If you’re planning on picking apples this fall, you’ll need the right equipment. Apples can be very fragile and can easily get bruised if you use inappropriate fruit pickers or ladders.
Commercial growers use a combination of hand-picking and machine harvesting to produce high-quality apples. In addition, they also spray fungicides and insecticides to protect their trees from pests.
ARS researchers in East Lansing, MI, recently demonstrated an autonomous apple-harvesting robot at an orchard in Sparta. The machine can identify, pick and deposit apples in as little as seven seconds at full capacity.
The harvester is able to work in high-density plantings, especially two-plane fruiting walls and tall spindle systems. It's also able to handle multiple varieties of apple and has been seen to nearly eliminate bruising.
The robot has a vacuum gripper, vision system and an electric generator for power supply. It's mounted on a tractor cart that moves through the garden between the trees and can be operated in various weather conditions.
The SABRE is a tractor-mounted harvester specifically designed to collect fruit for use within the cider, apple drinks and apple processing industries. It offers high output harvesting whilst minimising damage so helping to improve quality.
It consists of a manipulator, end-effector and image-based vision servo system that autonomously identifies, locates and picks the apples. It can reach up to 50%-90% of the fruit on a tree.
In addition to picking, the machine has an in-field sorting module that can identify and grade apples to send them to specific bins. It also features adjustable harvest platforms, a new fruit-receiving mechanism and improved bin fillers to enhance harvest productivity and worker ergonomics.
ARS scientist Renfu Lu and his team held an initial field test of the robotic harvesting system in September at a commercial orchard in Sparta, MI. They plan to continue testing in the future.
Apple harvesting is an important part of a fruit crop's maturity. The best way to assess whether an apple is ready for picking is by checking its skin color, which should deepen.
When ripe, an apple should fall easily from a tree without bruising or shaking off nearby fruits. You can also check for windfalls, which indicate that the ripening process is underway.
If you have a tall apple tree, a long-strapped harvesting bag can make the task of climbing to the top easier. This tool slings across your body, allows you to climb up the ladder, and then pick the apples from the branches that are hanging off your tree.
This handy device is also great for catching fallen apples or fruit from your lawn, as the wire basket collects the debris as you roll it over it. The telescopic handle is lightweight and can be adjusted to suit your needs.
The Apple Picker is a tool that helps you collect apples from your orchard without the use of a ladder. It also prevents you from damaging the fruit you pick.
Some of the best Apple Pickers come equipped with telescopic poles, which allow you to extend your reach for more fruit. These tools also feature a collection basket that can be attached to any pole.
When picking, take care not to break off the fruit spurs that are important for the health of your trees and their ability to produce fruit in the future. A common mistake is to jerk and pull the fruit, which can remove these spurs.
Many pickers also include a pad on the inside that can cushion fruit to reduce the chance of bruising it as you collect it. Other features to look for are a curved hook and/or v-shaped blade that sever the connection between the spur and the tree, allowing it to fall onto the ground.
