| 摘要 |
An apparatus for harvesting produce such as tomatoes and the like growing on plastic mulch covered beds without damage to the plastic mulch or to the fruits, and a method for such harvesting. A narrow reciprocating cutter is moved along the line of plants a short distance above the surface of the plastic film and maintained at the selected height by an automatic height control. A lifting device lifts pendant plant foliage and fruit clear of the plastic mulch surface and above the cutter. After cutting of the stem, a plant is engaged by a conveyor that carries it to the rear of the apparatus. A reel having flexible paddles urges the plants onto the conveyor. The plastic mulch and associated irrigation tubing is not disturbed and other crops may be planted without replacement of the plastic. The apparatus may be pulled and powered from a high clearance tractor in which instance the plants are redeposited on the bed surface for wilting. The apparatus alternatively may be used to replace the below-the-ground cutters of a conventional harvester for tomatoes or the like, and the cut plants deposited on the prior art harvester front end conveyor for in-the-field processing.
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