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<p>Sweet cherry is a high-value temperate fruit cultivated predominantly in Jammu &amp; Kashmir, India; however, post-harvest processing in region remains constrained by lack of efficient mechanized pitting systems, with most operations still performed manually or using hand-operated devices. This study presents the design, development, and performance evaluation of a power-operated cherry pitter specifically tailored to local cultivars. The developed system aims to bridge a critical technological gap in regional cherry processing by enhancing throughput while maintaining fruit integrity. The system was compared with manual and hand-operated pitting methods using fresh cherries. Results revealed that power-operated pitter achieved the highest throughput capacity (30.0 kgh<sup>− 1</sup>; effective 24.6 kgh<sup>− 1</sup>), nearly four times that of the hand-operated device and seven times greater than manual pitting. While the hand-operated pitter exhibited slightly higher efficiency (91.12%) than the mechanized system (82.13%), the latter offered substantial labour savings (33.33 man-hours/tonne, a reduction of ~ 75% compared to hand-operated and ~ 90% compared to manual pitting). Fruit quality was preserved effectively, with a coefficient of wholeness (0.933) than hand-operated pitting (0.930) and superior to manual pitting (0.200). Economic analysis confirmed viability, with a BCR of 2.3, BEP of 2889.47&#xa0;kg, and a short PBP of 96.91&#xa0;h. Overall, the developed power-operated cherry pitter ensures higher throughput, reduced labour dependence, and economic viability, making it suitable for small- and medium-scale cherry processing in J&amp;K. The equipment has strong potential to strengthen regional value addition, reduce post-harvest losses, and support the modernization of cherry processing units.</p>

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Design and performance evaluation of a power-operated cherry pitter

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月2日

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  • Rumysa Khan,
  • Syed Zameer Hussain,
  • Nusrat Jan,
  • Ilyas Ahmad N. Shah,
  • Shaheen Farhat,
  • Tawheed Amin,
  • Imtiyaz Ahmad Zargar

摘要

Sweet cherry is a high-value temperate fruit cultivated predominantly in Jammu & Kashmir, India; however, post-harvest processing in region remains constrained by lack of efficient mechanized pitting systems, with most operations still performed manually or using hand-operated devices. This study presents the design, development, and performance evaluation of a power-operated cherry pitter specifically tailored to local cultivars. The developed system aims to bridge a critical technological gap in regional cherry processing by enhancing throughput while maintaining fruit integrity. The system was compared with manual and hand-operated pitting methods using fresh cherries. Results revealed that power-operated pitter achieved the highest throughput capacity (30.0 kgh− 1; effective 24.6 kgh− 1), nearly four times that of the hand-operated device and seven times greater than manual pitting. While the hand-operated pitter exhibited slightly higher efficiency (91.12%) than the mechanized system (82.13%), the latter offered substantial labour savings (33.33 man-hours/tonne, a reduction of ~ 75% compared to hand-operated and ~ 90% compared to manual pitting). Fruit quality was preserved effectively, with a coefficient of wholeness (0.933) than hand-operated pitting (0.930) and superior to manual pitting (0.200). Economic analysis confirmed viability, with a BCR of 2.3, BEP of 2889.47 kg, and a short PBP of 96.91 h. Overall, the developed power-operated cherry pitter ensures higher throughput, reduced labour dependence, and economic viability, making it suitable for small- and medium-scale cherry processing in J&K. The equipment has strong potential to strengthen regional value addition, reduce post-harvest losses, and support the modernization of cherry processing units.