Spain drives innovation in the olive grove

The olive oil sector, through the Interprofessional Spanish Olive Oil, promoted for years the momentum of the research on mechanization of UCO, which were preamble MECAOLIVAR project, for which the University has continued to benefit the support of the sector. The bulk of the funding is for ERDF (80%) through the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The new devices born with the aim of reducing costs in basic tasks like data collection, application of pesticides and soil management. The traditional olive grove, the most important in our country, will be the main beneficiary of these developments.

They have just enough two years for the initiative group of Mechanization and Rural Technology at the University of Cordoba, with the support of the Interprofessional Spanish Olive Oil, it materialized in the form of Convention Pre-commercial Public Procurement (CPP) MECAOLIVAR , it has paid off. With financial support from the ERDF, through the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, they have developed 15 equipment to mechanize and modernize the Spanish olive groves that have made their presentation at the Technical Conference on mechanization of the olive grove that was held today in IFAPA Center of Cabra in the province of Cordoba. Exhibition organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment in collaboration with the Government of Andalusia.

Teams that try to offer new technical solutions for the collection, application of pesticides and soil management in the Spanish olive grove. Although between developed machines (all pre-commercial models developed in collaboration with engineering firms) there are technological solutions for intensive olive grove, the most progress has been achieved in developments for the traditional olive grove, the largest area that occupies in Spain.

In fact it was one of the priorities when the project was launched, says Jesus Gil, a professor at the University of Cordoba and project: “This project would affect the traditional olive grove that has no integral harvesters for collection. Systems have to be made, that makes it a slow and expensive process. Today we present two full traditional olive harvesters, which are absolute novelty, because there is nothing like that. ” It was precisely the search for technological solutions for the traditional olive grove that moved to the Interprofessional Olive Oil to engage in these lines of research for years, and Rafael Sanchez de Puerta, head of R & D explains: “A goal clear of the Organization has always been research and research into reducing costs is essential olive. Harvesting costs account for approximately half the costs of cultivation. Either we are capable of reducing this activity or this type of olive have a difficult future. If we get a machine that really is efficient and get lower the cost of collection, it sure can we extend the life of this type of olive groves, on the other hand, are most surface represented in the olive groves of Spain “.

The two harvesters that have occurred in Cabra are based on drawn cup shakers while moving around the olive tree are able to pull the fruit, make a pre-cleaning and storing, all independently.

It is the only technological innovation that has been witnessed today in Cabra. There have also been several atomizers, also adapted to the needs of traditional olive much needed equipment such as Rafael Sanchez de Puerta explains: “The sprays are having problems derived product, no good treatment comes in olive and that was another line we wanted to refine and improve, thus improving the crop, such as environmental issues, to avoid drifts and save product. ”

The equipment developed within MECAOLIVAR, have systems that are able to “read” the tree shape approaching or moving away nozzles for the product is applied as close as possible. Also detected the presence of the tree, so they stop working when the tree has been exceeded.

A note also presenting equipment herbicides of Jesus Ribes, notes that “feature detection sensors vegetation, whereby the nozzles are closed unless the presence of grass is detected, whereby the application is greatly reduced phytosanitary.

We have also presented equipment to improve the collection of intensive olive, as platforms or moving harvester.
It is estimated that approximately two good years of these innovations are available to professionals olive grove.
Remember also that the University of Cordoba has won the 2015 edition of the National Innovation Award in the category of Buy this project.

Source: Interprofessional Spanish Olive Oil