With electric harvesting machine ready for the future of blueberry cultivation

The Harvy 500 breaks with traditional notions of a harvesting machine. There is no driver's seat, but there is a small instrument panel on the right side (with code yellow), including a view of the battery charge level. - Photos: mark Pasveer

Blueberry grower Rik Harmsma in the Netherlands has transitioned from traditional hand-picking to mechanically harvesting blueberries with a fully electrically powered harvesting machine, the FineField Harvy 500.

When Rik Harmsma became the owner of a 16-hectare blueberry farm in 2007, he immediately knew that mechanization needed an overhaul. An old Holder A60 narrow-track tractor was the first to go. It was replaced by a Deutz Agrokid, which was later replaced by a New Holland.

For berry picking, the entrepreneur was mainly dependent on hand-picking. With the arrival of a fully electrically powered harvesting machine, that is now a thing of the past. In 2023, the Dutch company harvested blueberries for the first time with a brand-new harvesting machine. Interesting detail: it is the first variant on caterpillar tracks.

_{Text continues below picture}

The roof of the Harvy is composed of solar panels that, under favorable conditions, deliver 3.5 kW per hour. This corresponds to the consumption. A 20 kW Li-ion battery on board stores excess power and allows work to be done on a dark day. For emergencies, there is a small generator on board.

Substantial investment in FineField Harvy 500

The decisive factor to invest significantly in mechanical harvesting was primarily the discontinuation of a fixed harvesting team and the problems associated with finding skilled people. Additionally, labor in the Netherlands is expensive, with picking costs amounting to about € 2 per kilogram of berries. A hand-picker picks 10 kilograms per hour from the bushes. The new harvesting machine picks 800 kilograms per hour.

Transporter for crates self-built

The harvesting capacity is partly determined by the logistics around harvesting. In previous years, the berries from the hand-pickers came in a steady stream. With the arrival of the mechanical harvesting machine, after an hour you have filled a hundred crates that need to be swiftly taken off the field. To stack the crates quickly to a height of 14 to 18 pieces and still be able to drive smoothly, Harmsma developed a transport cart. The combination had to be lightweight to prevent the soft peat soil from rutting. Rik Harmsma conceived the concept, and son Bart did the construction work.

Manually, the crates are taken out of the hopper of the harvesting machine and then stacked on a pallet. The transport cart can lift such a pallet as a whole and also encloses the entire stack of crates, ensuring they remain securely in place. When using a forklift mast, there is a risk of falling cargo, and the weight on the rear axle of the tractor is substantial. A compact Mitsubishi tractor on wide lawn tires pulls the cart. The combination suits the grower well, a win-win situation: better for the soil and safe for the soft fruit.

_{Text continues below picture}

The Harmsma family cultivates 16 hectares of blueberries on a farm in in the Netherlands, where the cultivation has a rich history dating back a century. They primarily supply the berries through the auction in to traders. They also sell a portion themselves in their farm shop.

Gently picking blueberries

Carefully and almost silently, the Harvy 500 moves through the rows of blueberry bushes. At first glance, it doesn’t really look like a harvesting machine. No large bunkers where the fruit flows in via conveyor belts and sieve units. The blueberry harvesting machine neatly collects the harvested yield in containers, which the FineField Harvy 500 stacks on both sides in a ‘stacker’.

The performance of the harvesting machine is impressive. The machine manages to shake off 800 to 1,000 kilograms of blueberries from the bushes every hour with rotating vibrating fingers. Onboard is room for up to 1 ton of berries. Two large electric motors, neatly hidden under the feed line, provide the machine with sufficient power. The energy comes from the roof, where solar panels do their job. Excess electricity is stored in a 20 kW Li-ion battery.

Text continues below the video

Wide range of harvesting machines

Harvesting machines for the fresh market of soft fruit are available in many variations. The Harvy 500 from the Dutch company FineField is the first fully electrically powered harvesting machine and therefore unique in its kind.

The American company Oxbo (Ploeger Oxbo Group) builds harvesting machines for blackberries, raspberries, and also blueberries. The large self-propelled 7450 and 7440 from Oxbo have a platform above the picking tunnel. Here is room for the driver and crew members who fill and store the crates. These four-wheel-drive self-propelled machines are equipped with a Kubota engine. There is also a towed variant, suitable for a light tractor of at least 30 hp. The Oxbo machines work with rotating fingers that stroke the berries from the plant.
The Serbian manufacturer Kokan delivers harvesting machines that use a combination of fingers and air pressure. The berries are blown off the bushes, so to speak. There is a self-propelled 600 T, as well as a towed version. The American company Blueline delivers the self-propelled Blue BH200 with a platform.

_{Text continues below picture}

Moving to the headland to the next row of bushes is easily done by lowering the wheels attached to a frame. This allows the machine to maneuver smoothly without the need for twisting the tracks.

Combination of wheels and tracks

Satisfied, grower Rik watches as son Folkert guides the machine a row further on the headland with the remote control. A set of wheels on a movable frame lowers and takes over from the tracks. This allows you to quickly, without turning and twisting, move to a new row of bushes. The wheels have a light footprint. “That’s why we chose tracks,” explains the grower. “We are here on peat soil, and almost everything sinks in.”

Looking back, Harmsma can only conclude that the harvest season has exceeded expectations. As is often the case with new things, there is still some fine-tuning to be done. The feeding of the bushes can be improved by adjusting the guidance. Also, the steering, now still mechanically activated by steering sensors, will likely function better with GPS. The manufacturer deserves praise for their support. Technicians often tackle malfunctions remotely. The Harvy 500 does not have a clear front or back. How do you tell support where you locate a problem? The machine has a good answer to that. Each side has a color code, so there can be no misunderstanding.

_{Text continues below picture}

The light but effective combination ensures good logistics around the harvesting machine. Harmsma developed the crate wagon himself. The era of a harvesting train with carts behind the tractor is over with the arrival of this new harvesting machine. The new method requires a different logistics approach.

100 years of blueberry cultivation

For the Drenthe entrepreneurs, it is a special year. The harvesting machine is already a milestone, and they also celebrate a 100-year anniversary. The company has been cultivating blueberries for a century. Part of the historic orchard is still intact, although the days of the ancient trees are numbered. Fruit trees need to be renewed regularly, explains the entrepreneur. A tree is past its peak production after several decades. New planting is part of it, and especially with a view to mechanical harvesting, the choice of varieties is important. The blueberry variety Liberty suits the grower best because of its beautiful upright growth and large fruits. The bushes grow straight vertically and bear large berries.

Weed, fungus, and aphid spraying A blueberry grower is busy year-round. Pruning, mowing, covering beds with reed fiber, and of course, machine maintenance. Spraying is minimal, but you cannot avoid controlling weeds. Additionally, you must be alert to fungi and aphids. For spraying work, a recent orchard sprayer from Munckhof stands in the machinery shed, connected to a 75 hp New Holland narrow-track tractor. Ferrari narrow-track tractor favorite on the farm.

_{Text continues below picture}

Flexible, rotating fingers sweep the ripe blueberries off the bushes. It doesn't take much force to detach a ripe blueberry from the plant. The blue brushes, which end in a collection tray, carry the berries to the crates that go into stackers on both sides of the harvesting machine. There is room for up to 100 crates in the two compartments.

An Italian Ferrari narrow-trac

In addition to the modern spraying combination stands a favorite of the company, an Italian Ferrari narrow-track with reverse drive. Harmsma praises the small Italian for its ease of use. The only downside is the lack of a cabin. A future successor will have one, for a bit more luxury. The tractor mainly runs with a flail mower, an indispensable tool for fruit growers. Harmsma buys a new Chinese flail mower every two years. “Those things cost less than € 1,800, so there’s always a fresh mower on the farm. We like it when things work when we need them, so we don’t have to tinker first.”