Platforms for orchard labour

January 2021 | Future Orchards® | Video presentation

Platforms can change both the productivity and the nature of orchard work. This Future Orchards® video examines how platforms can reduce ladder use, improve access to the canopy and support labour-saving work across multiple orchard operations.

The key point is that the machine and the orchard must be designed to work together. Simple, narrow and accessible canopies allow staff to remain productive from the platform, while uneven fruit distribution, excessive tree width or steep terrain can reduce efficiency.

The resource provides growers with a practical basis for thinking about platform adoption as a whole-of-orchard decision, including safety, training, machine utilisation and the ability to use the equipment beyond harvest.