CSU, Chico to Demonstrate Mechanical Olive Harvester
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 15, 2000
Ann Walker
530-898-4143
CSU, Chico to Demonstrate Mechanical Olive Harvester
A faculty and student research team from California State University, Chico’s College of Agriculture and College of Engineering will demonstrate its redesigned mechanical olive harvester on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 10:30 a.m. at Olives Incorporated, an olive orchard near Corning.
Currently American olives are picked by hand, a labor intensive and expensive process. The use of a mechanical olive harvester could improve California’s position in the global market and have a major impact on the industry.
The $280,000-research project began last year when local olive grower and industry leader Bell Carter submitted a mechanized Italian-made “Olipicker” to the university for improvement.
“This machine was not designed for efficiency,” said Lynelle Bosworth, an agriculture business student who worked on the project. “The research team faced many challenges, including operator fatigue due to repeated use of multiple controls and vibration of the machine, lack of ergonomics, bruising of fruit during harvest and use of metric fittings that are not available in the United States.”
The research team redesigned the control systems of the “Olipicker” from a hydraulic valve to electronic joystick operation. The “new” machine reduced vibration during harvest and increased operator efficiency by reducing fatigue and repositioning the operator for better visibility of fruit on the trees.
The research team will be conducting statistical efficiency tests of the harvester to judge the critical factors involved in mechanical fruit removal. The tests will evaluate the economics of mechanical harvesting, fruit removal efficiency, fruit quality, harvest speed and tree damage by the machine.
The research project is directed by Lal Singh, professor of agriculture business. Joel Arthur, professor of civil engineering, Ramesh Varahmurti, professor of mechanical engineering, and Ron Borge, professor of agricultural engineering technology, are co-principal investigators. In addition, Charles Husome, mechanical engineering student, and Lynelle Bosworth are involved in all aspects of this research.
For more information and directions to the demonstration, contact Lynelle Bosworth at 530-899-7163.
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