A research on harvest mechanization of stone pine (Pinus pinea L.)

Stone pine harvest is done by traditional methods in Turkey. In traditional way, harvest is done by the workers climb trees without taking any security measures. Cones fallen down by hitting with helping of keye. The worker without any security measures harvests cones by climbing trees. Stone pine harvest in developed countries is carried out by mechanical harvesting methods. As far as our knowledge, this is the first study in mechanical harvest of stone pines in Turkey. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of mechanical harvesting in stone pine using the branch shaker. Trials are conducted in the village of Kızılcaköy located Koçarlı/Mazon district of Aydın. In this study, keye, platform with keye, and platform with branch shaker methods were tested in mechanical harvest of stone pines. Four directions of the trial area and the tree (east, west, north and south) were taken into consideration in the trials with three replications. According to the survey results, the cones are suitable for machine harvesting, due to the M/Fkop ratio of the cones is greater than 1. In the all statistical analysis, Method*Direction interaction was not significant (P˃0,05). The optimal shaking time for harvesting of a single branch of stone pine was identified as 3 second. The frequency and amplitude of branch shaking was 20 Hz and 55 mm, respectively. Harvesting efficiency was found to be 100% and the damage level was zero. According to the harvesting method, platform and branch shaking harvest is not economical in today's conditions. The harvesting with keye and platform and keye show profitability. On the otherhand, harvesting with keye causes an increase in insect populations of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Çamkese) that may cause yield losses in stone pine in the long term and effect negatively economic viability of the use of this method.