In Italy, the area of land dedicated to olive cultivation is approximately one million hectares. Our country is among the main producers of olive oil in the EU, together with Spain and Greece.
In order to support the professionalism of olive growers, Campagnola has been designing effective solutions for olive harvesting for six decades. Our pneumatic, electric and engine-driven harvesters, as well as our powerful hook shakers, work alongside those who are committed to maintain high prestige of olive production.
In fact, the harvest is a crucial phase for this cultivation and it affects the quantity and quality of the olives and the products obtained from them. Therefore, how can we perform it efficiently and productively? When is the best time to intervene on olive trees? Let’s delve deeper into the topic analysing the most suitable techniques and to maximise performances.
When to harvest olives?
Identifying the best olive harvest period is a key step in obtaining satisfactory results and good quality final products whether it is olive oil or table olives. Generally speaking, olives are harvested in the autumn. But having said that, the perfect time for harvesting can vary from anywhere between October and December.
Choosing the best time depends on several factors, such as specific features of the plants, their ripening process, the destination of the product, the geographical location in which the olive grove it operates as well as the related climatic conditions.
For instance, the cultivar and the specific varieties of olives determine their ripening period, which can be early ripe, partially ripe, ripe or over ripe. Also, the climate affects ripening and harvesting periods, together with rainfall, frosts or excessive sun exposure of plants.
With regard to the intended use, the olives for the oil production are generally harvested in the “veraison” stage, that is the onset of the ripening process leading the olive to change colour from green to a faded purple which contains the maximum quantity of oil and an excellent ratio of phenolic substances. This will contribute to the plavour and quality of the final product. When is the right time to harvest table olives? The green ones are harvested before complete ripening, then the skin of the olives starts to change colour and becomes yellow-green and finally, the black ones are harvested once the ripening phase is fully completed.
How olives are harvested: mechanized and traditional harvesting methods
The evolution of technology and the needs of olive growers has led to meaningful changes in harvesting techniques, from manual to mechanized and automated.
In former times, manual harvesting was the only option and it allowed a productivity level compliant with the needs of the market. Furthermore, it helped to maintain high quality of the olives and the plant health. However, over the years, the high costs and the poor sustainability of the method have led to the decision to opt for higher performing harvesting systems.
Although manual harvesting methods are still used today in certain contexts, technological transformation has opened the doors to mechanized olive harvesting and to tools powered by electric, pneumatic or endothermic sources.
Is manual or mechanized harvesting better?
Manual harvesting does not damage the branches of the plant as it prevents dents on the olives and the most ancient agricultural traditions have been handed down over time. However, it requires high costs and time to be affected, a factor which threatens to undermine the quality of the final products.
For example, the time between harvest and the pressing of olives must be extremely short in order to protect the organoleptic properties of oil that will be obtained. Nevertheless, a 100% manual system may affect the speed of operations and the labour costs.
However, combining mechanized harvesting techniques or completely replacing them with manual ones enable interventions on olive trees to be faster, more productive and sustainable, while preserving the quality features of the products obtained and the health of the olive groves.
It has been demonstrated, in fact, that there aren’t significant differences between olives harvested by hand and those harvested with mechanized solutions, nor in the features of the products obtained (such as oil or table olives), as long as they are used only tools and machinery designed with competence and professionalism.
The use of tools to facilitate harvesting, such as olive harvesters and hook shakers designed by Campagnola, does not compromise in any way the final outcome. Indeed, it contributes to the competitiveness of olive growing companies.
How to harvest olives: things you should know
There are several techniques used for harvesting olives, characterized by different degrees of automation and mechanization. What are the main ones?
- Manual harvesting is also known as “brucatura” and it was once the only method used, whereas today it is reserved for specific plant varieties.
- Olive beating is a method in which the branches are beaten with long to make the olives fall into nets positioned on the ground. However, it may cause damage to the tree bark.
- Harvesting olives with appropriate combs is a further manual harvesting system which uses tools that slide between the plants foliage in order to facilitate the fall of drupes.
- Moreover, harvesting performed with the aid of olive harvesters, such as those of the Professional Line by Campagnola, is among the most effective mechanized systems as the movement of teeth of these tools causes the olives to be easily detached from the branches. This operation requires minimal effort on the part of the olive grower.
- On the other hand, mechanical olive harvesting involves large harvesting machines. These are large shakers and special pistons used for harvesting. The shaker grips the trunk of the olive tree with a gripper arm and shake it briefly at a very high frequency. Afterwards, special devices suck up the fallen olives.
Olive harvesting equipment: necessary tools provided by Campagnola
It is essential to rely on professional tools designed by high qualified technicians in order to perform a rapid, efficient and safe harvest both for the plant and for the olive growers who carry it out.
Since 1958, Campagnola research has continued unbated with the aim of providing appropriate solutions to the goals of professional olive growers. What are the main tools for a successful harvesting?
First of all, olive harvesters are capable of passing combs along the branches of olive trees to detach the fruit which is then dropped inside large nets positioned on the ground. Campagnola offers three different types of olive harvesters which differ in their power source:
- The high performing electric harvesters, such as HERCULES 6 58, ICARUS V1 58, MASTER, HOLLY 58, ELEKTRA and ALICE STAR 58 PLUS, powered by lithium-ion batteries.
- The reliable pneumatic harvesters, such as DIABLO 1800 EVO, IRON, STORM or TUONO EVO E METAL TOP powered by modern compressors.
- The engine-driven harvesters powered by excellent brand combustion engines, such as the POWER MOTOR, available with different harvesting heads.
- Power systems, such as lithium batteries or electric generators like ENERGY 4, or engine-driven compressors, PTO compressors represent indispensable allies of productivity in the olive grove. The choice of the most suitable compressor depends on various factors, such as the type of soil, the specific needs of the olive grower, the power and weight of the machine, the volume of air sucked in and the total number of tools to be powered.
- Finally, hook shakers are also part of olive harvesting, as for instance GSM EL TORO EVOLUZIONE K. It is suitable for every type of cultivar and it is designed to work directly on the branches of olive trees.
Campagnola’s decades of experience are a guarantee of quality for those who decide to rely on our proposals. Actually, the objective of those who choose mechanized harvesting is to obtain a high-performance olive harvest that is sustainable both from a physical and economic point of view.
To discover all the Campagnola brand solutions dedicated to olive harvesting, browse our website analysing the technical data sheets of our tools.
You can also visit the “Sales Network” section where you can find our specialised dealers closest to you for any advice or in case of assistance before and after your purchase.