AVALIAÇÃO TÉCNICA E ECONÔMICA DE UMA COLHEDORA AUTOMOTRIZ EM LAVOURAS DE CAFÉ CONILON

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the technical efficiency of the self-propelled harvester with vibrating rods in conilon coffee plantations (Coffea canephora) and its influence on harvest costs. The tests were carried out in commercial fields, with a spacing of 3.50 x 0.50 m. In the tests, the harvest speed (1.0; 1.6 and 2.0 km h^-1), the vibration frequency (700, 800 and 900 rpm) and the number of harvester passes (first, second and only). Productivity, stripping efficiency (ED) and harvesting (EC), percentage of fruit lost in the ground (FPC) and not lost (FND) and defoliation in the bamboo and 153/143 clones. The hourly operating cost of mechanized harvesting was calculated from fixed and variable costs. The total cost of mechanized harvesting was obtained by adding the costs of harvesting, transfer of soil and plant and losses in the ground. Increasing the speed and reducing the frequency and number of strides reduced the ED and EC and increased the NDF of the clones under study. The use of the coffee harvester had an operating cost of R $ 279.21 h^-1, being 49% fixed and 51% variable, while the manual was R $ 15.30 per bag (80 L). Note a reduction in the cost of mechanized harvesting from 33 to 50% compared to the harvest manual, with a speed of 0.60 and 2.00 km h^-1. The increased speed and efficiency of harvesting of the self-propelled machine reduces the total and unitary cost of harvesting compared to the manual.