Harvesting System Design and Performance - Engineering and Science of Biomass Feedstock Production and Provision - page 112

Fig. 5.29 Harvesting machinery for short rotation woody crops: ( a )CaseNewHollandcoppice
harvester and chipper blowing chips into a tractor-pulled transfer bin. Adapted from [ 3 ]. ( b ) An
Austoft cut-and-chip harvester chopping poplar. Adapted from [ 24 ]

or billets also needs to be fitted with tracks. The chip or billet size can be adjusted
to meet specific needs. The cut-and-bale method for willow is a developing con-
cept. It involves cutting and shredding the stalks (Fig. 5.30a ) and baling them in a
single pass (see Fig. 5.30b ). The bales can be picked up by a loader and transported
to the edge of the field.

5.4.3 Green Energy Crops

Important green energy crops are sugar cane, energy cane, and sorghum. Sugar cane
chopper-harvesters or forage choppers can be used to harvest these crops. Typically,
sugar cane has higher sugar content but lower fiber content than energy cane.