UAE scientists have developed a date palm harvesting machine to provide farmers with a more comfortable and efficient working environment.
The machine, operated by a hydraulic system, is capable of carrying a farmer and the required tools to the crown zone of the tree as high as 4.5 metres for harvesting dates.
The inventors believe the machine would bring a great relief to farm workers who would no longer need to climb the tree for harvesting. In the traditional way of serving palm trees, workers climb the tree using a length of rope.
A prototype of the machine, which has been designed and fabricated at the UAE University, has successfully been tested at the agriculture farms of the institution in Al Foaa district of Al Ain.
Dr Mustafa A. Fadel and Dr Mohammad A. Awad from the Department of Arid Land Agriculture recently presented an assessment report of the machine to the Scientific Research Affairs Sector (SRAS) of the university.
"The system provides a safer and more comfortable working environment," said the scientists in the report, adding that both human and tree safety features were considered while designing the machine.
The UAE is the 6th largest producer of dates in the world with a date palm population of more than 40 million across the country. The newly invented machine is the first-ever date harvesting machine in the country.
A similar machine was earlier tested in Saudi Arabia but it had raised many questions about the safety, stability, speed, cost, and efficiency, said the report.
The scientists said that a date palm tree needs to be served at least eight times in a year for pollination, pruning, cleaning, and harvesting.
The workers, traditionally, use a piece of rope to secure the climb while stepping up the tree barefooted. They use withered branches of the palm that have been cut off as a ladder.
The machine not only elevates the workers to the crown zone of the tree, but also descends the harvested dates in a basket to the ground. The machine can be attached to a tractor.
The development of the machine took three years and the cost of the project was shouldered by the SRAS.
"The developed system is a promising achievement in a long way to go," said the scientists, adding that more tests would be conducted to assess the machine's performance in varying conditions.
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