Evaluation of vibratory harvesting system for American Elderberry

Authors: RIFAT, SAZZAD - University Of Missouri; ZHOU, JIANFENG - University Of Missouri; THOMAS, ANDREW - University Of Missouri; LIM, TENG-TEEH - University Of Missouri; KRISHNASWAMY, KIRUBA - University Of Missouri

Submitted to: Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/9/2026
Publication Date: 5/29/2026
Citation: Rifat, S.M., Zhou, J., Thomas, A.L., Lim, T., Krishnaswamy, K. 2026. Evaluation of vibratory harvesting system for American Elderberry. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19357-26.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19357-26

Interpretive Summary: The global elderberry market is experiencing rapid growth, with a projected increase of $389.8 million between 2023 and 2028 at a compound annual growth rate of 8.8% (Technavio 2024). Elderberry remains significantly underdeveloped as a commercial crop (Byers et al. 2012). Although Europe dominates production, especially in Germany and Austria, the United States is increasing its cultivation acreage steadily, particularly in Missouri, which accounted for 607 of the 2627 acres planted nationwide in 2022 (US Department of Agriculture–National Agricultural Statistics Service 2022). American elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis) is one of the indigenous elderberry species that is distributed across a significant region of North America (Charlebois et al. 2010). The berries have been used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments as a result of their rich content of antioxidants and vitamins (Tiralongo et al. 2016; Vujanovi
c et al. 2020). Because of its health benefits and high-quality processed products, elderberry cultivation is gaining popularity among farmers (McKay 2001). Elderberry health benefits and versatile uses in food, medicinal, and industrial applications drive its increasing popularity among farmers and consumers (Charlebois et al. 2010; Thomas et al. 2020). Despite its potential, commercial cultivation of elderberry is still in its early stages, with research and market development lagging behind other specialty crops (Byers et al. 2012). To facilitate the expansion of its commercial viability program, it is necessary to overcome obstacles related to production techniques, market awareness, and supply chain development. Despite these developments, significant challenges remain, including low consumer familiarity with elderberry products and competition from established alternatives such as blackberry and grape jellies (Mohebalian et al. 2013). Efforts to enhance consumer awareness, improve production efficiency, and introduce value-added products are essential to realize the full economic potential of elderberry as a commercial crop.

Technical Abstract: American elderberry has shown strong market demand and significant benefits for human health. However, challenges in labor availability and cost have limited production scale. We evaluated the feasibility of a vibratory harvest system for elderberry and quantify the impacts of shaking stroke length and frequency on harvest efficiency. A portable vibratory harvest system with three types of interchangeable shaker head designs was tested to harvest elderberry clusters by applying vibration directly to clusters with four shaking frequencies (15, 18, 20, and 22 Hz) and three stroke lengths (15.9, 25.4, and 31.8 mm). Field tests were conducted at elderberry farms with different cultivars to harvest fruit at varying maturity levels. Results show that frequency and stroke length have a significant effect on harvest rate. Specifically, a combination of a higher frequency (22 Hz) and longer shaking stroke length (31.8 mm) achieved the greatest harvest rate (7.53 g·s–1) with the lowest retention of fruit (5.6%); however, harvested fruit with a lower maturity index (87.0%) had more cluster damage. In a different scenario, fruit with a maturity level of 97.6% underwent a combination of a median shaking stroke length of 15.9 mm and a vibration frequency of 18 Hz, and realized a fruit detachment of 92.8%, with a harvest rate of 3.35 g·s–1, indicating that the median frequency (18 and 20 Hz) and shorter shaking stroke length (15.9 mm) might achieve balanced harvest performance. This study, for the first time, evaluated the feasibility of vibratory harvest in elderberry and developed a baseline for balanced vibration frequency, stroke length, and shaker head. A systematic study using mathematical simulation should be conducted in the future to understand more fully the tree–fruit response to vibratory excitation.