Mechanical harvester shows promise for New Mexico green chile production

For years New Mexico’s green chile crops have been hand-harvested, a practice that guaranteed minimal damage and preservation of the high quality the state’s iconic crop has enjoyed for decades. But times are changing. The labor that once was readily available to pick those mild, green chile peppers has largely disappeared and acreage has declined as producers find it more and more difficult to compete with foreign competitors. Mechanization may be the answer. Most of New Mexico’s red chile crop is harvested mechanically, says New Mexico State University plant breeder Stephanie Walker, Las Cruces. But green chile offers different challenges. It’s more fragile, more prone to break and green varieties must be de-stemmed. For the latest on southwest agriculture, please check out Southwest Farm Press Daily and receive the latest news right to your inbox “Breakage is a much bigger issue with green chiles,” Walker says, “and stems have to be removed without damaging the chile.” The mechanical aspect is close to being ready. An Israeli company has designed and tested a green chile harvester that showed promise in recent trials. “We also are working with a gentleman from India who has developed an effective de-stemmer,” Walker adds.