Articles
PROGRESS IN PROCESSING TOMATO HARVEST IN FRANCE A NEW TOMATO HARVESTER USE OF A VINE SHAPER
The large vines produce an irregular flow into the harvesters, and the fruits crushing by wheels in the furrows.
The use of a vine-shaper during flowering stage allows to reduce the size of the vegetation, and to avoid the loss of fruits.
The results are a more superficial cutting, a lower dirt intake, and a better working of the shaker.
On the harvesters in use, first we noticed the efficiency of the sorters is limited by clods, then in wet conditions the chains are clogged with mud, at last the mechanical damages (cracked or crushed fruits) reach an average from ten to twenty percent.
A new tomato harvester is drawn and built in order to minimize hurts into fruits, to eliminate clods and extraneous before hand sorting, and to ensure its adaptation to the farm size.
The 1984–85 experiments in different conditions show the good performances of this harvester and of the electronic clod and stone separator.