Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the speed effect of a coffee harvester and its interaction with 'Conilon' coffee (Coffea canephora) clones on the mechanical harvesting efficiency. The experiment was installed in São Mateus, in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, in 2012, with 27 clones of early, intermediate, and late fruit ripening. The first harvest was performed after the plant cuttings at 0.5 m above the ground, in 2016, and the canopy renovation. The plants and the harvester were evaluated in 2018. The coffee harvester was tested at 0.6 and 0.8 km h-1. Measurements were performed for stripping and harvesting efficiencies, fruit loss on the ground, unstripped fruit, defoliation with manual and mechanized harvesting, fruit removal force, and fruit ripening degree. The tests with the coffee harvester indicated a technical feasibility of 88% average harvesting efficiency, and a 15% lower defoliation than the manual harvesting. The harvesting speed of 0.8 km h-1 results in higher stripping and harvesting efficiencies, in a lower percentage of loss on the ground, and in less unstripped fruit, regardless of the evaluated clones. Fruit removal force and ripening degree influence the stripping and harvesting efficiencies and the percentage of unstripped fruit of 'Conilon' coffee.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência técnica da colhedora automotriz de hastes vibratórias em lavouras de café conilon (Coffea canephora) e sua influência nos custos de colheita.  Os ensaios foram realizados em lavoura comercial, com espaçamento de 3,50 x 0,50 m. Nos ensaios foram comparadas a velocidade de colheita (1,0; 1,6 e 2,0 km h-1), a frequência de vibração (700, 800 e 900 rpm) e o número de passadas da colhedora (primeira, segunda e única). Eficiência de derriça (ED) e de colheita (EC), percentual de frutos perdidos no chão (FPC) e não derriçados (FND) e desfolha foram medidos nos clones bamburral e 153/143. O custo operacional horário da colheita mecanizada foi calculado a partir dos custos fixos e variáveis. O custo total da colheita mecanizada foi obtido pelo somatório dos custos de colheita, repasse de solo e planta e perdas no chão. O aumento da velocidade e a redução da frequência e do número de passadas reduziram a ED e EC e aumentaram os FND dos clones em estudo. O uso da colhedora de café apresentou custo operacional de R$ 279,21 h-1, sendo 49% fixo e 51% variável, enquanto o manual foi de R$ 15,30 por saco (80 L). Observou-se uma redução no custo da colheita mecanizada de 33 a 50% em relação a colheita manual, com uma velocidade de 0,60 e 2,00 km h-1. O aumento da velocidade e da eficiência de colheita da máquina automotriz reduziram o custo total e unitário da colheita em relação à manual.

Coffee is one of the main commodities of global agribusiness and of outstanding economic and social relevance for Brazil. The lack of labor and its high cost are factors that worry coffee producers, mainly during the conilon coffee harvesting, which is performed manually. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of a self-propelled harvester under different conditions of machine adjustment and conduction of the Coffea canephora crop and measure its influence on the cost of harvesting compared to manual harvesting. Harvesting speed (800 to 1600 m h-1), rotation of the vibrating rod cylinder (1.0 and 1.5 RPM), number of orthotropic branches (one, two, and three), and plants with and without plagiotropic branches in the lower third were assessed. The increase in harvesting speed reduced the efficiencies of stripping and harvesting and defoliation. Increasing from one to three orthotropic branches per plant increased harvesting and stripping efficiencies, fruit loss on the ground, defoliation, and reduced pending load. The management without plagiotropic branches showed higher harvesting efficiency, lower loss on the ground, and lower defoliation. Harvesting speeds from 800 to 1600 m h-1 reduced the total and unit costs up to 62% compared to manual harvesting. Increasing harvesting efficiency above 70% has reduced harvesting costs by up to 79% compared to manual harvesting.