Losses in industrial tomato harvesting according to harvester setting

Abstract

Losses in the mechanical harvesting of industrial tomatoes, depending on the levels reached, may considerably reduce the yield of the planted areas. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of settings of the rotary separation system on losses observed during the mechanized harvesting process. The statistical design was completely randomized, in a factorial scheme with four replications, where each plot consisted of the combination of three rotation levels (6 rpm, 24 rpm and 18 rpm) with three vibration frequencies (0.83 Hz, 2.50 Hz and 4.17 Hz) from the separation system. The recorded losses were divided into branch losses, fruit losses on the soil and total losses. Sequential and control charts for individual values and variable ranges composed by the upper and lower limits of control and average were used as a tool of statistical process control. The results showed that the total losses incurred are outside the control limits and acceptable standards for industrial tomato crops. The use of higher levels of rotation and vibration in the harvester separation system provided a higher harvest efficiency.