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Olive has a notable importance in countries of Mediterranean basin and its profitability depends on several factors such as actual yield, production cost or product price. Actual "on year" Yield (AY) is production (kg tree −1 ) in "on years", and this research attempts to relate it with geometrical parameters of the tree canopy. Regression equation to forecast AY based on manual canopy volume was determined based on data acquired from different orchard categories and cultivars during different harvesting seasons in southern Spain. Orthoimages were acquired with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) imagery calculating individual crown for relating to canopy volume and AY. Yield levels did not vary between orchard categories; however, it did between irrigated orchards (7000-17,000 kg ha −1 ) and rainfed ones (4000-7000 kg ha −1 ). After that, manual canopy volume was related with the individual crown area of trees that were calculated by orthoimages acquired with UAS imagery. Finally, AY was forecasted using both manual canopy volume and individual tree crown area as main factors for olive productivity. AY forecast only by using individual crown area made it possible to get a simple and cheap forecast tool for a wide range of olive orchards. Finally, the acquired information was introduced in a thematic map describing spatial AY variability obtained from orthoimage analysis that may be a powerful tool for farmers, insurance systems, market forecasts or to detect agronomical problems.

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certain operations, particularly fruit harvesting. Nevertheless, traditional plantations are widespread globally and play an important social and environmental role, which makes it difficult or unfeasible to substantially change these plantations or even eliminate them entirely. Particularly notable in this respect is olive cultivation in the Mediterranean basin, where 97% of world production is concentrated. More specifically, in Spain, which is home to more than 50% of world olive oil production (AICA, 2014), there are 2,420,000 ha of olive crop, and traditional plantations RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS AbstractThe fruit harvesting is a key factor involving both product quality and profitability. Particularly, mechanical harvesting of traditional oil olive orchards is hint by tree training system for manual harvesting, tree size and several and slanted trunks which makes difficult trunk shaker work. Therefore, canopy shaker technology could be a feasible alternative to develop an integral harvester able to work on irregular canopies. The aim of this research was to determine vibration parameters applied to the olive tree for efficient mechanical harvesting by canopy shaker measuring fruit removal efficiency and debris. In this work, a continuous lateral canopy shaker harvester has been developed and tested on large olive trees in order to analyse the operating harvester parameters and tree properties to improve mutual adaptation. Vibration amplitude and frequency, rod density and ground speed were assessed. Vibration amplitude and frequency beside ground speed were decisive factors on fruit removal efficiency. Increasing rod density has not influenced on removal efficiency although it increased significantly debris. Promising results has been reached with 77.3% of removal efficiency, applying a 28 s shaking duration, 0.17 m amplitude vibration and 12 rod drum. This result was obtained reporting 0.26 s of accumulative shaking time over 200 m/s 2 resultant acceleration. The canopy shaker mechanism enabled more than 65% of detached fruits to fall vertically, facilitating catch fruit. In order to improve removal efficiency it is advisable to adapt trees, set high amplitude in the shaker mechanism, and enhance the contact time between rods and tree.Additional key words: Olea europaea L.; fruit detachment; integral harvester; frequency; amplitude; removal efficiency.

Pomegranate fruit quality is adversely affected by bruise damage. Bruises are formed by a variety of static loads and dynamic impacts on the fruit when it strikes any other object during handling, sorting, packaging, or transportation. In order to be able to reduce this damage, it is necessary to ascertain the influence of fruit properties on bruise susceptibility. An experimental study was performed with varying storage time, temperature, and impact region. In these experiments, pomegranates were dropped from three heights onto a flat aluminum surface. Significant effects on bruising in relation to storage time, temperature, impact region, and their interactions were found (p < 0.05). It was concluded that higher fruit temperature, firmness, and peel thickness reduced bruise damage to the pomegranate fruit. Moreover, storage time and increased radius of curvature increased the bruise volume and bruise area, respectively.

<p>Olive fruit production and oil quality distribution with respect to canopy distribution are important criteria for selection and improvement of mechanical harvesting methods. Tests were performed in a high-density olive orchard (<em>Olea europea</em> L., cv. Arbequina) in southern Spain. Fruit distribution, fruit properties and oil parameters were measured by taken separate samples for each canopy location and tree. Results showed a high percentage of fruits and oil located in the middle-outer and upper canopy, representing more than 60% of total production. The position of these fruits along with their higher weight per fruit, maturity index and polyphenol content make them the target for all mechanical harvesting systems. The fruits from the lower canopy represented close to 30% of fruit and oil production, however, the mechanical harvesting of these fruits is inefficient for mechanical harvesting systems. Whether these fruits cannot be properly harvested, enhance tree training to raise their position is recommended. Fruits located inside the canopy are not a target location for mechanical harvesting systems as they were a small percentage of the total fruit (&lt;10%). Significant differences were found for polyphenol content with respect to canopy height, although this was not the case with acidity. In addition, the ripening index did not influence polyphenol content and acidity values within the canopy. Fruit production, properties and oil quality varied depending on fruit canopy position. Thus harvesting systems may be targeted at maximize harvesting efficiency including an adequate tree training system adapted to the harvesting system.</p>

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