Mechanical harvesting of 400 trees per hectare olive orchards based on a rollin...

• Author(s): Peça, José ; Almeida, Arlindo ; Pinheiro, Anacleto ; Dias, António ; Santos, Luís S.S. dos ; Lopes, João ; Reynolds, Domingos
• Date: 2008
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/4300
• Origin: Biblioteca Digital do IPB
• Subject(s): Olives; Mechanical harvesting; ±400 trees/ha
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

As the world's olive industries move towards higher densities of trees per hectare, different alternatives are required to collect olives harvested by trunk shakers. This paper puts forward a revised concept of the traingli cart with a rolling canvas system. The equipment consists on a 6 m long box welded to a wheeled chassis, with a rolling canvas system placed over its full length. Olives are stored until the box is full, and then discharged through the back by a conveyor belt placed at the bottom of the box. Steering axle and low pressure tires increase performance. All components are hydraulic powered from the pulling tractor. Real scale tests were carried out in two 400 trees per hectare olive orchards:(a)a trunk shaker, and one trailed cart harvesting single row of trees at a time; (b) a trunk shaker, and two trailed carts for two-row harvesting. Results show working rates of around 40 to 50 trees/hour, respectively, for a single-row and two-row harvesting. Discussion of results reveals that higher working rates are possible.