1. Debris Accumulation in Loads of Mechanically Harvested Oranges
Timothy M. Spann
Michelle D. Danyluk, Robert C. Ebel and Jacqueline K. Burns

2. Does mechanical harvesting increase the debris in loads of fruit?
Potential for damage to processing equipment
Economic costs of transporting debris instead of fruit

3. Objectives How much debris is actually entering the processing stream?
Is there more debris as a result of MH?
How can debris be reduced or eliminated?

4. Harvest Methods Sampled
All methods were sampled on 3 separate dates, 20 samples per date
Valencia in spring 2008
Hamlin Winter
Hand Harvest (control)
Oxbo 3220 with & without destemmer
Oxbo 3210 with hand pickup
Oxbo 3210 with Oxbo pickup unit (only 1 sampling date)

5. Sampling Method All harvest systems have one common element
Transfer of fruit from the “goat” to the trailer
50 – 60 kg samples are collected as the goat dumps fruit into trailer
Sample is weighed, debris is removed, sorted, weighed, dried and weighed

6. Valencia Debris

7. Hamlin Debris

9. What about sand?

10. Can the use of the abscission agent 5-chloro-3-methyl-4-nitro-pyrazole (CMNP) reduce the amount of debris from mechanical harvesting?

11. CMNP Trials Parson Brown Valencia Hamlin
December 2007 and January 2008
Harvest w/ and w/o CMNP
Valencia
Two trials April 2008
300 ppm 0, 100, 200 and 300 GPA
May 13 and 27, 2008, May and June 2009
Speed (0.5 and 1.0 mph) × CPM (145 and 185) × CMNP (+ or −)
March and April 2009
Shaker frequency x CMNP rate
Hamlin
December 2008 and January 9 and 30, 2009
Data collected was the same, except debris was separated into adhering (attached to fruit) and loose (not attached)

12. Parson Brown – Jan 2008

13. Hamlin – January 2009

14. Valencia – March 2009

15. Conclusions
Mechanical harvesting increases debris 2x over hand harvesting
Leaves are the largest debris component (60%) followed by small stems (38%)
The use of the abscission compound CMNP can reduce debris to levels equivalent to or below hand harvesting
Due to reduction in adhering debris