Abstract
Fluffy seeds of native wildflowers are difficult to harvest using traditional equipment and methods. We modified intake and storage on a tractor-drawn leaf vacuum machine to better harvest fluffy seeded species such as aster (Aster L. [Asteraceae]) and narrowleaf silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia (Michx.) Nutt. [Asteraceae]). By inserting collection bags inside the vacuum and creating a vacuum hood to ride over the rows of plants, only 1 person is needed for the harvest process. The modified equipment allows us to make repeated harvests over the several-week ripening period and it removes only ripe seeds from the plants.
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