CH08 OLIVE HARVESTING
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Table 8.1 The three main harvesting systems. Harvesting systems
Suitable scale of application
Hand picking and hand-held harvesting machines Trunk shakers
Suitable for small-scale production, any type of training system and in case of steep slopes Suitable for high-scale production in semi-intensive or intensive olive groves Suitable for high-scale production in super-intensive olive groves
Straddle harvester
Hand picking can be used with any type of tree training system and olive grove characteristics (size, tree spacing, slope of the ground and so forth); it does not require large investment or special skills. A serious limiting condition of hand picking is the high number of workers and the frequent need to use ladders, which decreases labour productivity and poses worker safety risks. Under the best conditions, the productivity of hand picking is 10–20 kg of olives per hour per operator. Picking efficiency increases with increasing fruit load and when olive groves are on level areas, the trees are low and well pruned, so that the crown is easily accessible to the operator. It has been calculated that hand picking may represent about 80% of the total labour time required for producing olives in an olive grove and 50–70% of the cost of the harvested olives. This is the reason why hand picking is disappearing and is being replaced by hand-held harvesting machines or mechanical systems.
8.3.2 Hand-held harvesting machines Olive harvesting can be greatly facilitated by the use of harvesting machines held and carried by the operator. Hand-held harvesting machines are available in a great variety of models and the design and performance is continuously being improved. The harvest labour productivity varies from 30 to 50 kg per hour per operator, but under optimal conditions, a well-trained operator can harvest up to 150 kg per hour. The best results are obtained with medium or high weight fruit, low resistance to detachment and low and well-pruned trees, so that the crown is easily accessible to the operating device of the harvesting machines. Hand-held harvesting machines are suitable for all types of tree training systems, but it is important that tree height does not exceed 4 m. Therefore, it is necessary that pruning be done to limit the growth in height and promote crown diameter development. A hand-held harvesting machine consists of three parts: an operating device, a telescopic pole and a motor to provide the needed driving power.
The operating device The most common operating devices are of two types: oscillating or vibrating or turning combs, and shaking hooks.