How are they used in harvest assist?
This video provides helpful information about how to ensure Burros operate as expected when working. In short, users should ensure that work sites have relatively clean rows. Users should also push packing tables to the opposite row and select full rows so that Burros can enter/exit easily. Be sure to train crews so they understand how best to use Burro.
The images below illustrate how we see table grape growers laying out their harvesting crews on top, and the optimal way we have observed to harvest with Burros below.
Set-up 1
Six to eight people per Burro in a group
- Videos here, here and here
- Totes are IDed with no leaf, one leaf, a dried leaf or a stick
- Users become a group and are responsible for operating Burros, but teams remain
- Consistent gains of 20-30 percent
Central Field Pack
Six to eight people per Burro
- Some growers are moving to central field pack production. In this style use, the pack team is a production line with the process of packing broken down
- Pickers pick field totes and scan them onto Burro (video here); data goes online for management
- People paid individually for performance
- 30-50%+ gains with better QC are attainable in this format, although it requires more extensive production workflow changes
