Size and mass indices of walnuts during the harvesting period

Abstract

The article considers the scientific problem of determining the size and mass parameters of walnuts during the harvesting period, which allows implementing theories of separation of the fruit from the fruit branch to substantiate the parameters and modes of operation of nut harvesters and means for mechanized harvesting of walnuts.

During the harvesting period, there is a simultaneous ripening of nuts both in the area of plantings and on a single tree. Mechanized harvesting involves continuous shaking of nuts that are at different stages of ripening. Collected nuts are separated into three groups: the first group – nuts collected together with the pericarp; the second group – nuts that were in the cracked pericarp; the third group – nuts from the fully opened pericarp.

The size and mass indicators include: fruit weight, length, width and thickness. The research was conducted on three regionalized varieties of walnut: Bukovynsky 1, Chernivetsy 1 and Yablunivsky. The sample was 100 nuts of each group and variety.

The weight of fruits of the Bukovynsky 1 grade lies within, for the first, second and third groups 42,48 – 70,33 g, 13,9 – 22,98 g and 10,09 – 14,17 g at average value of 54,54 g , 18,47 g, 12,18 g respectively. These indicators for the variety Chernivеtsy 1 are: fruits of the first group – 40,53 – 67,26 g; the second group – 11,62 – 23,15 g and the third group – 8,18 – 14,42 g with an average value of 51,71 g, 17,63 g and 11,61 g. group – 36,32 – 60,87 g; second group – 11,35 – 21,02 g; the third group – 8,05 – 12,51 g with an average value of 47,9 g, 15,94 g and 10,5 g. The limits of change in fruit weight of different groups for a confidence interval of 5 – 95% will be: 39,88 – 64,03 g for nuts of the first group in the fetus; 12,94 – 22,21 g – nuts of the second group from cracked fruit; 8,71 – 13,72 g – fruits from fully opened fetus.

The size parameters of nuts, as well as their weight, different varieties vary slightly, they depend more on the group: the fruit in the fetus or without it. The average sizes of walnuts for varieties Bukovynsky 1, Chernivetsy 1 and Yablunivsky are: nuts in the fruit - thickness 45,53 – 45,976 mm, width 46,71 – 48,19 mm and length 51,99 – 57,52 mm, and for fruits without fertilization, these parameters will be respectively – 31,56 – 32,17 mm (thickness), 32,34 – 48,19 mm (width) and 37,64 – 41,73 mm (length).