Citrus Mechanical Citrus Mechanical Harvesting Harvesting

-Realizing the Potential-Realizing the Potential

Presentation to the FDOC Citrus Commissioners

Lakeland, FL

November 16, 2005

Fritz Roka

UF/IFAS - SWFREC

TodayToday

• Hand harvest, pick & roadside

•$1.50 - $1.60 /bx• Machine harvest, shake & catch

•$1.30 - $1.35, includes gleaning (98% in the trailer)

• $60 – 125 /ac savings

Trunk-Shake & CatchTrunk-Shake & Catch

• Shaker, receiver, goat

• 3 people/set• 5-12 sec shake• 95% removal• Skirt & prune trees

Continuous Canopy-Shake Continuous Canopy-Shake & Catch& Catch

• 2 Shakers, 2-4 goats

• 4-6 people/set• ½ - 1¼ mph• 95% removal• Skirt & prune trees

Avg. Performance Avg. Performance StatisticsStatistics

Early-Mid SeasonEarly-Mid Season

TSCTSCCoeCoe

CCSCCCSCOxboOxbo

RemovalRemoval % 9595 9595

RecoveryRecovery % 8787 9090

SpeedSpeed Tree/hr

200200 361361

ProductivityProductivity Bx/hr 9696 103103

Statistics compiled from 1999 – 2004.

Tractor-drawn Canopy-Tractor-drawn Canopy-ShakerShaker

• 1 Shaker w/ Tractor • 15-30 hand crew• ½ - 1¼ mph• 95% removal• No need to skirt or

prune trees

Pick-up machine under developmentPick-up machine under development

Impediments to Impediments to AdoptionAdoption

• Plentiful harvest labor (prior 2004-05)

• Cost of grove prep

• Concern for tree productivity/health

• Grower insistence for Gleaning

• The “Late Season” Problem

• Excess capacity of existing systems

• Savings not big enough yet

Push machine capacityPush machine capacity

BX/HRBX/HR better grovesbetter groves

** HR/DAYHR/DAY more trailersmore trailers

** DAY/YEARDAY/YEAR abscissionabscission

= BOXES/YEAR= BOXES/YEAR

Multiplicative Multiplicative impactsimpacts

Roadmap for MHRoadmap for MH

More - Better Acreage Growers

More - Better Equipment Manufacturers

Trailer Allocations Processors

Abscission Registration DOC

Abscission Mgmt Plan IFAS

Education IFAS

Industry CommitmentIndustry Commitment

7575¢ - 5 years¢ - 5 yearsFeasible with Commitment