AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECT OF USING DIFFERENT HARVESTING METHODS ON THE INDICATORS OF POTATO CROP LOSS

An experiment was conducted in Nineveh, Iraq. The study evaluates the efficacy of three methods for harvesting potato crops (Semi-Mechanized Harvesting, which includes single-row and two-row harvesting, and manual harvesting). Evaluation through study effects of ways on the undamaged tubers, severely damaged tubers, slightly damaged tubers, qualitative loss, quantitative loss, produced tubers, the time of the harvest process, and harvest costs with the total loss which goes in line with each method). The best performance was obtained for semi-mechanized harvest (2-row harvesters); it recorded the lowest percentage of severely damaged tubers of 0.2 ton. ha -1 and the highest rate of lifted tubers was 24.6 ton. ha-1. The production of the best sample about 25.49 ton. ha -1 while the highest productivity about 2.24 ha. h -1 . Moreover, the lowest harvest costs were 4.5$. ha -1 , and less time for completion of the harvest process was 0.44 h. ha -1 . At the same time, the manual harvesting process has recorded a higher percentage of undamaged tubers was 20.76 ton. ha-1 and a lower percentage of damaged tubers about 3.63 ton. ha -1 , a lower percentage of quantitative loss of 0.49 ton. ha-1, and less loss in total quantity of 877 $. ha -1 . Finally, in the manual harvesting process, the farmer needs 45 workers to complete per hectare within an hour. College of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Mosul.