Development of Small Limb Shakers for Cherry (Part 1)

Improvement of the Shaker and its Field Test

Abstract

Because of the shortage of laborers, a mechanical harvesting of cherries for processing has been desired. A cherry harvesting system was studied in which small limbs are vibrated by a small shaker. A small limb with fruits in pre-stage of maturity was vibrated by the shaker of 8cm stroke and 13Hz frequency. The results obtained showed that the fruits harvesting percentage was high and most of the dropped fruits were with their stems. The products, obtained by processing immediately after harvesting, were with little damage. By improving the pruning and training method of branches and the methods of cultivation, the vibrational process-cherry harvesting will become practical.