A major olive growers aim is to reach and consolidate competition levels capable of ensuring a good position on the market; this can be attained by reducing growing costs, mainly harvesting costs, through mechanization, and by improving oil quality parameters. The aim of this paper is to examine the quality of oil deriving from olives harvested by means of prototypes of shaking machines capable of reaching considerable heights; these machines allow to shake from the branches of big-sized trees. Moreover a modern shaking-intercepting machine was also examined in order to evaluate how it could affect labour and oil quality with medium-sized trees. The data reported here show that it is possible to obtain extra virgin olive oil also in olive groves characterized by big-sized trees thank to shaking of branches. This harvesting tecnique allows to improve remarkably oil quality as well as to reduce the number of labourers performing harvesting. The shaking-intercepting machine, used in the tests, could be particurly useful for producing quality oil in olive groves characterized by medium-sized trees with a regular planting distance. Thanks to its extremely interesting data about working capacity and productivity, this machine is expected to be increasingly used to lower harvesting costs and to simplify harvesting chains.

TESTS OF MECHANICAL HARVESTING FROM BIG-SIZED TREES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF QUALITY OLIVE-OIL

Ferruccio Giametta
;
2003-01-01

Abstract

A major olive growers aim is to reach and consolidate competition levels capable of ensuring a good position on the market; this can be attained by reducing growing costs, mainly harvesting costs, through mechanization, and by improving oil quality parameters. The aim of this paper is to examine the quality of oil deriving from olives harvested by means of prototypes of shaking machines capable of reaching considerable heights; these machines allow to shake from the branches of big-sized trees. Moreover a modern shaking-intercepting machine was also examined in order to evaluate how it could affect labour and oil quality with medium-sized trees. The data reported here show that it is possible to obtain extra virgin olive oil also in olive groves characterized by big-sized trees thank to shaking of branches. This harvesting tecnique allows to improve remarkably oil quality as well as to reduce the number of labourers performing harvesting. The shaking-intercepting machine, used in the tests, could be particurly useful for producing quality oil in olive groves characterized by medium-sized trees with a regular planting distance. Thanks to its extremely interesting data about working capacity and productivity, this machine is expected to be increasingly used to lower harvesting costs and to simplify harvesting chains.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11695/97152
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