Mechanized harvesting techniques in horticultural crops: A step towards reduction of cost of cultivation
P Srinivas, G Vijay Krishna, K Nagaraju, S Mallesh, J Srinivas and M Srinivas
Indian agriculture is diverse and capable of producing most of the food and horticultural crops of the world. Several studies suggest a direct correlation between farm mechanization and crop productivity. It saves inputs like seeds and fertilizers by 15-20 percent, labour requirement and operational time by 20-30 percent, increases cropping intensity by 5-20 percent and crop productivity by 10-15 percent. At present, Indian farmers are adopting farm mechanization at a faster rate in comparison to recent past. The conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses, non-expansion of cultivable area, non-availability of labour due to shifting in urban avenues becomes crucial in sustaining horticultural production. The only option to cope up with this situation is sustainable mechanization and service according to the future demands. Mechanized harvesting technologies in horticultural crops have been widely investigated and significantly developed over the past several decades. The modern-day horticultural mechanization includes various growing techniques and production processes, working operations, technical procedures, appropriate techniques and machineries for soil management to the intercultural operations and finally the harvesting and processing of the produce. In this article explains the various mechanized harvesting techniques related different horticultural crops that can be utilized to lower the production cost of the farmers. This paper reviews the research and development progress of mechanized harvesting of horticultural crops systematically with a focus on the theoretical study, crop type and their actual applications which can be utilized to lower the production cost of the farmers.
P Srinivas, G Vijay Krishna, K Nagaraju, S Mallesh, J Srinivas, M Srinivas. Mechanized harvesting techniques in horticultural crops: A step towards reduction of cost of cultivation. Int J Res Agron 2024;7(9S):940-945. DOI: 10.33545/2618060X.2024.v7.i9Sm.1636