Parameter Optimization of the Swing Harvesting of Lycium barbarum L. Based on Response Surface Methodology

Traditional manual harvesting of Lycium barbarum L. is slow and costly. In this study, the vibration harvesting method was adopted, and the ripe fruit fall off by inertia force. According to this theory, a hand-held swing harvester was designed. Through reading literature and practical experiments, the main influencing factors and value range are obtained. On this basis, field experiments were carried out to optimize the working parameters of the swing harvester. The mathematical model between the index and the parameters was established based on response surface methodology (RSM). The effects of various working parameters on the index were analyzed, and the best parameters were: a swing angle of 49.58°, a swing radius of 72.53 mm, and a swing frequency of 11.21 Hz. The field experiment showed that the harvesting rate of ripe fruit was 94.18%, the harvesting rate of unripe fruit was 3.18%, the damage rate of ripe fruit was 5.06%, and the comprehensive picking index was 95.20. This study will provide a basis for improving the harvesting efficiency of L. barbarum and a reference for the subsequent mechanization of harvesting.