Platform vs bag and ladder picking

May 2022 | Susie Murphy White | Future Orchards® Western Australia trial report

This trial compared platform harvesting with conventional bag-and-ladder picking. Harvest is one of the most labour-intensive orchard operations, so even modest changes in worker movement, ladder use, fruit handling and bin logistics can affect both cost and fruit quality.

The comparison is relevant only when the orchard system suits platform operation. Row width, canopy height and depth, terrain, crop distribution and access all influence whether workers can use a platform efficiently.

Beyond picking speed, growers should consider worker fatigue, training, fruit handling, bruising risk, machinery utilisation and the amount of non-picking time spent moving ladders, bags or bins. A platform can deliver value across several operations if it is also used for pruning, training or thinning.

The report gives growers a commercial reference for assessing whether investment in a picking platform matches their orchard architecture, labour system and expected utilisation.