Effect of Planting Distance on the Mechanical Harvesting of Hot Pepper

Seokho Kang, Yeongsu Kim, Hyunggyu Park, Seungmin Woo, Daniel Dooyum Uyeh and Yushin Ha
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Seokho Kang: Department of Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Korea
Yeongsu Kim: Department of Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Korea
Hyunggyu Park: Department of Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Korea
Seungmin Woo: Department of Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Korea
Daniel Dooyum Uyeh: Department of Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Korea
Yushin Ha: Department of Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Korea

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-11

Abstract: Hot peppers are well known for being spicy and also have a high nutrient content. Human resources have formerly been used to harvest hot peppers; however, a high level of musculoskeletal risk to the human workforce has been reported. Therefore, to reduce the risk to farmers and replace the human workforce, the mechanical harvesting of hot pepper and steps to improve the harvesting efficiency of farmers were conducted. To achieve this, the effect of planting distance on the mechanical harvesting of hot peppers was analyzed at three planting distances (30, 40, and 50 cm) with several cultivars. Subsequently, machine-harvested hot peppers were classified into five groups (marketable, damaged, lost, unharvested, and twigged hot pepper), depending on their postharvest status. The average weight ratio of each group was then calculated, after which statistical analyses were conducted. The effect of planting distance on mechanical harvesting was then analyzed by comparing the differences between each group’s average weight ratio and the total weight of hot pepper, which was simultaneously harvested mechanically at each planting distance. Results showed that the average weight ratio of marketable, unharvested, and twigged hot pepper improved as the planting distance increased. However, no effect on the average weight ratio of damaged and lost hot pepper was observed. The highest yield of marketable hot pepper was found at a planting distance of 40 cm, and the average weight ratio to the whole was lower than at 50 cm of planting distance. Thus, the most suitable planting distance for mechanical harvesting was 40 cm.

Keywords: Capsicum annuum L.; hot pepper harvester; machinery harvest efficiency; planting distance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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