2008 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) The main objective of this cooperative research project is to continue testing ARS's mobile Platform for fruit culture tasks and harvest assist in modern orchards. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) The picking aid developed at the Appalachian Fruit Research Station will be loaned to Karen Lewis, Washington State University, Prosser, WA for the 2007, 2008, and 2009 seasons. The project will include measurement of efficiency and productivity in various orchard tasks completed with the use of the platform. Ergonomic interventions, worker safety issues and best management practices for platform use will be determined. Orchard systems (design, management) specifications for platform compatibility will be determined. 3.Progress Report The research addresses NP 305 Crop Production Component I: Integrated Sustainable Crop Production Systems, Problem Statements 1B.1, Develop Integrated Strategies for the Management of Pests and Environmental Factors that Impact Yield, Quality, and Profitability of Perennial Crops; 1B.2, Develop Mechanization and Automation Practices that Increase Production Efficiency; and 1B.3, Develop Perennial Crop Production Systems that are Productive, Profitable, and Environmentally Acceptable. The ARS mobile platform has been under evaluation and part of a research protocol in Washington State for several years. The machine was first evaluated as a harvest/picking machine with attached sorting tables and bin filler. When it was determined that the sorting and bin filling engineering would not meet our needs, these components were physically removed from the machine. The "platform" on which all of this rode on the other hand proved to be robust and dependable enough for orchard work. The availability of this self steering, semi autonomous machine sparked a resurgence of field automation/mechanization research in the apple and pear industry. Yearly studies have been conducted to measure the efficiency of work done on the platform compared to the same work done using ladders. Across studies and platforms and tasks, efficiencies were gained using platforms in the following tasks: blossom thinning green fruitlet thinning, summer pruning, tree training, and dormant pruning. Efficiencies gained range from 22-67%. The original work with the ARS platform led to the development of the several models of the commercially available Blueline Manufacturing self steer platform and the towed platform available through Northstar manufacturing. In 2007, it was determined that for widespread adoption of platforms, platforms would have to be built to fit across several orchard block configurations and tree architecture systems. Not only did width have to be adjustable, so did height. In many cases, it was found that having two starting points for height was the best configuration. We responded and had Blueline Manufacturing marry a Blueline platform (sans engine and wheels) to the ARS platform. This platform is now more adaptable to the systems. In summary, the ARS platform has been evaluated under several orchard systems and tasks, it has performed superbly in terms of mechanical robustness, and it is considered to be the prototype for the current commercial platforms that are manufactured in the United States. The work has resulted in efficiency benchmarks, economic assessments of technology adoption, and the development of best management practices for platform work in orchards. The ADODR has monitored activities through calls and emails.