Prototype of a Side-row Continuous Canopy Shaking Harvester for Intensive Olive Orchards

Abstract

Olive producing countries invested largely in high density groves (200 to 550 trees per hectare) for which the trunk shaking technology were a no efficient totally mechanized system. Continuous canopy shaking is the obvious approach, in order to increase work capacity but also overcoming the problem of scarce and expensive labour. The equipment available today are adapted over-the-row grape or coffee-beans harvesters which has limitations in intensive olive orchards. The large over-the-row olive harvesters built in the South Hemispheric are too heavy and expensive, hardly suitable to the difficult wet soil conditions encountered in the Mediterranean countries. The Side Row Continuous Canopy Shaking Olive Harvester project was set to deal these limitations by their simplicity and price. The equipment comprises two symmetrical harvesters that follow a tree row one at each side. Each harvester have a vibratory rotor with flexible rods to shaking the fruit bearing branches. Also comprises a catching platform with conveyors belts delivering fruits to a temporary storage bag and flexible synthetic interface with the tree trunk. . This paper shows the prototype concept and the technical challenges for translating the prototype into the market.