New olive harvesting technologies

Spanish researchers presented their new technologies in response to what some of the industry's biggest stakeholders said they needed the most.

Four years later, the researchers behind the Inn bolivar project presented some of their work at the University of Cordoba in Andalusia.

The project focused on the development of 12 separate technologies and research areas related to the mechanization of olive groves, increasing sustainability, climate change mitigation tactics and the development of biotechnologies and tracking technologies. For example, a multi-purpose vehicle for working in sloping olive groves that are difficult to mechanize. In Spain, workers are often killed because tractors roll over on steep slopes. The new vehicles are equipped with articulated joints on each of the four independent wheels, which together with the help of hydraulic cylinders allow the vehicle to change the track width and center of gravity when driving on slopes. Such machines can operate on slopes up to 45° incline.

Instead of the traditional teams of 10 people, including the machine operator and the crew who helped move the canvas and collect fallen olives, the new machine will reduce their number to two or three. Such vehicles can also be adapted to the collection of fruits and almonds.