A Double-Sided Rake-Pickup Machine for Citrus

A self-propelled rake pickup machine was designed and built to pick up fruit from the ground by making one pass down the center between two tree rows when the fruit was windrowed at the tree drip-line. Rod draper chain was used for pickup and a double belt trash eliminator system was used for separating out the trash. Fruit was loaded directly into a high-lift grove truck towed behind the pickup machine. The average pickup rate and ground speed were 490 kg/min and 0.46 km/h, respectively. Fruit recovery efficiency was 92 percent.