EVALUATION OF FRUIT DAMAGE CAUSED BY MECHANICAL HARVESTING OF TABLE OLIVES

"ABSTRACT. Labor-saving machines that beat the branches of olive trees with sticks or canes so that the mature olives fall. damage the fruit and reduce the consistency, quality, and value of the product. This study tested three different coating. materials (silicone, vulcanized rubber, and natural rubber), three coating thicknesses (7, 14, and 19 mm), and three. rotational speeds (2000, 3000, and 4000 rpm) for the undulating teeth of a harvesting machine in order to evaluate the. damage to intact drupes. Harvesting with silicone coatings of 7 and 14 mm thickness resulted in the largest percentage of. undamaged fruit (67% and 65%), followed by natural rubber (63%) and vulcanized rubber (close to 50%)."