technology


Arvin Neger was very impressed with ‘twister’ design shown to delegates attending an international conference in Chile.


Air-blown harvester an eye-opener


Chilean raspberry invention could hold serious possibilities for B.C. blueberry operations as well.


By Judie Steeves C


anadian delegates to the International Raspberry Organization conference in Chile were introduced to a new method of picking raspberries using ‘twisters’ of blown air instead of anything touching a berry. The innovative harvesters could also be adapted for use with blueberries, according to Arvin Neger, who attended the meeting.


Neger, of Mukhtiar Growers Ltd. in Abbotsford, says the equipment they saw is a prototype of a new type of harvester designed for use in the smaller Chilean raspberry operations, but he can envision the technology being adapted for use with the current harvesters now used by larger operations here in B.C.


The machine is smaller than the self-propelled equipment used here, but it’s connected to a PTO hitch and pulled by a tractor.


The PTO turns a wind turbine that can achieve speeds of 50 to 80 kilometres per hour through a stainless steel tunnel that straddles the planted row.


Instead of the beaters that remove ripe fruit now, the force from four blowers a side, creating twisters of air, cause the fruit to drop to a catcher plate where a conveyor belt carries the harvest to the back of the machine. There, it’s loaded into trays, similar to what are used here, except the ones used in Chile are smaller, said Neger. In Chile, 81 percent of the crop is the Heritage variety, with just a few of the Meekers that make up the largest portion of the local crop.


Their growing season is over three or four months rather than the six weeks or so here.


Neger notes that 52 per cent of the raspberry farms there are just one or two hectares in size, so the equipment’s designer had envisioned several farmers cooperatively purchasing the new harvester, which would


British Columbia Berry Grower • Spring 2011 13


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