Integrated Precision Harvesting System: A Promising Technology to Improve Berry Yield and Quality Precision Research Team
Objectives Develop improved integrated harvesting management systems = coupling of mechanical, biological and environmental processes Increase the berry picking efficiency of blueberry harvester = LOWER cost of production
Improved Integrated Harvesting System Sensor Fusion System to Identify Sources of Error Quantification of Multiple Fruit Losses During Harvesting Effect of Crop Characteristics and Machine Parameters on Berry Losses Effect of Harvest Timings and Climatic Condition on Fruit Losses Design Analysis and Comparison of Different Harvester Heads Impact of Relative Velocity and Different Header Forces on Fruit Picking Efficiency Development of Bio-System Modeling for Coupling of Biological, Environmental and Mechanical Processes On-Line Computer Program for Precise Berry Harvesting Recommendations
Precision Research Team
Setting up plots for yield harvesting. Quantification Quantification of of Losses Losses 0.91 m 3 m Parameters Pre-Harvest Loss Fruit Yield Fruit on the Ground Fruit on the shoot Fruit in Debris from blower Fruit on Pan (Back side of head) Plant Height Fruit Zone Plant Density Stem Diameter Berry Sizes Leaf wetness Soil moisture Plant pull Slope GPS Location
Quantification of Losses Experiment Design Parameters Variables/Treatments: Ground Speed: 0.75, 1.0 and 1.25 mph Header Rotations: 26, 28 and 30 rpm
Losses (%) Faculty of Small Scott site Small Scott site Quantification of Losses Small Scott Trt. 1: 0.75 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 2: 0.75 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 3: 0.75 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 4: 1.0 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 5: 1.0 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 6: 1.0 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 7: 1.25 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 8: 1.25 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 9: 1.25 mph and 30 rpm 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 9.75 12.53 7.51 9.38 9.78 9.88 6.00 8.94 7.87 0 Avg. Plant Height = 23 cm Avg. Density = 560 plants m -2 Area = 4.6 acres Fruit Yield = 2600 lb acre -1
Losses (%) Faculty of Quantification of Losses Cooper Site Trt. 1: 0.75 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 2: 0.75 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 3: 0.75 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 4: 1.0 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 5: 1.0 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 6: 1.0 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 7: 1.25 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 8: 1.25 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 9: 1.25 mph and 30 rpm 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 7.97 14.89 12.84 9.92 10.95 10.93 11.54 9.22 12.58 2 0 Avg. Plant Height = 24 cm Avg. Density = 560 plants m -2 Area = 47.9 acres Fruit Yield = 3700 lb acre -1
Losses (%) Faculty of Small Scott site Quantification of Losses Tracdie site Trt. 1: 0.75 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 2: 0.75 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 3: 0.75 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 4: 1.0 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 5: 1.0 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 6: 1.0 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 7: 1.25 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 8: 1.25 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 9: 1.25 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 10: 0.6 mph and 18 rpm Trt. 11: 0.6 mph and 20 rpm Trt. 12: 0.6 mph and 22 rpm 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 11.18 13.78 13.81 13.90 13.50 14.40 15.33 13.82 16.45 13.00 14.03 14.80 Avg. Plant Height = 27 cm Avg. Density = 474 plants m -2 Fruit Yield: 5500 kg/ha Area = 4.0 acres Fruit Yield = 5500 lb acre -1
Losses (%) Faculty of Small Scott site Quantification of Losses Frankweb site Trt. 1: 0.75 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 2: 0.75 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 3: 0.75 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 4: 1.0 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 5: 1.0 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 6: 1.0 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 7: 1.25 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 8: 1.25 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 9: 1.25 mph and 30 rpm 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 11.70 15.60 17.50 18.80 18.60 18.00 19.70 20.60 23.70 Avg. Plant Height = 22 cm Avg. Density = 646 plants m -2 Fruit Yield: 8100 kg/ha Area = 11.4 acres Fruit Yield = 8100 lb acre -1
Losses (%) Faculty of Quantification of Losses Joe Slack s Site Trt. 1 0.75 mph and 24 rpm Trt. 2 0.75 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 3 0.75 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 4 0.75 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 5 1.0 mph and 24 rpm Trt. 6 1.0 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 7 1.0 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 8 1.0 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 9 1.25 mph and 24 rpm Trt. 10 1.25 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 11 1.25 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 12 1.25 mph and 30 rpm 25 20 15 10 5 0 12.57 11.35 15.21 17.17 16.43 15.00 17.29 20.04 20.36 18.19 20.11 23.09 Fruit yield increased = 474 lb acre -1 Avg. Plant Height = 20 cm Avg. Density = 603 plants m -2 Area = 9.6 acres Fruit Yield = 7900 lb acre -1
16 Bar Head vs. 12 Bar Head
Area = 8.0 acres Bare spots = 0.5 acres Average yield = 3385 lb acre -1 Site Selection Area = 5.1 acres Bare spots = 0.6 acres Average yield = 6973 lb acre -1 Robie Glenn Site Hardwood Hill Site
Losses (%) Faculty of 16 Bars vs. 12 Bars Total Losses Hardwood Hill Site Trt. 1: 0.75 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 2: 0.75 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 3: 0.75 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 4: 1.0 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 5: 1.0 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 6: 1.0 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 7: 1.25 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 8: 1.25 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 9: 1.25 mph and 30 rpm 30 25 20 15 10 5 9 16 Bars Total Loss (%) 12 Bars Total Loss (%) 18 17 15 15 14 13 12 16 20 19 22 17 21 20 24 22 26 0 Avg. Plant Height = 19 cm Avg. Density = 646 plants m -2 Area = 5.1 acres Fruit Yield = 6973 lb acre -1
Losses (%) Faculty of 16 Bars vs. 12 Bars Shoot Loss Trt. 1: 0.75 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 2: 0.75 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 3: 0.75 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 4: 1.0 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 5: 1.0 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 6: 1.0 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 7: 1.25 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 8: 1.25 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 9: 1.25 mph and 30 rpm 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 16 Bars Shoot Loss (%) 12 Bars Shoot Loss (%) 3.9 3.1 3.1 2.6 2.7 2.3 2.3 1.6 1.7 1.3 4.2 3.9 2.7 3.4 4.3 5.4 5.3 6.1 0.0
Losses (%) Faculty of 16 Bars vs. 12 Bars Ground Loss Trt. 1: 0.75 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 2: 0.75 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 3: 0.75 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 4: 1.0 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 5: 1.0 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 6: 1.0 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 7: 1.25 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 8: 1.25 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 9: 1.25 mph and 30 rpm 16.0 14.0 12.0 10.0 8.0 6.0 4.0 2.0 16 Bars Ground Loss (%) 12 Bars Ground Loss (%) 5.3 8.0 6.1 8.6 7.5 10.6 10.6 8.2 8.0 11.7 10.2 12.6 15.1 13.5 13.2 11.5 11.6 9.6 0.0
Losses (%) Faculty of 16 Bars vs. 12 Bars Blower Loss Trt. 1: 0.75 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 2: 0.75 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 3: 0.75 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 4: 1.0 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 5: 1.0 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 6: 1.0 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 7: 1.25 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 8: 1.25 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 9: 1.25 mph and 30 rpm 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 16 Bars Blower Loss (%) 12 Bars Blower Loss (%) 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.7 0.7 1.3 1.0 1.2 1.5 1.1 1.4 1.2 0.8 1.1 0.7 1.1 0.6 0.0
Losses (%) Faculty of 16 Bars vs. 12 Bars Total Losses Trt. 1: 0.75 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 2: 0.75 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 3: 0.75 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 4: 1.0 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 5: 1.0 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 6: 1.0 mph and 30 rpm Trt. 7: 1.25 mph and 26 rpm Trt. 8: 1.25 mph and 28 rpm Trt. 9: 1.25 mph and 30 rpm Robie Glenn Site 25 20 15 10 16 Bars Total Loss (%) 12 Bars Total Loss (%) 15 15 12 12 11 10 10 7 14 16 16 20 14 17 17 20 19 22 5 0 Avg. Plant Height = 23 cm Avg. Density = 560 plants m -2 Area = 8.0 acres Fruit Yield = 3385 lb acre -1
Teeth Bar Spacing 16 Bar Head 12 Bar Head Spacing between the bars = 1.37 inches Spacing between the bars = 1.83 inches
Displacement in Y Direction (m) 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 12 bar head combed 6 times through each plant 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 16 bar head combed 9 times through each plant 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 Displacement in X Direction (m) Series1 2 3 4 6 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 Series1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Head Capacity Comparison 16 Bar Head 12 Bar Head Max Yield Harvestable (Kg /Ha) 5% Leaves by Volume 10% Leaves by Volume 15% Leaves by Volume 25568 24290 23011 21733 Max Yield Harvestable (Kg /Ha) 5% Leaves by Volume 10% Leaves by Volume 15% Leaves by Volume 19176 18217 17259 16300 The capacity for the 12 bars head is 25% lower than 16 bars head
Slow video of 16 Bars and 12 Bars (Back view)
Slow video of 16 Bars and 12 Bars (Front view)
Slow video of 16 Bars and 12 Bars (Side view)
16 Bars vs. 12 Bars Plants Pulled (Before Rain) 3000 Plants Pulled (100 m strip) Weight (g) 2500 2000 1500 1306 1468 1000 500 642 724 0 16 Bars Head 12 Bars Head
16 Bars and 12 Bars Plants Pulled (After Rain) 3000 2500 Plants Pulled (100 m strip) Weight (g) 3062 2000 1500 1692 1380 1000 842 500 0 16 Bars Head 12 Bars Head
Slow video of 16 Bars and 12 Bars (Before rain)
Slow video of 16 Bars and 12 Bars (After rain)
Economic Impact Additional Revenues Additional Expenses Avg. yield per ha = 3360 kg $ No additional expenses will be $ required Avg. revenue per ha = $2.1/kg *3360 kg $ 7056 $ improved yield/ha (say min. increase $ $ 5%) =168 kg Increase in revenue/ha with improved $ 353 $ systems Increase in NS revenue = 16,000 ha* $353 $ $5.5 mill $ Total A: $ 5.5 mill Total D: $ Reduced Expenses Reduced Revenues Labor expenses might be reduced with $ No reduction in revenue $ automation $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Total B: $ Total E: $ C: (Total A + Total B) $ 5.5 mill F: (Total D + Total E) $ Net Gain: C: $ 5.5 mill F: $ = $ 5.5 million
Conclusions The 12 bar head provides more space for plants which causes the head to take bigger bites The 12 bar head combed through each plant 6 times, while the 16 bar head combed through each plant 9 times The capacity of the 12 bar head is 25% lower than 16 bar head The 16 bar head keep the berries more securely inside the header The 12 bar head pulled 12% and 39% more plants when compared with 16 bar head during dry and wet conditions, respectively Field experimentation, visual observations and video clips proved that there were significantly higher losses with 12 bar head We propose harvester should be operated at a combination of 0.75 mph and 26 rpm in wild blueberry fields with yield over 3000 kg ha -1 to reduce berry losses
Small Scott site ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS