Extension Tools :: Mechanical Harvesting YouTubes
Reference to any specific product or manufacturer does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation,or favoring by the UF/IFAS Citrus Mechanical Harvesting & Absicission Program. The videos below are strictly for education viewing only.
ALMOND HARVESTERS
Schieler Harvester (Trunk Shaker)
The Schieler Harvester 1088 Tree Crop Harvester is fully computer controlled with Parker's IQAN system. This shaker has a fully automatic bin changing system (Sidetrack). Its data can generate yeild maps of what type of harvests in your orchard, by the tree, bin row, or acre.
APPLE HARVESTERS
Phil Brown Welding
Phil Brown of Phil Brown Welding in Conklin, Mich., showed off the latest iteration of his platform apple harvester that reduces labor requirements for orchards and damage to apples by using a proprietary vacuum system that slows down apples and places them into bins.
CHERRY HARVESTERS
Munckhof Machinery
A trunk and shake catch system for the harvesting of cherries designed by Munckof Machinery, located in the Netherlands. It is used to shake cherry trees, but can also be used in apple and pear orchards.
CITRUS HARVESTERS
Nelson Mechanical Harvester Suitable for Olives or Citrus
Nelson Harvesters P/L, located in Australia, has developed an over the row machine that is adaptable for use in processed olives or oranges. With a few modifications you can switch from harvesting olives to oranges as there is very little difference between the machine needs.
Trunk Shaker used at Quevado Winery Olive Grove
In 2006, Quevado Winery, located in S. Joao da Pesqueira, Portugal, started growing organic olives for olive oil. At harvest time, they use a trunk shaker mechanical harvester.
Lightning Loader
In the 1950s, the fruit handling operations within a grove were mechanized, reducing handling and hauling labor by at least two thirds. Petersen Industries, Inc. introduced the “Lightning Loader” in 1957 and this equipment still handles nearly 80% of all citrus harvested in Florida today.
Citrus Mechanical Harvesting Yield Study
Katrina Moseley, a UF Food and Resource Economics student, did a study to determine if mechanical harvesting has an adverse effect on short term crop yield and tree health. Watch to see a short introduction to the study.
Nelson Harvesting
Andrew Nelson, of Nelson Harvesting in New South Wales, Australia, has built and operated a harvester that is towed behind a tractor.
OLIVE HARVESTERS
Nelson Mechanical Harvester Suitable for Olives or Citrus
Nelson Harvesters P/L, located in Australia, has developed an over the row machine that is adaptable for use in processed olives or oranges. With a few modifications you can switch from harvesting olives to oranges as there is very little difference between the machine needs.
Trunk Shaker used at Quevado Winery Olive Grove
In 2006, Quevado Winery, located in S. Joao da Pesqueira, Portugal, started growing organic olives for olive oil. At harvest time, they use a trunk shaker mechanical harvester.
GRAPE HARVESTERS
Pellenc
Pellenc, an equipment manufacturer in the agriculture industry, has developed mechanical harvesters for grapes. Their harvesters include both self-propelled and a tow-behind models. Their newest machine, the Optimum series, is a self- propelled over–the- row machine using a flexible conveyor sorter that they claim can help eliminate juice loss and maintain the berry integrity.
PISTACHIO HARVESTERS
Research: California Pistachios Harvested by Trunk Shaker
Pistachio is a relatively new commercial tree crop in California, with the majority of commercial acreage being planted within the last fifty years. An experimental program, begun in 2010, evaluated current commercial trunk shaking harvester performance against that of available experimental harvesters on larger trees.
BERRY HARVESTERS
OXBO Top Loading Mechanical Harvesters Used for Several Berry Varieties
Oxbo International Corporation, building on the Korvan brand, developed a top-loading harvester, model 7420, that can harvest fresh market quality blueberries, blackberries or IQF (individually quick frozen) raspberries.
