The Jet Harvester: a shop-built tool for harvesting forb and shrub seeds

The Aberdeen Plant Materials Center has developed a harvesting machine designed to make multiple, nondestructive harvests of forb and shrub seeds. The Jet Harvester operates using a PTO-driven fan that creates suction to displace and collect seeds from plants without damaging the plants. When operated correctly, the resulting harvested material contains only ripe seeds and relatively little inert matter.