African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6918

Full Length Research Paper

Operational performance of the mechanized picking of coffee in four soil slope

Tiago de Oliveira Tavares
  • Tiago de Oliveira Tavares
  • Department of Agricultural Engineering, UNESP Universidade Estadual Paulista, Campus de Jaboticabal “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Campus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, 14884-900, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Rouverson Pereira da Silva
  • Rouverson Pereira da Silva
  • Department of Agricultural Engineering, UNESP Universidade Estadual Paulista, Campus de Jaboticabal “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Campus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, 14884-900, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Felipe Santinato
  • Felipe Santinato
  • Department of Agricultural Engineering, UNESP Universidade Estadual Paulista, Campus de Jaboticabal “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Campus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, 14884-900, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Adao Felipe dos Santos
  • Adao Felipe dos Santos
  • Department of Agricultural Engineering, UNESP Universidade Estadual Paulista, Campus de Jaboticabal “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Campus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, 14884-900, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Carla Strini Segatto Paixao
  • Carla Strini Segatto Paixao
  • Department of Agricultural Engineering, UNESP Universidade Estadual Paulista, Campus de Jaboticabal “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Campus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, 14884-900, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Vantuir de Albuquerque Silva
  • Vantuir de Albuquerque Silva
  • Department of Agricultural Engineering, UNESP Universidade Estadual Paulista, Campus de Jaboticabal “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Campus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, 14884-900, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
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  •  Received: 03 August 2016
  •  Accepted: 11 October 2016
  •  Published: 01 December 2016

Abstract

The coffee mechanized picking is an essential operation in modern coffee crop, however, is still an activity with few studies that emphasize the factors that could interfere in its operational performance. Assuming that the slope of the land can be one of these factors, it aimed to evaluate operational performance of a mechanized set of coffee picking in different terrain slopes. The treatments consisted of coffee mechanized picking in four slope lanes (0.0 to 5.0%, 5.1 to 10.0%, 10.1 to 15.0 and 15.1% to 20.0%) distributed in experimental design in lanes with three replications. The evaluation of the operational performance was materialized by means of timing and movements’ analysis, collecting up time in operation, unloading and maneuvering, as well as efficiencies analysis of picking and cleaning. The operation was performed in crop with 1.133 kg of coconut coffee ha-1 to be picked. The slope of the land, from 15.1%, interferes in the performance of the harvester, significantly reducing the effective and operational field capacity. Slopes of up to 20% do not harm the cleaning efficiency; on the other hand, for picking efficiency, slopes higher than 15% significantly reduce the performance of the machines.

 

Key words: Coffea arabica L., land slope, mechanical harvesting, machine performance, harvesting loses.