were conducted using a portable metabolimeter(COSMED). Working postures were determined according to Ovako Working Posture Analysis System(OWAS). An interview was conducted to record the labourers' subjective estimate of the stress. The interview results demonstrated neck and dorsal pains and fatigue causes for each operator. The VO₂ was equal to 82.33 ± 27.40 lO₂/h for women and 67.00 ± 27.60 lO₂/h for men, meaning that it was tiring for some men but for all women. The heart rates were of 115 ± 6.00 bpm for women and 113 ± 5.65 bpm for men. The VCO₂ was of 63.81 ± 21.45 lCO₂/h for women and 45.10 ± 25.53 lCO₂/h for men, while energetic equivalent and body surface area were similar for both genders, about 5.60W × h/l O₂ and 1,80 m(2) on average. Women's metabolic rate had a very high value - over 290W × m(-2), although for the men it was between 200-260W × m(-2). According to OWAS, low apple picking was ranked in class 2, high apple picking in class 1, and apple transportation belonged to class 3. conclusion. Related to VO₂ and VCO₂ consumption and the identified negative body postures, it is necessary to improve working conditions.

ACS Style

Paola Callea; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Elisabeth Quendler; Alfred Nimmerichter; Norbert Bachl; Bruno Bernardi; Dario Smorto; Souraya Benalia. Occupational illnesses related to physical strains in apple harvesting. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine 2014, 21, 407 -411.

AMA Style

Paola Callea, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Elisabeth Quendler, Alfred Nimmerichter, Norbert Bachl, Bruno Bernardi, Dario Smorto, Souraya Benalia. Occupational illnesses related to physical strains in apple harvesting. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine. 2014; 21 (2):407-411.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paola Callea; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Elisabeth Quendler; Alfred Nimmerichter; Norbert Bachl; Bruno Bernardi; Dario Smorto; Souraya Benalia. 2014. "Occupational illnesses related to physical strains in apple harvesting." Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine 21, no. 2: 407-411.

Journal article
Published: 31 January 2014 in Annals of Forest Research
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Roughness is a dynamic property of the gravel road surface that affects safety, ride comfort as well as vehicle tyre life and maintenance costs. A rapid survey of gravel road condition is fundamental for an effective maintenance planning and definition of the intervention priorities. Different non-contact techniques such as laser scanning, ultrasonic sensors and photogrammetry have recently been proposed to reconstruct three-dimensional topography of road surface and allow extraction of roughness metrics. The application of Microsoft Kinect™ depth camera is proposed and discussed here for collection of 3D data sets from gravel roads, to be implemented in order to allow quantification of surface roughness. The objectives are to: i) verify the applicability of the Kinect sensor for characterization of different forest roads, ii) identify the appropriateness and potential of different roughness parameters and iii) analyse the correlation with vibrations recoded by 3-axis accelerometers installed on different vehicles. The test took advantage of the implementation of the Kinect depth camera for surface roughness determination of 4 different forest gravel roads and one well-maintained asphalt road as reference. Different vehicles (mountain bike, off-road motorcycle, ATV vehicle, 4WD car and compact crossover) were included in the experiment in order to verify the vibration intensity when travelling on different road surface conditions. Correlations between the extracted roughness parameters and vibration levels of the tested vehicles were then verified. Coefficients of determination of between 0.76 and 0.97 were detected between average surface roughness and standard deviation of relative accelerations, with higher values in the case of lighter vehicles.

ACS Style

Francesco Marinello; Andrea Rosario Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Andrea Pezzuolo; Raffaele Cavalli; Stefano Grigolato. Determination of forest road surface roughness by Kinect depth imaging. Annals of Forest Research 2014, 1 .

AMA Style

Francesco Marinello, Andrea Rosario Proto, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Andrea Pezzuolo, Raffaele Cavalli, Stefano Grigolato. Determination of forest road surface roughness by Kinect depth imaging. Annals of Forest Research. 2014; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Marinello; Andrea Rosario Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Andrea Pezzuolo; Raffaele Cavalli; Stefano Grigolato. 2014. "Determination of forest road surface roughness by Kinect depth imaging." Annals of Forest Research , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 08 September 2013 in Journal of Agricultural Engineering
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The growing interest expressed by consumers toward food products quality as well as toward their linkage to the territory, has led producers to fit to the continuous rising demand for “typical products”, and to look for new and more efficient production and marketing strategies. An emblematic case is represented by Tropea red onion that, as a typical product, plays an important role in economical and rural development of the territory to which it is linked. The organoleptic features offered by “Tropea Red Onion”, PGI certified (Calabria), have to be associated as well to the quality of services that accompanies its processing. Technology application in post-harvest operations, has certainly contributed to make faster and less tiring all processing tasks. The main problem related to the mechanization of Tropea red onion post-harvest operations lies in the removal of the various layers of the external tunic, making it impossible for optical or electronic grader to achieve this task in a satisfactory way since the sensors are not able yet to separate the “bulb” from its involucre. In this context, the current study aims to assess the productivity of three different machines used for round Tropea red onion grading, and determine their work efficiency. The carried out analysis highlighted the ability of the studied machines to ensure a high work capacity, while maintaining a high level of precision during calibration process. Such precision allows to decrease laborer employment and increase processing chain speed, rising as well the annual use of the machines, allowing consequently processing cost savings. For a more profitable employment of such graders, it is, however, necessary from one hand, to properly form the technicians responsible of processing plants management, and from the other hand, to be able to take advantage of a technical assistance network, able to serve users in a short time.

ACS Style

Bruno Bernardi; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Andrea Rosario Proto; Souraya Benalia; Antonio Fazari; Paola Callea. Mechanical grading in PGI Tropea red onion post harvest operations. Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2013, 44, 1 .

AMA Style

Bruno Bernardi, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Andrea Rosario Proto, Souraya Benalia, Antonio Fazari, Paola Callea. Mechanical grading in PGI Tropea red onion post harvest operations. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2013; 44 (2):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bruno Bernardi; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Andrea Rosario Proto; Souraya Benalia; Antonio Fazari; Paola Callea. 2013. "Mechanical grading in PGI Tropea red onion post harvest operations." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 44, no. 2: 1.

Journal article
Published: 06 September 2013 in Journal of Agricultural Engineering
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The Journal of Agricultural Engineering is the official journal of the Italian Society of Agricultural Engineering - AIIA

ACS Style

Bruno Bernardi; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Andrea R. Proto; Souraya Benalia; Antonio Fazari; Paola Callea. Mechanical grading in PGI Tropea red onion post harvest operations. Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2013, 44, 1 .

AMA Style

Bruno Bernardi, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Andrea R. Proto, Souraya Benalia, Antonio Fazari, Paola Callea. Mechanical grading in PGI Tropea red onion post harvest operations. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2013; 44 (2s):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bruno Bernardi; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Andrea R. Proto; Souraya Benalia; Antonio Fazari; Paola Callea. 2013. "Mechanical grading in PGI Tropea red onion post harvest operations." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 44, no. 2s: 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2011 in L'Italia Forestale e Montana
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The present study provides an important review of wood chain in Calabria. In particular, the research analyses the latest forest inventory data, and compares different studies carried out in Calabria on forest mechanization and timber processing. After describing the areas, the productive potentialities and service conditions of forest, the main working systems adopted in the wood for typical utilizations in Calabria have been examined, highlighting the most important aspects in the framework of firewood. Indeed Calabria, in a few years, has experienced an increment in the amount of machines and specific equipments for energy sector with a consequent rise in mechanization level in some situations. In the same region, there are five wood biomass electric power plants. Other plants for electric energy production from biomass are under construction. The existing plants have an annual consumption of about one million tons of woodchips from agro forest supply, and are really influencing the timber-energy chain. This new economic issue, together with wood multi-functionality, can promote new employment through an adequate forest planning aiming to preserve and develop in a sustainable way the whole Calabrian territory.

ACS Style

Andrea Rosario Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Nazzareno Teti. La Calabria e la filiera foresta-legno. L'Italia Forestale e Montana 2011, 66, 491 -497.

AMA Style

Andrea Rosario Proto, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Nazzareno Teti. La Calabria e la filiera foresta-legno. L'Italia Forestale e Montana. 2011; 66 (6):491-497.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Rosario Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Nazzareno Teti. 2011. "La Calabria e la filiera foresta-legno." L'Italia Forestale e Montana 66, no. 6: 491-497.

Journal article
Published: 31 March 2010 in Journal of Agricultural Engineering
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In Italy, the woodworking industry presents many issues in terms of occupational health and safety. This study on exposure to wood dust could contribute to the realization of a prevention model in order to limit exposure to carcinogenic agents to the worker. The sampling methodology illustrated the analysis of dust emissions from the woodworking machinery in operation throughout the various processing cycles. The quantitative and qualitative assessment of exposure was performed using two different methodologies. The levels of wood dust were determined according to EN indications and sampling was conducted using IOM and Cyclon personal samplers. The qualitative research of wood dust was performed using an advanced laser air particle counter. This allowed the number of particles present to be counted in real time. The results obtained allowed for an accurate assessment of the quality of the dust emitted inside the workplace during the various processing phases. The study highlighted the distribution of air particles within the different size classes, the exact number of both thin and ultra-thin dusts, and confirmed the high concentration of thin dust particles which can be very harmful to humans.

ACS Style

Andrea Rosario Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Martino Negri. THE MEASUREMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF WOOD DUST. Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2010, 41, 25 -31.

AMA Style

Andrea Rosario Proto, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Martino Negri. THE MEASUREMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF WOOD DUST. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2010; 41 (1):25-31.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Rosario Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Martino Negri. 2010. "THE MEASUREMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF WOOD DUST." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 41, no. 1: 25-31.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2010 in Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health
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Musculoskeletal disorders are injuries of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, or spinal discs and are often classified as soft tissue injuries. They are the result of chronic or gradual development and are not caused by acute incidents such as slips, trips, or falls. The significance of this phenomenon prompted us to carry out a broader study of pathologies attributable to repetitive movements in the upper limbs within the citrus growing industry. Calabria, a very important region for citrus fruit growing in Italy, was chosen as the study area. The study analyzed the risks of repetitive movements for 180 workers on 35 different farms using the OCRA (Occupational Repetitive Actions) checklist method. By analyzing the scores obtained in the different work phases, it was possible to determine the tasks that incur more risk in the citrus fruit industry. The OCRA checklist considers all the repetitive tasks involved in a complex job and estimates the level of exposure to each worker. In support of the specific aims of the present study, it is possible to identify a series of working conditions for which the level of risk may be reasonably estimated and for which it is possible to adopt a checklist system. The results of this study suggest that there must be a significant increase in the use of effective ergonomic interventions in the workplace in order to attain reductions in the number of local musculoskeletal complaints.

ACS Style

A. R. Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti. Risk Assessment of Repetitive Movements in the Citrus Fruit Industry. Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health 2010, 16, 219 -228.

AMA Style

A. R. Proto, Giuseppe Zimbalatti. Risk Assessment of Repetitive Movements in the Citrus Fruit Industry. Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health. 2010; 16 (4):219-228.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. R. Proto; Giuseppe Zimbalatti. 2010. "Risk Assessment of Repetitive Movements in the Citrus Fruit Industry." Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health 16, no. 4: 219-228.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2009 in Biosystems Engineering
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ACS Style

Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Andrea R. Proto. Cable logging opportunities for firewood in Calabrian forests. Biosystems Engineering 2009, 102, 63 -68.

AMA Style

Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Andrea R. Proto. Cable logging opportunities for firewood in Calabrian forests. Biosystems Engineering. 2009; 102 (1):63-68.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giuseppe Zimbalatti; Andrea R. Proto. 2009. "Cable logging opportunities for firewood in Calabrian forests." Biosystems Engineering 102, no. 1: 63-68.