Olive Harvesting Research Articles

Optimizing Olive Harvesting Efficiency Through UAVs and AI Integration

Olive harvesting, integral to global agriculture, faces challenges with traditional gathering methods which are labor-intensive and limited in precision, highlighting the need for innovative approaches. The study explores the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in olive harvesting, with the aim to enhance efficiency and sustainability. Traditional methods, employing wood rakes, sticks, and rudimentary mechanical devices, pose challenges with high labor intensity and potential tree damage. UAVs present a transformative solution, offering aerial surveying, high-resolution imaging, and harvest timing data collection. This study evaluates existing olive harvest technologies, illuminating the superior efficiency of UAVs in minimizing damage and maximizing yield. The Potohar region in Pakistan exemplifies one area of intensive olive production, emphasizing the need for precision Agri-techniques. This study introduces the conceptual design of olive harvesting using drones, demonstrating its potential to revolutionize traditional practices, provide real-time monitoring, and enhance environmental sustainability. Results indicate substantial reductions in non-harvestable fruit and wood damage with drone-based harvesting, underscoring its promise for increased yield and reduced environmental damage. In conclusion, this study advocates for the adoption of precision agriculture techniques, integrating Artificial Intelligence and aerial technologies, to propel the olive industry's productivity and environmental impact forward.

Designing harvesting tools for olive trees: Methodological reflections on exploring and incorporating plant perspectives in the early stages of design process

Sustainability-focused design research is witnessing a change in approach with the emergence of More-than-human Design (MTHD), which challenges human-centered thinking by incorporating nonhuman perspectives into the design process. However, implementing MTHD presents challenges for design researchers and practitioners, such as understanding non-verbal species. Despite the techniques developed to facilitate such an understanding (e.g. contact zone), the growing literature on MTHD lacks studies reflecting on how these techniques are utilized in the design process. In this paper, we present a case study on designing olive harvesting tools from a MTH lens, where designers used contact zone, plant interviews, plant persona, and experience map to explore the perspectives of olive trees and incorporate them into ideas in collaboration with farmers and agricultural engineers. The results indicate the significance of reconsidering decentralization in MTHD from the standpoint of entanglements among techniques and incorporating various knowledge types to manage tensions arising from perspective shifts.

Chemical Characterization, Stability and Sensory Evaluation of Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oils: Healthiness Evidence at Nose Reach.

The aim of this study was to assess the nutraceutical qualities of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) samples obtained from three Sicilian olive cultivars: Nocellara, Biancolilla, and Cerasuola. We also evidenced the relationship among biophenols, base parameters and panel test scores, and evaluated the stability of the biophenols in EVOO. The assessment also took into consideration variations in olive harvesting periods and the influence of four different milling methods. A statistical analysis of the collected data revealed that the cultivar and harvesting period were the primary factors influencing the bio-phenol content, while the milling methods employed did not significantly affect the levels of biophenols in the oils. The panel test results were also illuminating as they were strongly related to the cultivar and polyphenol content. Following the criteria outlined in EC Regulation 432/2012, we selected three samples, each representing one of the cultivars, which exhibited the highest bio-phenol content to evaluate the biophenol stability during a time span of 16 months.

Antioxidant Extracts from Greek and Spanish Olive Leaves: Antimicrobial, Anticancer and Antiangiogenic Effects.

Olea europaea L. is the most valuable species of the Olea type, and its products offer a wide range of therapeutical uses. The olive tree has been extensively studied for its nourishing qualities, and the "Mediterranean diet", which includes virgin olive oil as a key dietary component, is strongly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and various malignancies. Olive leaves, a by-product in the olive harvesting process, are valued as a resource for developing novel phytomedicines. For this purpose, two ethanolic extracts obtained from Olivae folium from Spain (OFS) and Greece (OFG) were investigated. Our findings contribute to a wider characterization of olive leaves. Both extracts displayed important amounts of phenolic compounds and pentacyclic triterpenes, OFG having higher concentrations of both polyphenols, such as oleuropein and lutein, as well as triterpenes, such as oleanolic acid and maslinic acid. The antioxidant capacity is similar for the two extracts, albeit slightly higher for OFG, possibly due to metal polyphenol complexes with antioxidant activity. The extracts elicited an antimicrobial effect at higher doses, especially against Gram-positive bacteria, such as Streptococcus pyogenes. The extract with lower inorganic content and higher content of polyphenols and triterpenic acids induced a strong anti-radical capacity, a selective cytotoxic effect, as well as antimigratory potential on A375 melanoma cells and antiangiogenic potential on the CAM. No irritability and a good tolerability were noted after evaluating the extracts on the in vivo Hen's Egg Test-Chorioallantoic Membrane (HET-CAM). Therefore, the present data are suggestive for the possible use of the two types of olive leaf products as high-antioxidant extracts, potentially impacting the healthcare system through their use as antimicrobial agents and as anticancer and anti-invasion treatments for melanoma.

Agri-food supply chain optimization through a decentralized production process in the olive oil industry

A tactical/operational model is proposed to assist decision-making in harvest planning and olive oil production planning of the different producers in the rural sector, considering allocation and transportation decisions of the kilograms of olives to the production plant with temporary relocation decisions of the mobile olive oil mills through decentralized production activities in the agri-food supply chain. A Mixed Integer Linear Programming model is presented that maximizes the profit of small farmers in the production process of single-varietal extra virgin olive oil. The decisions are based on the geographical dispersion of the different olive growers and the oil concentration of the olive varieties in a certain period, which depends on the climatic conditions of each sector where the olives are cultivated. The mathematical programming model is applied in Coquimbo, Chile, using actual data collected from previous harvest seasons. The computational results of the optimization model indicate that transportation decisions impact olive harvesting and oil production decisions. It is concluded that cooperatives of small producers in the rural sector increase overall profits and reduce transportation costs and the number of kilometers traveled by at least 41% through a decentralized production process with mobile production plants.

Techno-Economic Assessment of Anaerobic Digestion for Olive Oil Industry Effluents in Greece

Olive mill wastes are some of the most important waste streams in Mediterranean countries, such as Greece, and their uncontrolled disposal without treatment imposes serious environmental impacts. In the last few decades, the European Union has defined the framework for a sustainable circular economy, aiming for viable waste treatment solutions. Under this scope, anaerobic digestion could be a remarkable solution for efficiently reducing waste organic matter and producing green energy, at the same time. In this study, the economic sustainability of an anaerobic digestion unit for olive mill effluents was assessed. It was found that a centralized treatment plant that can process liquid olive mill effluents during the olive harvesting season and other agro-industrial by-products (such as fruit and vegetable waste) for the rest of the year could be a viable solution, with waste capacities of 780 m3OMW d−1 and 245 kgFVW d−1. The internal rate of return was estimated at 6%, the net present value was estimated to be EUR 2 million, while the payback period was calculated to be 12 years. Furthermore, through the sensitivity analysis, the selling price of the electricity produced and the productivity of the waste processed in the plant alongside the olive mill wastewater were identified as the main factors affecting the viability of the process. The findings of this study can be applied in the development of a biomass-processing facility, taking into consideration the economic feasibility and the processing of challenging-to-treat wastes to generate green energy.

Valorization of Olive Leaves through Polyphenol Recovery Using Innovative Pretreatments and Extraction Techniques: An Updated Review

Olive leaves are naturally generated as a by-product during olive harvesting and olive oil production. Usually discarded with no specific use, they are a valuable source of bioactive compounds that should not be overlooked. Their valorization must therefore be achieved through the recovery of their polyphenols using an ecological strategy. Conventional extraction is commonly known as an energy- and solvent-consuming process, whereas emerging and innovative extraction technologies, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), pulsed-electric-field-assisted extraction (PEF), high-voltage-electric-discharge-assisted extraction (HVED), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), infrared-assisted extraction (IAE), and “Intensification of Vaporization by Decompression to the Vacuum” (IVDV), are considered more sustainable and environmentally friendly. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive and updated overview of the valorization of olive leaves through both pretreatment and extraction techniques via an analysis of the recovered polyphenols and their potential applications.

Employing a hybrid lion-firefly algorithm for recognition and classification of olive leaf disease in Saudi Arabia

For the proper management of Saudi Arabia's olive harvests, a key agricultural resource in the area, the prompt and accurate detection of Olive leaf diseases is of utmost importance. Due to Saudi Arabia's varied environment, several diseases that harm olive leaves have emerged. Additionally, variables associated with climate change have made the spread of illnesses like the anthrax infection harsher. Although several methods for forecasting olive leaf diseases have been created, overfitting, categorization accuracy, and detection effectiveness remain problems. The Hybrid Lion-Firefly Optimization (HL-FO) method, a hybrid algorithm that incorporates the Lion and Firefly algorithms, is the innovative solution proposed in this study. This hybrid approach aims to improve the precision and effectiveness of feature selection and categorization approaches in identifying and categorizing olive leaf diseases in Saudi Arabia. The suggested system incorporates a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to categorize the picture and reduce overfitting problems. CNNs are a viable method for properly classifying various olive leaf diseases since they have been demonstrated to be very efficient in image classification tasks. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the F1-score, recall, accuracy, and precision are used to systematically examine the performance of the suggested hybrid technique.

Detection the maturity of multi-cultivar olive fruit in orchard environments based on Olive-EfficientDet

Olive (Olea europaea L.) fruit maturity detection in orchard environments plays a vital role in ensuring the quantity and quality of olive oil. However, it is difficult for olive fruit maturity detection in orchard environments due to the minimal phenotypic difference between neighboring maturity, and the occlusion and overlap of olive fruits. Most existing research pays more attention to olive fruit detection while ignoring olive fruit maturity detection problems. Therefore, a novel Olive-EfficientDet is proposed to detect the maturity of multi-cultivar olive fruits in orchard environments. In Olive-EfficientDet, the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) is rationally embedded into the backbone network for distinguishing different maturity-stage olive fruits with higher accuracy. The improved weighted bi-directional feature pyramid network (Bi-FPN) structure head network is constructed to focus on occlusion and overlap olive fruits, which can fully fuse semantic relationships and location information of different layers. The experimental results showed that the proposed Olive-EfficientDet provides an effective method for olive fruit maturity detection in orchard environments. The mean average precision (mAP) of fruit maturity detection reached 94.60%, 95.45%, 93.75%, and 96.05% for olives of cultivar ‘Frantoio’, ‘Ezhi 8′, ‘Leccino’, and ‘Picholine’; the mean detection time was 337 ms per image; and the model size was only 32.4 MB. In addition, the Olive-EfficientDet exhibits robust adaptability to complex illumination, occlusion, and overlap in uncontrolled and challenging orchard environments. Comparative experiments were conducted using Olive-EfficientDet and other state-of-the-art fruit maturity detection methods. The comparative experiment results showed that the mAP of the olive fruit maturity detection with four cultivars using Olive-EfficientDet was higher than that of SSD, EfficientDet, YOLOv3, and Faster RCNN. Especially, Olive-EfficientDet obtained the highest mAP for olive fruit maturity detection in orchard environments while maintaining an encouraging model size and speed, which can provide a technical foundation for fruit maturity detection in olive harvesting robots.

Optimization of an integrated harvest, and process planning model in the agri-food industry

In this paper, an integrated harvest and production planning problem in the olive oil industry is addressed. The aim of the paper is to develop and optimize a mathematical model that integrates both olive harvest and olive oil production process. The objective is to maximize the total profit while determining quantity of olives harvested from several olive groves, quantity of olives purchased from external farmers, quantity of olive oil produced, and by-product management to handle hazardous effects of olive oil production. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming model (MILP). Maximization of profit consists of two components; total sales revenue and total cost including harvesting, purchasing, fixed and variable processing costs. Constraints on the system include harvest planning, harvest capacity, production planning, and processing constraints. The proposed MILP model incorporates several distinguishing characteristics of the problem such as ripeness of olives, olive oil quality, organic and conventional farming, and by-product management. A numerical experiment based on a real-world case study was presented to verify the effectiveness of the developed model. The results show that simultaneously considering harvesting and production processes can significantly assist the profitability of the olive oil supply chain. A scenario analysis is conducted by extending the base model to explore olive loss in the olive groves which can occur due to the severe climatic conditions.

Deformation and bruising investigation of the olive fruit in a rotary hand-held olive harvester

Deformation and bruising investigation of the olive fruit in a rotary hand-held olive harvester

Simultaneous trunk and branch shaking in an over-the-row olive harvester

Simultaneous trunk and branch shaking in an over-the-row olive harvester

Simultaneous Trunk and Canopy Shaking Improves Table Olive Harvester Efficiency versus Trunk Shaking Alone

Production of California table olives has declined significantly in recent years due to hand harvesting costs, often over 60% of gross return. Mechanical harvesting could sharply decrease harvest costs, increasing economic viability. Mechanical harvester efficiency is a combination of the percentage of the total fruit on a tree removed by a harvester, and the time required to do so. A comparison between an experimental canopy contact shaker and a commercial trunk shaker demonstrated low harvest efficiencies and no significant differences in harvester efficiency between the two, averaging no more than 8%. However, simultaneously combining both shaking methods increased fruit removal to an economically feasible 75% and produced better fruit quality. Combining both shaking methods increased the price per ton by 63% versus trunk shaking and 35% versus canopy shaking. These results suggest a mechanical olive harvester that simultaneously combines trunk and canopy shaking is more efficient than either shaking method alone, and, has potential for economically feasible mechanical table olive harvesting.

Olive grove intensification negatively affects wintering bird communities in central Spain

Agricultural intensification is a persistent and growing threat to biodiversity worldwide. Olive groves cover extensive areas in the Mediterranean basin and play a fundamental role as refuge and wintering quarters for many bird species, but the effects of their current intensification on bird communities remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the response of wintering birds to the management of olive groves with different degrees of intensification (traditional, intensive and super-intensive management) in central Spain. Based on two bird censuses conducted in 25 groves in early and late winter, we examined the influence of habitat structure and composition at different spatial scales on species richness and abundance of the entire farmland bird community, and of the diet-based functional groups. Total species richness tended to decrease with intensive olive grove management, probably due to reduced habitat heterogeneity, whereas total abundance did not, indicating the capacity of intensive and super-intensive olive groves to sustain large numbers of wintering birds. The negative effect of intensification was particularly evident in frugivore species richness, while frugivore abundance was positively (but marginally) associated with olive fruit availability. Granivorous species were positively associated with lower vegetation cover, but insectivorous species did not respond to intensification gradients. Species richness and abundance (total and by diet-based functional groups) also decreased from early to late winter, which may be due to the effect of olive harvest, but also to an extreme cold event. Overall, our findings show how olive grove intensification and the associated management practices result in significant changes in habitat structure and composition at different spatial scales, thus affecting wintering bird communities.

E037 Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases among olive pickers: prevalence, characteristics, management, treatments expectations and beliefs

Abstract Background/Aims Olive oil is a core part of the Mediterranean diet, as its consumption is associated with increased longevity. Olive pickers are those in charge of the harvest of olives. They are exposed to ergonomic hazards that might lead to rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). Therefore, it is crucial for them to adopt the correct strategies to prevent and treat RMDs. However, there is a lack of studies focusing on the prevalence, prevention and treatments of RMDs among this population. Hence, this study highlighted the prevalence, characteristics and management of RMDs in olives pickers, their expectations about the treatments, and beliefs about their job to the onset of RMDs. Methods A web-based cross-sectional survey was developed to collect data from an Italian olive pickers’ cohort in the Liguria region. The survey investigated the sample’s 1) prevalence and characteristics of RMDs, 2) preventive and treatment activities for RMDs, 3) expectations about RMD treatments, and 3) beliefs about their job and RMD onset. Results From January to July 2021, we collected data from 127 participants (99 males (78%); 28 females (22); mean age 52±13). Prevalence of RMDs over one month, over six months, and over one year was 61.6% (95% confidence interval [51.3%-71.2%]), 77.8% [68.3%-85.5%], and 84.8% [76.3%-91.2%], respectively. The most affected joints were the lumbar spine (61%), the shoulders (57%), and the cervical spine (46%). The pain was experienced by 63% of participants during the harvest time and by 30% at the end. To prevent the onset of RMDs, 44% of participants did nothing, and 94% of them never attended any physical activity preventive course for their profession. To reduce pain, 45% of participants took painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs. Roughly 63% of participants reported avoiding specific movements, and 45% feared movement could enhance their pain. Due to the pain, 62% of participants were referred to health professionals. Participants expected to be educated on the right movements to perform (62%) and to receive manual treatments (46%) from health professionals. Participants believed that having a straight spine while working was crucial for their health (89%) and that physical activity was important for their joint wellness (82%). Conclusion RMDs strongly impact Ligurian olive pickers since one out of two experienced them. More attention should be given to the education of this population to provide them with preventive and managerial strategies for preventing and treating RMDs. Oliver pickers stressed the need to be educated on working ergonomics and the perceived importance of physical activity on health. Future studies should test the generalisability of these results to a broader sample and explore the efficacy of an educational programme focused on working ergonomics and preventive physical activity. Disclosure B. Giardulli: None. S. Battista: None. M. Testa: None.

Entrapped in Olive-Harvesting Nets: A Case of a Grass Snake Natrix natrix from an Olive-Growing Greek Aegean Island

Despite a recent shift towards sustainable practices to support the conservation of traditional olive groves, little is known about their potential threats to herpetofauna species. On the island of Lesvos, one of the main olive-growing islands in the Mediterranean, olive cultivation often prioritizes the expeditious harvesting of olives with minimal or no supplementary intervention, resulting in their generally suboptimal management, a component of which also pertains to the olive nets that, in many cases, remain dispersed and unfurled throughout the groves. This particular practice affects the species living in the olive groves, making them more prone to risks related to their accidental trapping. In this study, we report the first case of a Grass snake being inadvertently trapped in an olive net laid out on an olive grove. The position of the snake under the net, within a folded tipping, made it difficult for it to escape, and it became increasingly entangled. Based on this incident, it is plausible to assume that similar cases may occur in areas where nets are used in olive groves, both in Greece and other olive-growing countries. Further systematic research is necessary to determine the extent of this issue.

Cleaning system, batch sorting and traceability between field-industry in the mechanical harvesting of table olives

In the table olive sector, there is no cleaning and fruit sorting by quality in the field of the harvested olive batches, nor is there an exhaustive recording of traceability. As a result, the batches are stored and shipped dry, dirty and with fruit of different qualities. When they arrive at the industry, they are cleaned and sorted according to their quality, maturity index and size into fruit suitable for green or black processing and unsuitable for olive oil processing. Overall, all fruits are mixed regardless of their origin leading to loss or interruption of traceability, so that there are also inefficiencies in the logistical process. To offer a possible solution, this paper proposes a methodology and presents a prototype that enables cleaning and sorting based on quality at the field level, incorporating a liquid transport system to stop or reduce bruising and an application for recording traceability throughout the production cycle. This prototype has been tested in the laboratory with artificial olives to study the sorting algorithm and, subsequently, in field conditions in a harvesting campaign with real fruit. The algorithm reported a mean relative error of 9.02 ± 6.66%, 11.63 ± 9.61% and 10.31 ± 8.85% in the test with 3 predefined sizes and 3 different ripening stages evaluated. In the evaluation test of the fruit bruising with 2% and 10% of controlled damage, results of 2.67 ± 1.74% and 10.09 ± 4.55% respectively were obtained. In the field, the grading machine for small size olives removed 98% of small diameter fruit and the cleaning system worked efficiently. The percentage of correct sorting based on the maturity index reported 89.3% for 'A' or suitable quality and 76.7% for 'B' or unsuitable quality. The fruit bruising sorting reported acceptable results influenced by the randomness in the bruising and its positioning with respect to the artificial vision system. The application recorded the previous operations, the batches generated and their characteristics as well as transport to the industry with its associated variables. The methodology and prototype developed may represent an advance in the management of the quality and traceability of table olives from the field level, making the logistics function more efficient and supporting the industry.

Potential of finite element method to optimize the olive harvester machine (hand‐held rotary harvester)

AbstractThe mechanical damage of olive caused by harvesting machines is one of the main reasons for the quality reduction of produced olive oil. The hand‐held rotary harvester (RH) is a machine that is used in small orchards extensively. The present paper focuses on utilizing the finite element method (FEM) to define the percentage of bruising damage by RH with two different materials of the head component (Ethylene Propylene Rubber and Neoprene). Three cultivars, ripening stage, and rotational speeds of RH head components were considered for experimental and simulation methods. The controlled impactor device was developed to validate the simulation process. The simulation and experimental results showed the Ethylene Propylene Rubber head produced less stress and bruise volume than the Neoprene head. Moreover, the quality characteristics of extracted olive oil, including free fatty acid, peroxide value, K232 and K270 coefficients, total chlorophyll, total carotenoid, total phenol, and total flavonoid were measured. Finally, the correlation of quality characteristics of olive oil, measured bruise volume and simulated was investigated using linear model and principal components analysis.Practical applicationsDespite the advancement of horticulture industries, the demand for optimization of agricultural machinery to decrease mechanical damage during the harvest process exists. The hand‐held olive harvester causes the bruise phenomenon reduction, leading to decrease quality of extracted olive oil. In this research, the time‐dependent finite element method based on dynamic‐explicit was utilized to simulate the harvest process. The results show that using the numerical and statistical methods, the producer factories of olive harvester machines can optimize the devices to enhance the quality of harvested olive and extracted olive oil.

Effect of Different Foliar Particle Films (Kaolin and Zeolitite) on Chemical and Sensory Properties of Olive Oil

The use of kaolin foliar treatments in olive growing is a well-established approach that aims at protecting crops from the negative impacts of environmental stresses and from insect pests. The use of zeolite particle films is a far more recent technique. The experimentation was carried out on Correggiolo cv. cultivated in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy). Foliar treatments were performed in summer until olive harvest. Ripening index, weight, and the oil content of olives were measured. Acidity, peroxide numbers, K232, K270 and total phenols were evaluated as well as fatty acid profiles, determined via GC-FID and phenolic compounds; vitamins and pigments were determined via HPLC-DAD. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) sensory analysis and taint tests were performed. Olives treated with zeolite showed higher oil contents, and the oil obtained exhibited higher contents of total phenols, tyrosol and deacetoxy oleuropein aglycon with respect to the oils produced with kaolin and the control oil. Oils produced from kaolin-treated olives showed sensory profiles characterized by notes of berries (that are not typical of the Correggiolo cultivar). In the scenario of environment-friendly oil production, treatments employing zeolitite particle films represent both a valid alternative to chemical insecticide against olive fly attack and a practice that has a positive influence on the overall oil quality.

Improvement of Olive Oil Quality with Innovative Olive Cleaning System

Turkey is considered the homeland of olives and is one of the important olive oil producers of the world. With the increasing number of trees, the necessity to complete olive harvest in a short time, like 3-4 months, makes mechanization necessary. The use of mechanical devices during olive harvest causes an increase in the number of leaves, shoots, and branches in the harvested product. Leaf separation systems used in cleaning non-olive materials in olives are generally inadequate in cleaning olives containing dense leaves obtained due to the use of new generation harvesting machines. For this reason, to develop an innovative sorting/cleaning prototype to provide more efficient cleaning, it is necessary to determine the machine efficiency, oil efficiency, olive oil quality and composition of machines. Total phenolics, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, induction period and DPPH antioxidant activity values of olive oil obtained after traditional suction fan system (TSFS) application were higher than olive oils obtained after new generation blown and drum sieve system (NGBDSS) application. However, the α-tocopherol content of olives was low in the samples obtained by TSFS. The fatty acid composition of olive oils obtained from both applications was similar. Our study determined that there were 13 volatile compounds in the olive oil obtained after applying the TSFS, and there were 6 volatile compounds in the olive oil obtained with the application of NGBDSS. When the sensory properties of olive oils were analyzed, it was found that olive oils obtained from both applications were similar to the fruitiness, bitterness, and pungency of olive oils obtained after applying NGBDSS.