Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Associate Professor of Agricultural Engineering Research Department. Hamedan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center. Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO). Hamadan. Iran.
2 Assistant Professor of Agricultural Engineering Research Department. Hamedan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center. Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO). Hamadan. Iran.
Abstract
Potatoes are one of the country's most important and major products, with great edible, industrial, and export value. Tillage, planting, and protecting operations for potatoes are mechanized, and harvesting operations are also semi-mechanized. Potato harvesters are used to harvest potato tubers. But these machines cause mechanical damage to potato tubers because they have metal parts. In this study, the effect of two types of harvesting machines, including Grimeh and Sabzdasht, and five harvesting methods, including 1- Topping and harvesting immediately (conventional method), 2- Topping and harvesting after 12 days in dry soil, 3- Topping and harvesting after 12 days in wet soil, 4- No topping and harvesting potato tubers after the natural growth period in dry soil, 5- No topping and harvesting potato tubers after the natural growth period in wet soil, on the amount of mechanical damage to Agria potatoes was investigated using a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that the most suitable method for harvesting potato tubers was the treatments of topping and immediate harvesting (conventional method), topping and harvesting after 12 days in dry soil and wet soil, respectively, for both Grimeh and Sabzdasht machines. In addition, harvesting after the natural growth period has passed can also be suggested as an option by farmers, but on the condition that the field soil is moistened with light irrigation at the time of harvesting.
Keywords
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