Transformation of an Ancient Crop: Preparing Oil and Table Olives for Mechanical Harvesting

As one of the oldest continuously produced tree crops, it is ironic that table olive production has benefitted from few technological innovations.  However, research since 2006 has successfully completed the first two steps of developing mechanical harvesting, identifying two effective harvesting technologies, and eliminating the limiting factors of fruit and tree damage.  By simultaneously focusing on increasing harvester efficiency through engineering modification and orchard adaptation in 2012 we achieved the final step, economically feasible mechanical harvesting for both harvesting technologies. Both trunk shaking and improved canopy contact harvesting technologies now deliver mechanically harvested olives that receive total adjusted prices per ton and canning percentages, and sensory and consumer evaluations of the processed fruit, equal to those of hand harvested fruit. Canopy damage produced by the canopy contact harvester is less than 2% and less severe than that produced by hand harvesting.  Trunk damage from trunk shakers has been mitigated but the interaction with tree water status needs to be better characterized.  Topping and hedging in a 13 x 26 foot orchard, 139 trees per acre, increased average annual yields/acre by an insignificant 0.03 tons/acre from 2008 through 2012, and may decrease alternate bearing.  Hedgerow tree training at 12 x 18 feet, 202 trees per acre in a newly developed hedgerow orchard did not decrease tree yield or fruit quality relative to traditional tree training at the same spacing. Mechanical hedging and topping significantly increased canopy contact harvester efficiency by 7% in a traditional orchard adapted to a hedgerow with mechanical topping and hedging.  Both the trunk shaking and canopy contact harvesters averaged 77% final efficiency in prepared orchards.