Evaluation of the Technical and Economical Feasibilities of a Suspended Wagon for Transporting Fresh Peaches from the Field to the Packinghouse

Every year Georgia’s peach producers losses approximately 8 to 10 percent of their crop to the bruising ride peaches endure from the orchard to the packinghouse. Conventional peach wagons are built without any shock absorbing devices. To help producers cut these losses; a peach wagon with a full suspension system was developed through a collaborative project between Fort Valley State University (FVSU) and the University of Georgia (UGA). The peach wagon was built from a salvage pick-up truck chassis. The frame was extended to 5.5 m long. Racks for holding four bins and two running boards were attached to the frame. A tongue was then added for pulling and steering. The performance of the FVSU-UGA peach wagon was tested at a commercial packing company in 2003 and 2004. Samples of peaches without any imperfection were placed in the conventional wagon and the FVSU-UGA wagon at the orchard. The samples were collected at the packing house and transported to the laboratory for visual inspection for bruises (mechanical damage). It was found that the FVSU-UGA wagon helped to reduce bruising from one to four percents.