Studying the Effect of Harvesting Machine and Method on the Amount of Mechanical Damage to Agria Potato Cultivar

Bakhtiari, Mohammad Reza; Goudarzi, Farzad; Heidari, Ahmad

doi:10.22092/amsr.2026.372053.1533

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.

10.22092/amsr.2026.372053.1533

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

References

Anon. (2018). FAO Statistical database. Available at: http://www.fao.org.

Anon. (2023a). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Available at: http://www.fao.org.

Anon. (2023b). Agricultural statistics. Agricultural statistics for the crop years 1383 to 1401. Ministry of Agricultural Jihad. Deputy for Planning and Economy. Deputy for Statistics, Center for Statistics, Information Technology and Communications. Volume 1: Crops. (in Persian)

Bakhtiari, M. R., & Bahramloo, R. (2022). Meta-analysis of the effect of moisture content, topping and variety on mechanical damage of potato tubers. Agricultural Mechanization and Systems Research, 23 (84), 39-56. https://doi.org/10.22092/amsr.2023.361574.1444. (in Persian)

Bakhtiari, M. R., Bahramloo, R., & Ghahraei, O. (2024). Meta-analysis of the effect of some harvesting machine on the mechanical damage of potato tubers. Agricultural Mechanization and Systems Research. 13(3), 77-89. https://doi.org/10.22034/jrmam.2025.14708.697 (in Persian)

Baritelle, A., Hyde, G., Thornton, R., & Bajema, R. (2000). A classification system for impact-related defects in potato tubers. American Journal of Potato Research, 77(3), 143-148.

Bentini, M., Caprara, C., & Martelli, R. (2006). Harvesting damage to potato tubers by analysis of impacts recorded with an instrumented sphere. Biosystems Engineering, 94(1), 75-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2006.02.007.

Bishop, C. F. H. (1980). Potato mechanization and storage. Farming Press LTD.

Blahovec, J. (2005). Impact induced mechanical damage of Agria potato tubers. Research in Agricultural Eengineering, 51(2), 39-43. https://doi.org/10.17221/4900-RAE.

Blahovec, J., Hejlová, A., & Vacek, J. (2006). Impact induced mechanical damage of Agria potato tubers cultivated in different regimes. Scientia Agriculturae Bohemica, 52(3), 81-86. https://doi.org/10.17221/4883-RAE

Hemmant, A., & Taki, O. (2001). Potato losses and mechanical damage by potato diggers in the fereidan region of Isfahan. Journal of Water and Soil Science, 5(2), 195-209. http://jstnar.iut.ac.ir/article-1-198-en.pdf. (in Persian)

Hyde, G. M., Thornton, R. E., & Woodruff, D. W. (1983). Potato harvester performance with automatic chain-load control. Transactions of the ASAE, 26(1), 19-22. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.33868.

Mousizadeh, H., H. Mobali, & M. Zaefizadeh. (2006). Determination of mechanical damages caused by potato harvesting machines and their comparison in the Ardabil region. Iranian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 5(37), 917-911. (in Persian)

Peters, R. (1996). Damage of potato tubers, a review. Potato Research, 39(4), 479-484. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02358463.

Sohrabi, A. (2001). Investigating and identifying the status of agricultural and food industry waste and
how to reduce it in Hamedan Province. Hamedan Province Management and Planning Organization.
(in Persian)

Studying the Effect of Harvesting Machine and Method on the Amount of Mechanical Damage to Agria Potato Cultivar

References

References

Volume 25, Issue 91 - Serial Number 91December 2024Pages 71-86

Volume 25, Issue 91 - Serial Number 91
December 2024
Pages 71-86