Development of a Machine to Remove By-products with Brown Spot Disease Inoculum from Pear Orchards

Abstract

In Portugal pear production is located in the Midwest region, occupying an area of about 11000 ha, under the registered designation of origin of “Pera Rocha do Oeste”. In recent years, the incidence of brown spot disease (Stemphylium vesicarium) increased, with considerable losses to the growers due to the depreciation of pears both in the orchards and in refrigeration chambers. The control of the disease based on the use of chemical products was inefficient. In consequence, the development of integrated strategies will be necessary. The reduction of the sources of brown spot disease inoculum from the orchards is one of the strategies evaluated in the project GO – Protecestenfilio. The approach related in this work concerns the removal from the soil surface of the fruits with symptoms of the disease as well as leaves and pruning wood. No specific technology to remove these by-products from the orchards is available in the market. With the project “GO – Protecestenfilio”, a machine was developed for this purpose. The machine is based on a farm tractor and consists in a front mounted windrow unit and rear semi-mounted lift and storage unit. The windrow unit is provided with two rotary swathers to remove the by-products from the base of the trees to the middle of the alley. In the lift and storage unit a transversal rotor lifts the by-products from the soil to a conveyor elevator. This conveyer discharges the by-products into a temporary storage box placed at the rear of the unit. This paper shows the machine developed as well as the limitations identified throughout the field tests performed.