ISHS Acta Horticulturae 791: V International Symposium on Olive Growing
PRELIMINARY TESTS TO ASSESS THE DYNAMICS OF THE VIBRATIONS TRANSMITTED ON OLIVE TREES BY MECHANIZED HARVEST BY SHAKERS |
| Authors: | A. D'Agostino, F. Giametta, G. Giametta, S. Mauro, G. Zimbalatti |
| Keywords: | accelerometer, carolea |
| Abstract:
In view of its importance from both farming and an economic point of view, mechanized harvesting in the olive growing sector still requires additional studies to perfect its applications. In spite of the by now high technical standards of modern shakers, only a 70-85% harvest yield can be obtained by the machines currently available on the market. The objective is to enhance the efficiency of this harvesting system and reach yields of 90-95% at least. This could be attained only relying on an in-depth knowledge of both physical and mechanical properties of olive trees as well as of their behaviour under mechanical shaking. Hence, the objective of the present study is to conduct a preliminary study on the dynamic response of olive trees to the vibrations induced by shakers during mechanized harvesting operations. A methodology based on the use of accelerometers fastened to the tree trunks, and to both primary and secondary branches, has been developed providing experimental results and additional contributions to our understanding of how vibrations are transmitted to the various parts of the plant. The variability of the data collected so far, which makes this experimental phase complex, is no doubt linked to the heterogeneity of both the structure and the geometry of olive trees – which, in their turn, call for additional studies to be carried out in the next few years to clarify how exactly vibrations travel to the different parts of the plant. Nevertheless a careful analysis of the results obtained so far seems to confirm some crucial requirements: maximization of the vibrational effect; application of this mechanized harvesting method to small-sized olive trees with a rigid structure and without twisting or hanging branches in a view to reduce the damping effects on the shaker-induced vibrations. | |
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