Progress in selective harvesting: Lettuce
1964
R Griffin | R Garrett | M Zahara
Head letuce is a major crop in California with over 10,0 acres harvested anualy-acounting for about 60% of the nation's total suply. With labor problems CI certainty when the Mexican bracero program is discontinued, harvest mechanization eforts have taken on new importance. The University-designed experimental machine described in this report is capable of selectively harvesting mature heads of letuce without' injury, and alows many handling posibilities after cuting. The number of fruits and vegetables harvested by machine has increased rapidly along with changing conditions in farm economics and labar procurement. Tomatoes and prunes are among the most recent of these crops to pas from the experimental to the comercial harvesting stage. Each crop presents special problems in removal of fruit from the plant and in subsequent handling. One problem comon to many such crops is the ned for selective-and often several-harvests of fruit as it matures, without damaging remaining plants. The University-designed harvesters for letuce and cantaloupes, described here, show two diferent aproaches to selective harvesting.
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