RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Equipment Modifications for Harvesting Fluffy Seeds
JF Native Plants Journal
JO NATIVE PLANTS JOURNAL
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 114
OP 115
DO 10.3368/npj.2.2.114
VO 2
IS 2
A1 Jennifer Kujawski
A1 John Englert
A1 Dan Dusty
A1 R Jay Ugiansky
YR 2001
UL http://npj.uwpress.org/content/2/2/114.abstract
AB 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.