Performance of three mechanical harvesting systems for olives in Portugal

Three mechanical harvesting systems for olives have been tested in field trials in the two main Portuguese regions of olive production: Trás-os-Montes and Alentejo. These tests took place in traditional olive orchards with 100 to 150 trees per hectare. In the three systems, olives were harvested with the same trunk shaker and were collected manually (system I); with a tractor mounted rolling canvas (system II); with an inverted umbrella (system III). Results are revealed in terms of working rates. The main factors that influence the systems performance are discussed.

Performance of three mechanical harvesting systems for olives in Portugal Artigo de Conferência