Study of the Strength Properties of Pistachio Nuts and Cluster Stem Joints for the Design and Development of a Harvesting Machine

Abstract

A consideration of the design and development of any harvesting machine is required to determine the physical and biomechanical properties of the tree and its fruit. Biomechanical properties such as pull, bending and torsion strengths must be determined. In the field experiments, trees were selected from an orchard in Rafsanjan, Kerman Province, Iran. Parameters related to fruit properties were measured using load cells. In Rafsanjan’s Pistachio Research Institute laboratory, subsequent measurements were made using similar instrumentation. In a randomized design layout, 18 tree cultivars with five replications were selected. The maximum pull, bending, and torsion strengths were found respectively for Badami Ravar, Momtaze Tajabadi and Italiaee cultivar clusters. Minimum pull, bending, and torsional strengths were obtained for Ghazvini, Louk and Kalleh Ghoochi clusters. The cultivars Kalleh Ghoochi, Rezaee Zoodras and Khanjari Damghan were found to have fruit with the highest pull, bending, and torsional strengths, with the lowest strengths belonging to the Italiaee cultiva