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Harvesting Frequency Impact on the Economics of a Sweeper Based Mechanical Nut Harvesting System

A. T. M. Ziauddin
Professor
Department of Farm Power & MachineryBangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A sweeper based Macadamia nut, (Macadamia integrifolia) harvesting model for machine harvest was developed to determine an optimal harvesting schedule. The total cost including nut spoilage was used as optimization criterion. Nut spoilage as a function of soil moisture was modeled. The optimal harvesting interval with a policy of uniform harvest interval and with a policy of non-uniform harvest interval were found to be at 10 days and 12-7-12 days respectively.

Keywords: Nut, Harvesting, Economics, Model and System

Location: Department of Farm Power & Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Farm Mechanization

Non-commodity: Performance

Objectives:

To develop a sweeper based mechanical nut harvesting system model.

Methodology:

Tree nuts on the ground are sometimes harvested mechanically. A sweeper based nut harvesting system can be represented as a process of interrelated operations. Pattern of natural fall of nut, soil moisture content, labour cost, nut spoilage, farm productivity and farm area have highly singificant effects on this process. Evaluation of the overall system response to any activity of the harvesting system is very difficult to conduct without a model. The following assumptions have been made in modeling the system. (1) The effect of unfavourable weather on nut harvesting system is neglected. (2) The harvesting season is approximately equally divided into three sections -early harvest, peak harvest and late harvest periods. The model consists of two major components, namely, Harvesting Cost submodel and Nut Spoilage Submodel. The total harvesting cost of the entire harvesting season is calculated by the Harvesting Cost Submodel. The Nut Spoilage Submodel simulates the value of total nut spoilage for the entire harvesting season. Since the total harvesting cost and the value of total nut spoilage depend on harvesting frequency the two major components are modeled as functions of harvest interval. The overall criterion for selecting optimal harvesting schedule is defined in expression.

Source of Information: Journal of Agril. Mach. & Mech. 1 (1) 1994, 37-46,

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The macadamia nut harvesting system was analyzed and abstracted into an operational. Flexible and general simulation model for determining the optimal harvesting pattern at a minimum cost. The results of the study indicate that the model adequately represents a sweeper based nut harvesting system. The optimal harvesting interval for mechanical harvest with a uniform harvesting interval was obtained at 10 days. While, the optimal harvesting pattern for mechanical harvest with a non-uniform harvesting interval was found at 12-7-12 days. The results of the study indicate that the optimal harvesting pattern was very sensitive to the soil moisture content wage and market price of the nut. The accuracy of the simulated nut harvesting system performance depends a great deal on the precision and adequacy of the input data. The model did not consider the soil moisture variation due to weather (rainfall) uncertainty. However, the program is flexible enough to accommodate a subprogram for simulation of soil moisture content with weather uncertainty. Not only the harvesting system of macadamia nut but also the harvesting system of other similar tree nuts may be analyzed using the model for successful harvesting operating and management with a minor modification of the model.

Knowledge Management: Journal