Economic comparison of selective and nonselective mechanical harvesting of asparagus

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is normally harvested by hand. The use of mechanical harvesters might provide an opportunity to improve harvest quality. Selectiv eand nonselective asparagus mechanical harvesters were compared to manual harvesting at different levels of efficacy to determine what is more profitable for producers. Three critical aspects of the mechanical harvesters were identified: collection rate, collateral damage, and damage to spears harvested.