Harvest Losses Research Articles

Design and Development of Walking-type Power-operated Pneumatic Cotton Picker

Cotton verities do not mature at a particular time under Indian climatic conditions, for which mechanisation of cotton-picking operations is still a major problem. Development of mechanical device for selective picking of cotton is thus necessary. A walking-type power-operated pneumatic cotton picker was designed based on suction mechanism. The conceptual design of the cotton picker with major components viz., prime mover, trolley frame, aspirator, cotton collection drum, and suction pipe with picking spout was done using Pro-E wildfire 2.0 software. Field evaluation was done with 3 levels of picking spout diameter (30, 40, 50 mm) and 4 levels of aspirator speed (3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 rpm). The maximum air velocity, suction pressure, picking capacity, and picking efficiency were 13.97 m.s-1, 0.049 kg.cm-2, 9.23 kg.h-1, and 95.73%, respectively. Minimum fuel consumption of 1.35 l.h-1 was observed at aspirator speed of 3,000 rpm, and the lowest harvesting loss of 6.51% was observed with a combination of 30 mm × 6000 rpm. The savings in cost and time compared to the traditional manual method of cotton picking were 52.77% and 60%, respectively.

A New Value Proposition for Uganda’s Maize Stover to Manufacture Moulded Pulp Packaging Material for Fruits and Vegetables

Post harvest losses of fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables, have continued to be high. This realization has triggered numerous efforts to address this issue. One proposition is to utilize maize stover to produce sustainable moulded pulp bio-based packaging as a possible replacement for single plastics packaging. Maize stover is considered a burden to farmers to dispose after harvesting leading to its wastage. The objectives of this study were; to ascertain the current ways in which maize stover is utilized by farmers, the major packaging materials they use, and the determinants of demand for the quantity of packaging materials that farmers use. A total of 200 smallholder maize farmers from Kamuli district were interviewed. Findings show that a good percentage of farmers destroy the stover through burning, some farmers plough it back to replenish the lost soil nutrients, while others use it as livestock fodder. Polypropylene and polyethylene packaging materials are the most used and preferred packages due to availability, and affordability. The covariates that determine the demand for the number of packages purchased annually were; quantity of maize marketed, distance to the market, funds spent on marketing, and annual income. To increase the demand for maize stover packaging materials formal education, regular training, access to capital and formation of farmer groups are recommended.

Limitações e proposta de metodologia para coleta de dados de perdas de hortaliças na produção primária

ABSTRACT Research discussed in this paper reports the difficulties related to on-farm data collection of leafy vegetables loss and proposes a method to estimate vegetable loss in an exploratory survey. Loss was estimated for rocket (Eruca sativa), coriander (Coriandrum sativum) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in two farms located in Federal District, Brazil. The best index to express loss due to unharvested plants was different whether the vegetable was marketed as plant units (lettuce) or bunches (rocket and coriander). The discard of rocket varied substantially between farms and between successive crops in the same farm. On Farm 1, it varied from 80.6% to 0.0% of the crop area and on Farm 2 from 42.4% to 72.4%. Loss of coriander on Farm 1 varied from 0.0% to 10.8% of the area, compared to 2.3% to 34.5% on Farm 2. The total loss for each lettuce type varied between and within farms. Considering individual surveys on both farms, the losses of lettuce varied from 1.6% to 84.8% of the plant population at harvest, depending on the lettuce type, crop and farm. Measuring losses of leafy vegetables at primary production proved to be quite challenging and time consuming. Two boundaries were particularly difficult to establish: marketable versus unmarketable produce and pre-harvest loss versus harvest loss. In view of the difficulties faced during the measurement of leafy vegetables loss at primary production, the methodology was changed in order to decrease the number of visits and the time of permanence in the farm necessary to accomplish a survey; be independent of data collection by the farmer and by the farm’ staff; reduce the costs of displacement to the farm.

小型玉米机在丘陵山区收获倒伏玉米的试验研究与分析

In the harvest of lodged corn in hilly areas, the low position of corn ears and the large slope of the land caused severe losses. The comprehensive performance of loss reduction and terrain adaptability was studied on three small corn harvesters. The tested harvesters were 4-row 4YZP-4Y wheeled harvester, 2-row 4YZLP-2C crawler harvester and 2-row 4YZLP-2C-AF crawler harvester equipped with spiral lifers. The results showed that the all-speed corn ear loss and grain loss of the 4YZP-4Y harvester were 55.6% and 57.6% lower than those of the 4YZLP-2C harvester, while those of the 4YZLP-2C-AF harvester was 23.2% and 17.3%, lower than in the case of the 4YZLP-2C harvester. The all-height corn ear loss and grain loss of the 4YZP-4Y harvester were 35.2% and 56.6% lower than those of the 4YZLP-2C harvester, those of the 4YZLP-2C-AF harvester were 19.9% and 24.9% lower than in the case of the 4YZLP-2C harvester. The smaller header width and larger roller compacted area of the 4YZLP-2C harvester were the main factors that caused harvest loss. Wider harvester header, auxiliary feeding devices and smaller roller compacted area were key methods to reduce the harvest loss of lodged corn in hilly areas. This study provides technical scheme and design references for harvesters on lodged corn in hilly areas.

Source material from crosses among <I>Solanum</I> L. spp. for potato breeding

Background. Late blight (agent: Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary) is one of the most destructive diseases for potato. The climate conditions in the northwest of Russia are very favorable for annual late blight infestation. Spreading of the pathogen leads to significant harvest losses. A promising breeding strategy is to expand the genetic diversity of resistance sources.Materials and methods. Resistance of experimental hybrid clones to late blight, their ability to form tubers under long daylight conditions, and a number of agronomic traits were studied using standard methods.Results. Long-term evaluation data were obtained for original interspecies potato hybrids concerning their resistance to late blight. The hybrids were also assessed for their yield and agronomic tuber characteristics. Some of the produced interspecies hybrids demonstrated field resistance to late blight, high tuber yield, and good agronomic traits. Clones derived from some cross combinations significantly exceeded both parents in tuber yield per plant and tuber size.Conclusions. Crosses between potato cultivars and various late blight resistance sources made it possible to combine in hybrid clones the genes of wild and cultivated Andean species and Solanum tuberosum L. with different pedigrees. Productive hybrid clones with resistance to late blight and good agronomic characteristics promise to become useful material for potato breeding programs.

Rice harvest losses caused by agency slack in China: a mediation analysis

ABSTRACT This study built mediation analysis models to test the hypothesis that a moral hazard-measured as whether harvest operators’ work attitudes are serious-mediates the effects of mechanical harvest outsourcing on rice harvest losses based on a 1106-household survey in China. The major findings are as follows. First, the average rice harvest loss rate in 2016 in China was approximately 3.65%, equalling eight million tons of rice or one million hectares of farmland. Second, after addressing the potential endogeneity, we preliminarily found the mediation effect using the three-step method. The adjusted product of coefficients method from the Sobel test, distribution of the product test, and Markov Chain Monte Carlo test all indicated the significance of the mediation effect arising from work attitudes. Third, we observed the mediation effect through moral hazard for large-scale farmers, but not when farmers used combine harvesters. These results supported the presence of a moral hazard in mechanical harvest outsourcing and showed that combine harvesting could facilitate harvest loss reduction. Policymakers should consider regulating the principal – agent relationship in harvest outsourcing and encourage land transfers to form large-scale farms to promote combine harvesting. These are critical in achieving the sustainable development goal of halving food loss and waste worldwide.

Comparative Analysis on Nutritional and Anti Nutritional Composition of Fresh and Dried Tomatoes (Lycopersicom esculentum, Solanum Lycoperiscum) Obtained from Gusau Central Market Zamfara State, Nigeria

Tomatoes are one of the essential fruit consumed throughout the world. Lacks of storage facilities to mitigate post harvest loss still remain a greater problem. Drying is an important and traditional process to remove the moisture from the food. The basic principle of drying is to prevent microorganisms and increases shelf life without deteriorating. The aim of the study was to determine the proximate, mineral and anti nutritional compositions of dried and fresh tomato obtained from Gusau central market Zamfara State. Using A.O.A.C and statistical method. Results showed that moisture content reduced from 91.70% - 10.52%, Carbohydrate content increased from 7.60% - 76.4%, lycopene reduced from 89.52% - 70.91%, total energy increased from 32.68% - 317.67%, while protein, fiber, ash and vitamin c had no significant reduction from fresh to dried sample. There was no loss of mineral content from fresh to dried tomatoes, only reduction of content in mg/100g from fresh to dried sample; Calcium 30.06 – 25.35mg, Phosphors 28.52 – 20.60mg. The phytochemical screening showed the presence of Tannin, Oxalate, phytate, Sapoin, Phenolic, flavonoid and alkaloid in both fresh and dried samples. Tannin had low concentration from 0.09 – 0.21mg, while alkaloid and flavonoid had 20.51 – 15.23mg and 28.62 – 20.51mg respectively. The traditional way of drying still remains the available method for farmers to prevent post harvest loss of tomatoes; therefore, Conducive environment has to be provided for the farmers to avoid possible contamination during drying.

Agriculture and food security under a changing climate: An underestimated challenge.

Pathways to eradicate global hunger while bending the curve of biodiversity loss unanimously suggest changing to less energy-rich diets, closing yield gaps through agroecological principles, adopting modern breeding technologies to foster stress resilience and yields, as well as minimizing harvest losses and food waste. Against the background of a brief history of global agriculture, we review the available evidence on how the global food system might look given a global temperature increase by 3°. We show that a moderate gain in the area suitable for agriculture is confronted with substantial yield losses through strains on crop physiology, multitrophic interactions, and more frequent extreme events. Self-amplifying feedback are unresolved and might lead to further losses. In light of these uncertainties, we see that complexity is underestimated and more systemic research is needed. Efficiency gains in agriculture, albeit indispensable, will not be enough to achieve food security under severe climate change.

Development of dehydrated acid lime pickle

Acid lime is one of the commercially important citrus fruit grown in the country. It has multiple health benefits and nutritionally very rich. Fermented fruits and vegetables contain a diverse group of prebiotic compounds which attract and stimulate the growth of probiotics. Pickling is one of the most ancient methods of preserving food and is good appetizer and adds variety to daily diet. Acid lime has good commercial potential and cultivation area is gradually increasing because of high returns on the other hand, processing units are not available in growing area is one of the back drop under value addition sector. So to reduce post harvest loss the study was taken to develop dehydrated pickle. Optimization of lime pickle was carried out for all ingredients and optimized lime pickle recipe included 15 percent of salt, 1 percent turmeric powder, 5 percent chilli powder, 1 percent mustard dhal and 1percent fenugreek powder. Standardization of temperature for dehydrating pickle revealed that 60ºC for 10 hours found to be optimum. For rehydrating dehydrated pickle, 1:1 (pickle: water) ratio for 24 hours found to be optimum.

Uçucu Yağ Uygulamalarının Depolama Devresinde Şeker Pancarı (Beta vulgaris L.) Kalitesine Etkileri

This study was carried out in order to determine the effects of dill, clove and hyssop essential oils and fungicides applied on sugar beet roots on beet storage quality during the storage period. The roots of Esperanza (KWS) variety, which was produced in the experimental areas in 2019, were used in the study. Roots were treated with 100, 500 and 1000 ppm doses of dill (Anethum graveolens L.), clove (Szygium aromaticum) and hyssop (Echinophora tenuifolia) essential oils, synthetic fungicide (80% Thiram) and Tween-80 right after harvest and the roots were placed in the storage. Weight loss of roots determined at 15-day intervals from the beginning of the storage period, dry matter ratio, brix, polar sugar, reducing sugar and alpha amino nitrogen contents, phytotoxicity and fungal infection development at the end of the 3-month storage period. The applications made in the research significantly affected the post-harvest weight and quality losses in beet. Depending on the applications, the weight losses at the end of the 3-month storage period varied between 9.43-19.90%, and the weight losses in essential oil applications were lower than the control. The highest dry matter content and brix values were obtained from clove essential oil and fungicide and Tween-80 applications. While Tween-80 and fungicide applications increased the polar sugar content compared to the control, 1000 ppm clove essential oil caused a significant decrease in the polar sugar content. In the study, reducing sugar and alpha amino nitrogen contents of roots applied 1000 ppm essential oil E. tenuifolia essential oil were lower. E. tenuifolia essential oil showed the highest antifungal activity against white mold and green mold infections. It was concluded that with the application of essential oil to the roots after the harvest, both weight and quality losses and the development of fungal diseases can be reduced, however, some active substances may cause phytotoxicity in the roots.

Prediction of Buckwheat Maturity in UAV-RGB Images Based on Recursive Feature Elimination Cross-Validation: A Case Study in Jinzhong, Northern China

Buckwheat is an important minor grain crop with medicinal and edible functions. The accurate judgment of buckwheat maturity is beneficial to reduce harvest losses and improve yield. With the rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, it has been widely used to predict the maturity of agricultural products. This paper proposed a method using recursive feature elimination cross-validation (RFECV) combined with multiple regression models to predict the maturity of buckwheat in UAV-RGB images. The images were captured in the buckwheat experimental field of Shanxi Agricultural University in Jinzhong, Northern China, from September to October in 2021. The variety was sweet buckwheat of "Jinqiao No. 1". In order to deeply mine the feature vectors that highly correlated with the prediction of buckwheat maturity, 22 dimensional features with 5 vegetation indexes, 9 color features, and 8 texture features of buckwheat were selected initially. The RFECV method was adopted to obtain the optimal feature vector dimensions and combinations with six regression models of decision tree regression, linear regression, random forest regression, AdaBoost regression, gradient lifting regression, and extreme random tree regression. The coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) were used to analyze the different combinations of the six regression models with different feature spaces. The experimental results show that the single vegetation index performed poorly in the prediction of buckwheat maturity; the prediction result of feature space "5" combined with the gradient lifting regression model performed the best; and the R2 and RMSE were 0.981 and 1.70 respectively. The research results can provide an important theoretical basis for the prediction of the regional maturity of crops.

Assessment of Losses in Harvesting and Threshing by Manual Method for Wheat and Maize Crop in Samastipur District, Bihar, India

This research was conducted at Borlaug Institute of South Asia (BISA) Pusa, Bihar to assess the losses in harvesting and threshing by manual methods for wheat and maize. 5 farmers from 15 identified villages were selected from Samastipur district of Bihar for assessing harvesting and threshing losses of wheat and maize crop. A total of 75 farmers were selected for this study from Kabargama Phulhara, Ajana, Gopalpur, Maniarpur, Rampura, Ladaura, Birsingpur, Kalyanpur, Akbarpur, Pratapur, Basudevpur, Dhruvgama, Tera, Mirjapur, Samastipur. A pre-procedure for loss assessment was used to record the details of the harvesting and threshing loss practices. It was observed that the total harvesting loss in all 15 villages were 1.65% and threshing loss 2.30% and maize 1.20%, respectively. Wheat Threshing Loss was found highest at 3.35% in Mirjapur village and the lowest at 1.18% in Rampura. Maize threshing loss was found to be highest in Pratapur village by 1.66% and lowest at 0.85% in Ladaura. The threshing loss was found less in Maize as compared to the harvesting and threshing loss of wheat and Maize due to the low loss, it is because of the long-stalked cubs of corn, in which there is no settling loss. The increase in losses was probably due to delays in harvesting due to unseasonal rains and storms, when the crop was ready for harvesting in some cases and less use of technologies at the agricultural level. There is a need for training farmers while harvesting and threshing of wheat and maize to reduce the loss of grain.

Determinants of access to trainings on post – harvest loss management among maize farmers in Uganda: a binary logistic regression approach

Determinants of access to trainings on post – harvest loss management among maize farmers in Uganda: a binary logistic regression approach

Study on the Technologies of Loss Reduction in Wheat Mechanization Harvesting: A Review

Wheat harvesting is one of the most important links in the whole wheat production process. In China, the wheat planting areas are wide, and the patterns are diversified. In addition, the problem of harvest losses caused by the numerous brands and low performance of domestic combine harvesters has always existed. Any losses during harvesting will result in less income for the farmers. Therefore, according to the actual situation of mechanized wheat harvesting and the losses occurring within different parts of the harvester, it is of great significance to select the appropriate loss reduction methods to effectively reduce wheat harvest losses. In accordance with the problems of loss during mechanized harvesting, this research first points out the main losses in the operation of a wheat combine harvester, then introduces sensor monitoring technology for grain harvesting loss and intelligent control technology for the combine harvester and analyzes their application to loss reduction in mechanized wheat harvesting. Finally, we put forward conclusions and suggestions on this loss reduction technology for wheat mechanization harvesting in order to provide a reference for reducing the losses and promoting the sustainable development of modern agriculture.

Pectobacterium carotovorum Phage vB_PcaM_P7_Pc Is a New Member of the Genus Certrevirus.

Pectobacterium carotovorum is an economically important phytopathogen and has been identified as the major causative agent of bacterial soft rot in carrots. Control of this phytopathogen is vital to minimizing carrot harvest losses. As fully efficient control measures to successfully avoid the disease are unavailable, the phage-mediated biocontrol of the pathogen has recently gained scientific attention. In this study, we present a comprehensive characterization of the P. carotovorum phage vB_PcaM_P7_Pc (abbreviated as P7_Pc) that was isolated from infected carrot samples with characteristic soft rot symptoms, which were obtained from storage facilities at market places in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. P7_Pc is a myovirus, and it exhibits growth characteristics of an exclusively lytic life cycle. It showed visible lysis against four of the tested P. carotovorum strains and one Pectobacterium aroidearum strain. This phage also showed a longer latent period (125 min) than other related phages; however, this did not affect its high phage titter (>1010 PFU/mL). The final assembled genome of P7_Pc is 147,299 bp in length with a G+C content of 50.34%. Of the 298 predicted open reading frames (ORFs) of the genome of P7_Pc, putative functions were assigned to 53 ORFs. Seven tRNA-coding genes were predicted in the genome, while the genome lacked any major genes coding for lysogeny-related products, confirming its virulent nature. The P7_Pc genome shares 96.12% and 95.74% average nucleotide identities with Cronobacter phages CR8 and PBES02, respectively. Phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses of the genome revealed that P7_Pc clusters well within the clade with the members representing the genus Certrevirus. Currently, there are only 4 characterized Pectobacterium phages (P. atrosepticum phages phiTE and CB7 and Pectobacterium phages DU_PP_I and DU_PP_IV) that are classified under the genus, making the phage P7_Pc the first reported member of the genus isolated using the host bacterium P. carotovorum. The results of this study provide a detailed characterization of the phage P7_Pc, enabling its careful classification into the genus Certrevirus. The knowledge gathered on the phage based on the shared biology of the genus will further aid in the future selection of phage P7_Pc as a biocontrol agent. IMPORTANCE Bacterial soft rot disease, caused by Pectobacterium spp., can lead to significant losses in carrot yields. As current control measures involving the use of chemicals or antibiotics are not recommended in many countries, bacteriophage-mediated biocontrol strategies are being explored for the successful control of these phytopathogens. The successful implementation of such biocontrol strategies relies heavily upon the proper understanding of the growth characteristics and genomic properties of the phage. Further, the selection of taxonomically different phages for the formulation of phage cocktails in biocontrol applications is critical to combat potential bacterial resistance development. This study was conducted to carefully characterize and resolve the phylogenetic placement of the P. carotovorum phage vB_PcaM_P7_Pc by using its biological and genomic properties. Phage P7_Pc has a myovirus morphotype with an exclusively lytic life cycle, and the absence of genes related to lysogeny, toxin production, and antibiotic resistance in its genome confirmed its suitability to be used in environmental applications. Furthermore, P7_Pc is classified under the genus Certrevirus, making it the first reported phage of the genus of the host species, P. carotovorum.

Evaluation and Impacts of Grape Harvester Parameters on Harvest Losses

Abstract The subject of this study was to evaluate the visible crop losses during the mechanized harvesting of grapes, assess the impacts of changes in the machine parameters and thus to look for the possibility of reducing losses when utilizing this method of harvesting. A comparison with the amount of losses arising from the manual harvesting was also monitored. The research results indicated the average amount of total losses of 1.10–5.62% of harvested crop when utilizing mechanized harvesting. The monitoring revealed the losses occurring in the area of columns in the supporting structure. These ranged from 0.2% to 0.53% of harvested crop. Losses during manual harvesting were found at an average of 1.09% or 1.78%. This research explored how losses due to mechanized grape harvesting can be reduced.

Post Harvest Losses and Food Security in Nigeria: An Empirical Review

Given the renewed impetus by the Nigerian Government to diversify the economy through improvement in agricultural productivity, there is the need to put in place measures that will ensure that the anticipated increase in production will not result in colossal waste. Towards this end, this paper examines critically the causes and extent of post-harvest loss in Nigeria and strategies that should be put in place to reduce such loss. The underlying assumption is that reduction in post-harvest loss will ensure improved food security which will lead to the attainment of SDG 2 in Nigeria.

Epidemic Pressure of Cassava Mosaic and Brown Streak Diseases on Ten Exotic Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Cultivars in Kisangani, DRC

The crucial obstacle to cassava production in most of African countries is the diseases and pests. The present study assessed in field the epidemic pressure of Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) on 10 exotic cassava genotypes in Kisangani. To assess the disease impact, trials were established in two sites in Kisangani, Tshopo Province in DRC. The experiment was laid out in randomized completed block design and thrice replicated. Sixty stem cuttings per variety were planted in a plot of 7 rows each measuring 25 m long. Results showed a relatively important CBSD pressure on all the ten exotic cassava genotypes tested (incidence close 60%, severity score 2 and 3.5 whiteflies/plant) and low CMD pressure (incidence 3.3%, severity score 2 and 3.5 whiteflies/plant). CMD remained relatively negligible depending on low symptom manifestation of the tested genotypes. Whitefly population varied according to the genotype and the crop age. The most abundant population was recorded on cultivar ‘Mayombe’ (17 whiteflies/plant). A negative relationship was statistically established between the abundance of whiteflies and the incidence and severity as well as for CBSD and for CMD. The production in terms of percentage of marketable tubers was (74.9%) for cultivar ‘Mayombe’, (70.3%) for ‘Obama 1’, (69.9%) for ‘Obama 2’ and (65.3%) for ‘Ngandajika’. CBSD resulted in variable yield loss on all cultivars tested. The cultivar ‘Butamu’ (85%) recorded the highest loss rate, followed by the cultivar ‘Mvuama’ (70.8%) and ‘Muzuri’ (64.3%). The yield in cassava tubers was destroyed (˂ 5 t/ha) by large necrotic spots of the brown streak in the pulp. This loss is due to the depressive of viral pandemia pressure on the output of ten exotic cassava cultivars studied in Kisangani. Our study highlighted that the best moment of harvesting cassava in Kisangani is 9 MAP, this moment would be ideal to minimize harvesting losses due to CBSD root necrosis.

Assessment of Postharvest Loss of Avocado at Producers Level (Case of Wolaita and KembataTembaro Zones)

The current study was to estimation the post-harvest loss of avocado at the producer level using cross-sectional data obtained from 385 proportionately sampled respondents from Wolaita and Kembata Tembaro Zones, the SNNPR of Ethiopia. Descriptive and multiple regression analysis were used to estimate the amount and determinant of post harvest loss. The average post-harvest loss of avocado at the producer level was estimated at 24.1 per cent, of which 5.7 per cent was due to poor harvesting practices and 4.9 per cent to poor storage practices. Sex, education, income, training, contact with extension agents, distance from the nearest road, and off-farm income were found to be negative determinants, whereas storage accessibility and avocado harvest techniques were found to be positive determinants of post-harvest loss of avocado fruits. Post-harvest losses contribute significantly to food insecurity and create a problem for the income source of individuals and the economy of the country.

An Inverse Relationship between Farm Size and Rice Harvest Loss: Evidence from China

Reducing food losses has become an important means of conserving resources and protecting food security. Based on nationwide survey data from 1526 households in 17 provinces in China, we evaluated Chinese rice harvest losses and used a fractional logit model to analyze the impact of farm size on these losses. The results show that, on average, 3.45% of total rice was lost during the harvest stage, representing a serious waste of resources. In addition, farm size was significantly negatively correlated with rice harvest losses, indicating an inverse relationship between farm size and rice harvest losses. As farms expand in size, farmers are more likely to adopt agricultural machinery services, which have been proven to reduce harvest losses. Our findings show that the government should encourage farm size expansion and promote better agricultural machinery services to reduce harvest losses.