Thompson, Jim "Harvest Systems"

Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course 2015 6/11/2015

(c) Postharvest Technology Center, UC Davis

Harvesting
Advantages of hand harvest
• Accurate maturity and grade selection.
• Less damage to product.
• Allows multiple harvest.
• Easy to increase harvest rate - just hire
more pickers.

1 2

Maturity selection
Less product damage?

3 4

Strawberry picker damage Machine harvest advantages

Berry
Damage • Less costly, but high capital costs
Score • 24 hr harvest possible
50% of surface • Less labor management problems
• Higher wages for workers
• Stabilizes work force size
None

Picker
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1
Thompson, Jim "Harvest Systems"
Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course 2015 6/11/2015
(c) Postharvest Technology Center, UC Davis

Machine Harvesters for

Machine Harvested
Processed Fruits & Vegetables
Fresh Market Crops
• Tree crops
• Underground vegetables:
– Sour cherries, prunes
– Potatoes, sweet potato, garlic, bulb onions,
carrots, turnip, rutabaga, beets, etc. – Some peaches, olives, juice oranges

• Vegetables: • Vine & bush crops

– Fresh cut spinach, lettuces, etc. – Blueberries, raspberries, raisin & wine
grapes, cranberries
– Some cabbage, sweet corn, green beans
• Vegetable crops
• Tree nuts and peanuts
– Peas, beans, corn, pickling cucumbers,
• Cranberries tomatoes, peppers, celery, sweet corn,
7 8
cabbage

Strawberry - field pack

Field vs. Shed packing
Field Pack

Pick Pack Transport Cool/store

Shed Pack

Pick Transport Cool/store Pack Cool/store

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Night Harvest Tomato - shed pack

Strawberries

GK Machine &
Musco Lighting

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Thompson, Jim "Harvest Systems"
Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course 2015 6/11/2015
(c) Postharvest Technology Center, UC Davis

Lettuce - materials handling

Celery - field pack

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Romaine Lettuce Baby Leaf Harvester

Band saw

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Romaine Hearts Carrot Harvester

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Thompson, Jim "Harvest Systems"
Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course 2015 6/11/2015
(c) Postharvest Technology Center, UC Davis

Sweet Sweet Potatoes

Potatoes

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Onions - field curing Onions - field packing

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Tree Fruit Harvest aid - ca 1900

Detachment

Fruit handling

Worker position

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Thompson, Jim "Harvest Systems"
Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course 2015 6/11/2015
(c) Postharvest Technology Center, UC Davis

Pears
Pears
1960
2005
worker
worker
positioner
positioner
& fruit
& fruit
handling
handling
system
25 26

Citrus - worker positioner Shake-catch

harvest

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Catch
Shaker
frame
Blight

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Thompson, Jim "Harvest Systems"
Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course 2015 6/11/2015
(c) Postharvest Technology Center, UC Davis

Vine & Small Tree Harvesters

USDA Apple Harvester
Olives

Grapes

• High density trellised orchard

• Use abscission chemical before harvest
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Tree Nuts Canopy Management

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Vision Robotics
1980’s Robotic harvest Scout
2010s

Picker

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Thompson, Jim "Harvest Systems"
Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course 2015 6/11/2015
(c) Postharvest Technology Center, UC Davis

Agrobot 2014
Field vs. Shed packing
Field Pack

Pick Pack Transport Cool/store

Shed Pack

Pick Transport Cool/store Pack Cool/store

37 38

Transport to Packing Shed Hand Packing

39 40

Hand Hand Pack Station

pack

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Thompson, Jim "Harvest Systems"
Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course 2015 6/11/2015
(c) Postharvest Technology Center, UC Davis

Machine Grading and Packing

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