Chile Mechanization in New Mexico Chile is historically a labor-intensive crop Labor represents greater than 50% of total production costs in hand-harvested system -In mechanized fields, drops to approx. 11% of production costs Mechanization is one of the key methods to level the economic playing field Cooperative Extension Service

Chile Mechanization in New Mexico 1965: First recorded mechanical harvest of chile by Ernest Riggs 1971: First patent of helix picking head for chile to Wondel Creager Cooperative Extension Service

Chile Mechanization in New Mexico Official New Mexico state question: “Red or Green?” Two different industries; two different approaches to harvest Cooperative Extension Service

Red Chile in New Mexico Currently, almost all domestic red chile for commercial production is mechanically harvested Machines with inclined, double helix picking heads are the most common

Red Chile in New Mexico Red chile has an extended harvest season – from succulent to very dry Greatest challenge to mechanization is removal of extraneous plant material - increases as the plants dry Cooperative Extension Service

Red Chile Breeding for Mechanization Efforts on-going to develop red chile cultivars with high pigment, superior drying, and low heat, but also - Upright plant habit Fruit set off of the ground Mid-level fruit attachment Early maturity Cooperative Extension Service

Green Chile is currently 100% hand-harvested Photo courtesy of P. Funk

Green Chile - Current Challenges to Mechanical Harvest Fruit are not uniform & don’t ‘roll’ making them difficult to orient Fruit are easily damaged when mechanically harvested Destemming is important, but mechanically difficult

Breeding Goals for NM-type Green Chile Mechanized System Determinate fruit set Upright habit; fruit off ground Fruit resistance to breakage Strong, single stem Fruit borne on outside of the canopy For Mechanical Destemming: Consistent 2-locule, ‘flat’ fruit Easy destemming

Progress in 2014 One row, tractor powered Etgar Harvester procured Three observational trials conducted Cooperative Extension Service

Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center Transplanted ‘Sandia’ and breeding lines Furrow irrigation, 30” rows Issues with plant lodging; harvester not fitted to row spacing 10.6% breakage in ‘Sandia Cooperative Extension Service

Deming, NM Raymond Viramontes’ field, drip irrigation Direct-seeded ‘Machete’ (Curry Chile & Seed Co.) Harvester not sized to plants – Plants were uprooted Challenge: Leaf removal! Cooperative Extension Service

Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center ‘NM 6-4’; direct seeded, furrow irrigation Minimal fruit breakage Cooperative Extension Service