Florida citrus industry: Mechanical harvesting creates up to 250 percent more debris than hand harvesting, study finds
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 - 20:30
in Biology & Nature
Harvesting can account for as much as 50 percent of the production cost for Florida's citrus crops. In a recent research study debris samples were collected from three harvesting systems; results indicated that mechanical harvesting increased debris per load by as much as 250 percent compared with hand-harvested fruit. The study results will aid growers in evaluating the costs and benefits of mechanical harvesting techniques as well as engineers who design debris elimination systems for mechanical harvesting.