Mechanical harvest of Goji berries- thoughts
Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 9:37 amHi all
The nature of growth, flowering and fruiting of the Goji berries prevent us from even thinking about periodical or daily mechanical harvest in the western countries - leaving but the manual harvest and may I challenge this issue.
As for third world countries and where harvest costs and wages are low as in China and Tibet-Mongolia- India - African countries.... there is no problem to maintain a huge number of workers, mainly women and children for the Goji daily harvest.
The manual harvest prevents the expansion of growing fresh Gojis on large plots in western countries. Thus hobbey farmers, small plots, Pick and Pay farms will plant Goji on a small scale in this countries - as I do experiment in Israel
However, once a training system is adapted for Goji mechanical harvest as with grapes for wine this will be possible and lets leave the technique aside.
I may suggest that semi mechanical harvest of fruit bunches should be tried, thus on a weekly intervals, ripe fruiting branches (having also flowers and unripe fruits will be cut and either sell fresh as such in a nice pack suggesting to usr the leves for tea and salads) or immersed in Ethylene solution\ABA solution to drop the ripe fruits that will be washed and dried. This means that ultra high dense plantings should be tried and alternating rows will be harvested with high fertigation levels. Thus one grower can harvest a huge area - where he produces his densely planted plots.
The semi mechanical harvest may be applied only as from the mid harvest season to its end unless flowering is stopped by interval sprays on different rows.
These thoughs need further discussions and I will appreciated comments - considering the natural growth and fruit set of the Goji berry.
Agronomist Ariel
The nature of growth, flowering and fruiting of the Goji berries prevent us from even thinking about periodical or daily mechanical harvest in the western countries - leaving but the manual harvest and may I challenge this issue.
As for third world countries and where harvest costs and wages are low as in China and Tibet-Mongolia- India - African countries.... there is no problem to maintain a huge number of workers, mainly women and children for the Goji daily harvest.
The manual harvest prevents the expansion of growing fresh Gojis on large plots in western countries. Thus hobbey farmers, small plots, Pick and Pay farms will plant Goji on a small scale in this countries - as I do experiment in Israel
However, once a training system is adapted for Goji mechanical harvest as with grapes for wine this will be possible and lets leave the technique aside.
I may suggest that semi mechanical harvest of fruit bunches should be tried, thus on a weekly intervals, ripe fruiting branches (having also flowers and unripe fruits will be cut and either sell fresh as such in a nice pack suggesting to usr the leves for tea and salads) or immersed in Ethylene solution\ABA solution to drop the ripe fruits that will be washed and dried. This means that ultra high dense plantings should be tried and alternating rows will be harvested with high fertigation levels. Thus one grower can harvest a huge area - where he produces his densely planted plots.
The semi mechanical harvest may be applied only as from the mid harvest season to its end unless flowering is stopped by interval sprays on different rows.
These thoughs need further discussions and I will appreciated comments - considering the natural growth and fruit set of the Goji berry.
Agronomist Ariel