Design, fabrication and evaluation of low cost pear harvesters

The survey of various post-harvest practices/operations conducted in major pear growing districts of Kashmir region during 2008–09 revealed that post-harvest losses were in the range of 22–25% with highest average loss of 9.8% at the time of harvesting. An attempt was made to reduce these harvesting losses. The four types of low cost harvesters were developed and evaluated. It was found that clutch type harvester with cutting scissors and adjustable handle length (H-III) was most efficient and superior over other three harvesters because of its light weight, ease of separating stalk, smooth flow of harvested fruit into the net and negligible mechanical damage to the fruit. A minimum cumulative physiological loss in weight (8.05%) was recorded in the samples harvested by such harvester compared to the maximum of 15.15% in samples harvested with harvester having half round shaped fixed cutting blade (H-IV). Besides the fruits harvested by H-III were found firmer as they retained fruit firmness of 9.66 lbs/sq. inch after 20 days of ambient storage from an initial value of 11.50 lbs/sq. inch.