—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Februai
8
Penn State Studies Show:
Less Expense, Better Results With Tomato Harvest by Machine
Tomatoes, the leading Penn
sylvania vegetable crop for
processing, can be harvested
more economically by machine
than by hand, it was announced
February 9 at the annual
Vegetable Conference at Penn
sylvania State University
The savings in machine har
vesting can equal $6 to $lO per ton
over the cost of hand picking,
reported Dr William Hepler,
associate professor of plant
breeding at Penn State.
In experiments during 1970 and
1971, machine harvesting costs
averaged $lO to $l4 per ton,
compared with $2O per ton for
hand harvesting These costs
include labor and depreciation on
equipment.
ROARER’S MILL
R. D. 1, Ronks
HEISEY FARM SERVICE
Lawn Ph: 964-3444
H. JACOB HOOBER
Intercourse, Pa.
HAROLD H. GOOD
Terre Hill
GRUBB SUPPLY CO
Elizabethtown
C. E. SAUDER & SONS
R. D. 1, East Earl
HERSHEY BROS
Reinholds
WHITE OAK MILL
19, 1972
The studies were the first full
scale, farm-based Penn State
experiments to harvest tomatoes
by machine Dr. Hepler spoke for
four College of Agriculture
faculty members conducting the
studies. The other three were
Robert F. Fletcher, Extension
horticulturist; Richard W.
Poorbaugh, research economist;
and Donald R. Daum, Extension
engineer
Preliminary findings indicate
that 40 to 50 acres is an
economical size planting for
machine harvesting, Dr. Hepler
affirmed. Machine harvest yields
ranged from 12 to 28 tons per acre
with an average yield of 18 tons
per acre, he stated. The ex
periments are being continued
MOUNTVILLE
FEED SERVICE
R. D. 2, Columbia
DUTCHMAN FEED
MILLS, INC.
R. D. 1, Stevens
STEVENS FEED MILL,
INC.
Stevens, Pa.
PARADISE SUPPLY
Paradise
Leola, Pa.
FOWL’S FEED SERVICE
R D. 2, Peach Bottom
H. M. STAUFFER
& SONS, INC.
Witmer
Findings to date refute the
common belief that hand har
vesting recovers all of the tomato
crop. Comparisons on large scale
acreage in 1971 found that hand
picking recovered only 62 per
cent of the crop. Machine har
vesting, while retrieving only 60
per cent of the crop, yielded the
best grade of tomatoes.
Acreage planted to tomatoes,
and cost of a harvester, are ob
viously limiting factors in
economical machine harvesting,
Dr. Hepler observed. He said
western harvesters, such as those
used in the leading tomato state
of California, cost over $35,000.
Harvesters for eastern acreage
are being developed and
manufactured for $15,000 to
$20,000.
The studies have tested 13 new
tomato varieties and breeding
lines for use in machine har
vesting. Three breeding lines
were found superior for per cent
ripeness at harvest, yield per
acre, and ability of fruit to stay
on the wine until harvested.
Tnis information aided the U.S.
Department of Agriculture in
releasing three tomato varieties
adapted for machine harvest in
Pennsylvania. These varieties
are Merit, Red Rock, and
Potomac. If seed is available, it is
possible that 3,000 to 4,000 acres
might be planted with these
varieties in the Commonwealth
this summer, he estimated.
Dr. Hepler cautioned that
additional information is needed
on weed control, varietal
responses to various fertilizer
rates, plant populations, and
spread of harvest season using
combinations of variety and type
of planting.
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305 Manheim Pike Lancaster, Pa. 17601
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Performance factors for a
tomato harvester, he claimed,
should include efficiency of
operating time, acres harvested
per day, tons harvested per acre,
and number of hours of machine
operation per season.
Cooperating on the studies
during the past two years were
five Pennsylvania tomato
processing firms and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. The
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three-day Vegetable Conference
at Penn State was sponsored by
the College of Agriculture, the
Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers
Association, and the Penn
sylvania Food Processors
Association.
Transplanting of seedling
tomatoes was done in May for the
August and early September
harvests. Direct field seeding
was done in April for harvesting
by mid to late September.
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