All Issue

2025 Vol.52, Issue 4 Preview Page

Engineering

Performance and economic analysis of onion harvesters: A comparison of tractor-mounted digger–collector combination and self-propelled integrated harvester
Jae-Seo Hwang1
,
Seung-Min Baek2
,
Seung-Yun Baek23
,
Yong-Joo Kim24
,
Wan-Soo Kim156*
1Department of Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
2Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Electric Tractor & Agricultural Machinery Institute, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
3Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
4Department of Smart Agriculture Systems Machinery Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
5Department of Smart Bio-Industrial Mechanical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
6Upland Field Machinery Research Center, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
*Corresponding Author
1 December 2025. pp. 695-710
PDF XML Citation
Abstract

Mechanization rate of onion harvesting remains low due to labor shortages and high costs. Efficient and economical mechanization strategies should be explored. This study compared performance and economic feasibility of a tractor-mounted digger–collector (Scenario 1) and a self-propelled harvester (Scenario 2). Performance was evaluated by work efficiency, loss, damage, and foreign-matter rates, while economic analysis classified costs into unit-area cost and total cost according to machine operating period and cultivated area. Scenario 2 outperformed Scenario 1, with a field capacity of 0.094 ha·h-1, a loss rate of 0.58%, and a damage rate of 4.52%, compared with 0.067 ha·h-1, 5.44%, and 22.9% for Scenario 1. However, the foreign matter rate of Scenario 2 (4.50%) was higher than that of Scenario 1 (1.24%). In the economic analysis, Scenario 2 reduced unit-area costs by up to 69.5% owing to the lower initial investment, higher operational efficiency, and reduced losses. Moreover, even as the machine operating period and cultivated area increased, Scenario 2 maintained lower costs with a smaller rate of increase. In conclusion, the self-propelled harvester exhibited greater potential for field application than the separate system in terms of operational efficiency and economic feasibility. However, the curing process, which may affect storability, was not considered and should be addressed in future studies.

Keywords
economic analysis
onion collector
onion harvester
onion harvesting
work performance
References
1

Choi IS, Kang NR, Choi KS, Woo JK, Kim YH, Yu SH, Choi Y, Kim YK. 2023. Design·manufacture and performance evaluation of gathering type garlic harvesting machine. Journal of Drive and Control 20:64-70. [in Korean]

10.7839/ksfc.2023.20.4.064
2

Hong SJ, Paek Y, Kang DH, Kim HC, Lee SH, Moon SP, Min BG, Nam YJ, Kwon SG, Kim DE. 2023. A study on the onion stem cutting prototype attached to a tractor. Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial Cooperation Society 24:247-255. [in Korean]

10.5762/KAIS.2023.24.7.247
3

Hwang JS, Kang YS, Lee KY, Kim WS. 2024. Analysis of the performance of onion harvester in the onion cultivation environment of Gyeongsangnam-do. Journal of Agricultural Machinery Engineering 4:1-8. [in Korean]

10.12972/jame.20240001
4

Kim TJ, Jeon HH, Siddique MA, Choi JY, Kim YJ. 2023. Development and performance analysis of a crawler-based driving platform for upland farming. Journal of Drive and Control 20:100-106. [in Korean]

10.7839/KSFC.2023.20.4.100
5

KNOC (Korea National Oil Corporation). 2025. Domestic oil price statistics: Tax-free fuel average selling price. Accessed in https://www.opinet.co.kr/user/dopospdrg/dopOsPdrgTaxfreeSelect.do on 28 August 2025. [in Korean]

6

Koo YM, Kim BM. 2018. Field capacity and cost analyses of an integrated tractor implement for flat ridge preparation. Journal of Agriculture & Life Science 52:137-149. [in Korean]

10.14397/jals.2018.52.5.137
7

Koo YM. 2021. Field capacity and cost analyses of an integrated tractor implement for round ridge preparation. Journal of Agriculture & Life Science 55:115-124. [in Korean]

10.14397/jals.2021.55.5.115
8

KOSIS (Korean Statistical Information Service). 2024a. Farm population by age and gender. Accessed in https://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=101&tblId=DT_1EA1040&conn_path=I2 on 28 August 2025. [in Korean]

9

KOSIS (Korean Statistical Information Service). 2024b. 2024 Production Survey Results of Barley, Garlic, and Onion. [in Korean]

10

KOSIS (Korean Statistical Information Service). 2025a. Field vegetable cultivated area: Agricultural area survey. Accessed in https://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=101&tblId=DT_1ET0013&conn_path=I2 on 28 August 2025. [in Korean]

11

KOSIS (Korean Statistical Information Service). 2025b. Farm sales and purchase price survey: Farm purchase price index. Accessed in https://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=101&tblId=DT_1J62&conn_path=I2 on 28 August 2025. [in Korean]

12

Kwon YK, Lee YJ. 2023. Effects of impact by mechanical harvesting on storability of onions (Allium cepa L.). Korean Journal of Food Preservation 30:811-821. [in Korean]

10.11002/kjfp.2023.30.5.811
13

Lee HN, Kim YJ. 2023. Development of a multi-purpose driving platform for Radish and Chinese cabbage harvester. Journal of Drive and Control 20:35-41. [in Korean]

10.7839/KSFC.2023.20.3.035
14

Lee SH, Kim WK, Eo JW, Lee SB, Choi DG, Park SH, Kang YK, Cheon CU. 2024. Field test of harvesting mechanization technology of onion at Shinan area. Journal of Drive and Control 21:20-27. [in Korean]

10.7839/KSFC.2024.21.3.020
15

Ndereyimana A, Koyama S, Kagiraneza B. 2020. Effect of curing and storage temperature on shelf life of onion (Allium cepa L.) bulbs. Fundamental and Applied Agriculture 5:235-242.

10.5455/faa.97770
16

NongNet. 2025. Joint market information: Onion prices. Accessed in https://www.nongnet.or.kr/front/M000000260/marketInfo/jointMarket.do on 29 August 2025. [in Korean]

17

Osipov A, Shumaev V, Ekielski A, Gataullin T, Suvorov S, Mishurov S, Gataullin S. 2022. Identification and classification of mechanical damage during continuous harvesting of root crops using computer vision methods. IEEE Access 10:28885-28894.

10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3157619
18

RDA (Rural Development Administration). 2016. In-Depth Analysis Group Report: Current Status of Upland Crop Mechanization and Product Development Strategy. [in Korean]

19

RDA (Rural Development Administration). 2024. 2024 Standards for Economic Feasibility Analysis of Agricultural Science and Technology. [in Korean]

20

Shockley JM, Dillon CR, Shearer SA. 2019. An economic feasibility assessment of autonomous field machinery in grain crop production. Precision Agriculture 20:1068-1085.

10.1007/s11119-019-09638-w
21

Siddique MAA, Jeon HH, Park JD, Lee SH, Kim YJ. 2025. Power requirement analysis and performance evaluation using a self-propelled harvester simulation model for potato harvesting. Journal of Drive and Control 22:1-7.

10.7839/KSFC.2024.22.1.001
22

Woo JK, Choi KS, Choi IS, Choi Y, Yu SH. 2023. Field test for regional adaptability improvement of garlic harvesting mechanization technology. Journal of Drive and Control 20:107-114. [in Korean]

10.7839/KSFC.2023.20.4.107
Information
  • Publisher :Institute of Agricultural Science, Chungnam National University
  • Publisher(Ko) :충남대학교 농업과학연구소
  • Journal Title :Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
  • Journal Title(Ko) :농업과학연구
  • Volume : 52
  • No :4
  • Pages :695-710
  • Received Date : 2025-10-01
  • Revised Date : 2025-11-17
  • Accepted Date : 2025-11-20
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7744/kjoas.520424
Journal Informaiton Korean Journal of Agricultural Science Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
Online Submission
  • NRF
  • KOFST
  • crossref funder-registry
  • KISTI Current Status
  • KISTI Cited-by
  • crosscheck
  • orcid
  • open access
  • ccl
Journal Informaiton Journal Informaiton - close