Please join us for the weekly BAE seminar 

(NOTE CHANGE IN WEEKDAY AND TIME) 

MONDAY, October 13 
2:00 pm, 2045 BAINER HALL 

Topic: "Innovation and New Technologies for Olive Harvesting" 

Presenter: Prof. Sergio Castro-Garcia 
University of Cordoba, Spain 

Abstract 
Olive tree growing is a symbol of the Mediterranean basin agriculture. Technological development of this mostly rain-fed crop is reduced. However, it is becoming compulsory to keep the farmers incomes. The low crop profitability limits the renovation of the current orchards in Spain. Introduction and adaptation of the harvesting technologies used in other similar crops along with a tree adaptation, mainly by pruning, is proposed as a viable solution. Harvester parameters used to adapt the machinery are based on analysis of tree response under force vibration, in order to increase the harvester efficiency and reducing the damage to tree, and the technology to fruit quality maintenance. Fruit quality is one of the main factors in table olive harvesting. For this, trunk vibration parameters (shaking time, frequency and amplitude) and the development of a fruit postharvest protocol are useful to adaptation of the current orchards to mechanical harvesting. However, the cost of the fruit harvested is the main factors in oil olive harvesting. Development of harvesters could be based on canopy shaker technologies which allow a continuous mass harvesting process working around the tree canopy. Machine parameters adapted to olive fruit, tree canopy and ground conditions are required to develop new harvester prototypes. The introduction of integral harvesters will encourage the application of ICT and agriculture precision technologies on management of this mainly traditional crop. 

Coffee and cookies will be served.