Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1243749
A L M O N D O R C H A R D 2 0 2 5 G O A L S HARVEST DUST to conduct additional research to confirm the accuracy of those assumptions," Saa said. "We found that the assumptions in his research were on the conservative side, making the economic results for off- ground harvesting all the more promising." Saa notes that the issue of windfall is understandably a major concern for growers. In a true off-ground harvesting operation, sweeping of the orchard floor is not performed, which leaves nuts on the ground rather than being shipped to a huller/sheller. Dr. Simmons assumed a 1% windfall rate in his economic modeling for calculating grower profitability associated with off-ground harvesting. Follow-up research funded by ABC and conducted by Dr. Patrick Brown of UC Davis in 2019 specifically studied windfall in relation to variety, location and timing. "Dr. Brown's research results in 2019 showed 0-1% windfall, with most orchards at less than 0.4% windfall," Saa said. "That translates to about 15 pounds per acre and most of the fruit drop is early, so there are questions about the quality of those nuts compared to those harvested from the tree. He used a large data set to calculate windfall throughout Central Valley orchards, which gives us a great deal of confidence in his and Dr. Simmons' findings." In addition to the actual off-ground harvesting process, the Harvest Workgroup also has its eye on the drying process, a critical piece of the off-ground harvesting puzzle. "We're trying to determine how best to dry the nuts while still preserving the quality of the kernel, and, of course, doing so economically," Saa said. "Dr. Simmons' research assumed it would cost 3 cents to dry a pound of almonds, so we set out with additional research to confirm that assumption." The workgroup turned to Dr. Zhongli Pan, an adjunct professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at UC Davis, for answers. "Dr. Pan discovered great results about drying almonds that could improve the feasibility of off-ground harvesting," Saa said. "He developed a protocol for velocity and air flow for mechanical drying that, when used correctly, results in better, more consistent moisture content of the end product compared to conventional, passive drying." "Moreover," said Saa, "his economic analysis showed that the price to mechanically dry a pound of almonds can range from 1 cent to 5 cents, depending on the drying method." ABC is continuing to fund research related to drying almonds, including the stockpiling of green product in the orchard. Harvest Workgroup brings key players to the table A unique attribute of ABC's Harvest Workgroup is the fact that membership includes multiple manufacturing companies that produce and market both conventional and off-ground harvesting equipment. "Most of them are at the table collaborating with us, which is really a big compliment to them," said Wahlbrink, who chairs ABC's Harvest Workgroup and sits on ABC's Board of Directors. "They are setting aside their proprietary nature for the sake of the industry." One member of the workgroup is the Tenias Harvester Company. Headquartered in Spain, Tenias introduced its off-ground harvester, currently used by Trinitas Farming, to the U.S. market in 2017. "A grower has to think about off-ground harvesting operations a minimum of five years in advance of planting," said Paul Smith, CEO of Tenias Harvester USA Corporation, based in Turlock. "You have to think about your orchard's configuration for the life of the planting." A maximum almond tree height of 20 feet – shorter than what's been historically planted across the Central Valley – is an essential attribute for compatibility with the Tenias Harvester, which goes over the top of the tree during harvest. The harvester also requires about three feet of trunk height from the grade of the floor Paul Smith, CEO of Tenias Harvester USA Corporation, sees economic, environmental and product benefits for growers and the industry through greater adoption of off-ground harvesting. 1 See the January/February 2020 issue of How We Grow for more on Dr. Simmons' study: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1202547-2020-jan-feb-how-we-grow/1? Continued from page 8 9