Araştırma Makalesi

Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture

Cilt: 23 Sayı: 2 16 Mart 2026
PDF İndir
TR EN

Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture

Öz

This study was conducted to determine the strain, stress, and resulting ergonomic risks experienced by workers during the manual harvest of cluster tomatoes grown in greenhouses. Türkiye ranks among the top three tomato producers, with tomato production varying from year to year, at approximately 13 million tons. Of this total, approximately 4.1 million tons are grown in greenhouses. Tomato cultivation contributes significantly to the national economy in both domestic and international markets. The harvesting accounts for the largest share of labor and time in the cultivation of agricultural products. In Türkiye, greenhouse farming is predominantly carried out manually due to inadequate physical conditions, lack of mechanization, and other factors. While harvesting varies depending on the task, workers often work in unusual and awkward postures. Furthermore, ripening times for tomatoes can vary depending on the variety, preventing the harvest from being completed in a single harvest. Consequently, the work performed and postures adopted during harvest are constantly repeated. Although the fruits are hand-picked during tomato harvest, this is undesirable because it damages the flesh and reduces the fruit's value. For this reason, pruning shears are widely used during harvesting. The primary manual tasks in tomato harvesting include cutting the fruit from the bunches, placing them in crates, and transporting the crates to the storage area. During this process, workers maintain five different workstations while cutting the tomato bunches: kneeling, bending forward, squatting, standing, and reaching upward. Workers' working postures were recorded during harvesting, and the AWBA scoring scale, developed for agricultural use, was used. Accordingly, of the five workstations, reaching upward picking was found to be the highest, while other postures were found to have a high risk score. The high ergonomic risk, the repetitive movements, and the greenhouse climate during harvesting were found to be sufficient to cause musculoskeletal disorders in workers. Some simple mechanization recommendations have been developed to reduce the ergonomic risk score. It is considered important and necessary to implement and test these recommendations.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Etik Beyan

There is no need to obtain permission from the ethics committee for this study.

Kaynakça

  1. Abouee-Mehrizi, A., Saed-Moucheshi, S. and Dianat, I. (2022). Review of anthropometric considerations for agricultural equipment design: A systematic review. International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management, 13(2): 571-581.
  2. Akalp, H. G., Saklangıç, U. and Çırakoğlu, S. (2021). Analysis of working postures of olive farmers using the REBA method. Ergonomi, 4(2): 88-96. (In Turkish)
  3. Anonymous (2013). The Farm Safety Association (FSA). Health and Safety Guidelines for Ontario Greenhouses Ontario (Accessed Date: 02.06.2023) http://www.farmsafety.ca/public/manuals/manual-greenhouse.pdf (In English)
  4. Anonymous (2023). Directorate of the Institute for Agricultural Economics and Policy Development. https://arastirma.tarimorman.gov.tr/tepge (Accessed Date:02.03.2026) (In Turkish)
  5. Aygün, İ., Çakmak, B. and Alayunt, F. N. (2018). Ergonomic analysis of citrus harvesting. Journal of Engineering Sciences and Design, 6: 312-318. (In Turkish)
  6. Ceccihi, M., Colantoni, A., Massantini, R. and Monarca, D. (2010). The risk of musculoskeletal disorders for workers due to repetitive movements during tomato harvesting. Journal of agricultural safety and health 16(2): 87–98. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.29593
  7. Costa, S. E. A. and Camarotto, J. A. (2012). An ergonomics approach to citrus harvest mechanization. Work, 41(Supplement 1): 5027-5032.
  8. Çay, A. and Aykaş, E. (2013). Effects of different seedling bed preparation methods and cover crop application on yield and post-harvest quality parameters in tomato production. Journal of Tekirdag Agricultural Faculty, 10(1): 105-114. (In Turkish)

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Sera Teknolojileri, Tarım Makine Sistemleri

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yayımlanma Tarihi

16 Mart 2026

Gönderilme Tarihi

25 Mart 2025

Kabul Tarihi

4 Mart 2026

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2026 Cilt: 23 Sayı: 2

Kaynak Göster

APA
Uğurlutepe, K. M., & Sauk, H. (2026). Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi, 23(2), 601-609. https://doi.org/10.33462/jotaf.1665487
AMA
1.Uğurlutepe KM, Sauk H. Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture. JOTAF. 2026;23(2):601-609. doi:10.33462/jotaf.1665487
Chicago
Uğurlutepe, Kübra Meriç, ve Hüseyin Sauk. 2026. “Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture”. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi 23 (2): 601-9. https://doi.org/10.33462/jotaf.1665487.
EndNote
Uğurlutepe KM, Sauk H (01 Mart 2026) Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi 23 2 601–609.
IEEE
[1]K. M. Uğurlutepe ve H. Sauk, “Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture”, JOTAF, c. 23, sy 2, ss. 601–609, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.33462/jotaf.1665487.
ISNAD
Uğurlutepe, Kübra Meriç - Sauk, Hüseyin. “Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture”. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi 23/2 (01 Mart 2026): 601-609. https://doi.org/10.33462/jotaf.1665487.
JAMA
1.Uğurlutepe KM, Sauk H. Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture. JOTAF. 2026;23:601–609.
MLA
Uğurlutepe, Kübra Meriç, ve Hüseyin Sauk. “Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture”. Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi, c. 23, sy 2, Mart 2026, ss. 601-9, doi:10.33462/jotaf.1665487.
Vancouver
1.Kübra Meriç Uğurlutepe, Hüseyin Sauk. Ergonomic Analysis of TomatoHarvesting in Greenhouse Agriculture. JOTAF. 01 Mart 2026;23(2):601-9. doi:10.33462/jotaf.1665487