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Mechanized Blueberry Harvesting: Preliminary Results in the Italian Context

Author

Listed:
  • Luca Brondino

    (Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, 10095 Torino, Italy)

  • Danielle Borra

    (Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, 10095 Torino, Italy)

  • Nicole Roberta Giuggioli

    (Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, 10095 Torino, Italy)

  • Stefano Massaglia

    (Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, 10095 Torino, Italy)

Abstract
This study reports some preliminary results on mechanical blueberry harvesting for the fresh market of cv. Cargo ® in the Piedmont region (northwest Italy). The investigated area is one of the most productive areas of Italy, which specializes in fresh blueberry production. The automatization of harvesting operations could represent a competitive advantage for the area’s blueberry supply chain but could limit the quality of fresh-picked berries. A prototype machine and a commercial harvester (Easy Harvester ® ) were compared with manual picking, considering the harvesting efficiency, labor productivity, harvesting cost and farm rentability. In this context, the labor cost for manual harvesting exceeds EUR 2.00 per kg of saleable product. The prototype allowed a 39% cost reduction, and the Easy Harvester ® reduced it by about half. Nevertheless, these positive performances do not consider the reduction in the net sale price of EUR 0.40 due to the selection costs in the warehouse. In this study, we highlight that the transition to mechanical harvesting requires the transformation of several farming and packhouse operations, such as new crop varieties, field configurations and cultivation techniques. However, a possible technical improvement of the Easy Harvester ® could represent an opportunity for Italian farms in the planning of berry production and marketing, involving all of the supply chain actors. Further research on the use of mechanization in the sector must continue and be supported.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Brondino & Danielle Borra & Nicole Roberta Giuggioli & Stefano Massaglia, 2021. "Mechanized Blueberry Harvesting: Preliminary Results in the Italian Context," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-14, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:11:y:2021:i:12:p:1197-:d:689634
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Huffman, Wallace E., 2012. "The Status of Labor-Saving Mechanization in U.S. Fruit and Vegetable Harvesting," Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm, and Resource Issues, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 27(2), pages 1-7.
    2. Rodgers, Aaron D. & Harri, Ardian & Morgan, Kimberly & Tack, Jesse & Hood, Ken & Coble, Keith, 2014. "Determining Willingness to Adopt Mechanical Harvesters among Southeastern Blueberry Producers," 2014 Annual Meeting, February 1-4, 2014, Dallas, Texas 162529, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    3. Lisa Wasko DeVetter & Wei Qiang Yang & Fumiomi Takeda & Scott Korthuis & Changying Li, 2019. "Modified Over-the-Row Machine Harvesters to Improve Northern Highbush Blueberry Fresh Fruit Quality," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, January.
    4. Cristiana Peano & Vincenzo Girgenti & Claudio Baudino & Nicole Roberta Giuggioli, 2017. "Blueberry Supply Chain in Italy: Management, Innovation and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-17, February.
    5. Vincenzo Girgenti & Stefano Massaglia & Angela Mosso & Cristiana Peano & Filippo Brun, 2016. "Exploring Perceptions of Raspberries and Blueberries by Italian Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-16, October.
    6. Gallardo, Karina & Lu, Liang & Zilberman, David & Jung, Ae Rin, 2019. "Adoption of Mechanization Solutions for Harvesting Fresh Market Blueberries," 2019 Annual Meeting, July 21-23, Atlanta, Georgia 290719, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
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    1. Fu Zhang & Zijun Chen & Yafei Wang & Ruofei Bao & Xingguang Chen & Sanling Fu & Mimi Tian & Yakun Zhang, 2023. "Research on Flexible End-Effectors with Humanoid Grasp Function for Small Spherical Fruit Picking," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, January.

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