Testing started last month to document the impact of rough handling on melon internal quality. Using a melon fitted with a sensor provided by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, the project team have been dropping melons from heights of 100mm, 200mm, 400mm and 600mm onto hard surfaces to measure the shock on the melons. Once the shock measurement has been recorded, the melon is left for a week to enable any potential bruising to develop, and then it’s cut open to allow the project team to inspect the internal impact of the drop.
Initial results show even a 100mm drop - about the height of a hand - onto concrete can generate forces of 15–20g and cause significant internal bruising.
For context, the G-forces recorded on melons in these tests are well beyond what humans can withstand. Fighter pilots can endure up to 9g for short periods, astronauts experience about 3g at launch and sustained G forces of 6g or more would be fatal. Melons being transported on-farm, processed in packing sheds, and transported from the farm to the distribution centres can routinely experience 10–20g, and dropping melons or throwing them into bins can generate even higher forces.
The drop testing is an extension of the shock testing research that started in July 2024 to measure the the impact of transportation and packhouse machinery on melons. The aim is to help the industry understand and reduce the damage caused to melons throughout the supply chain, ensuring consistently good eating quality at retail.
Project Lead Mark Loeffen explains, “The shock testing work is an important addition to the main project, ensuring the hard work done by growers and packers to deliver consistent eating quality isn’t undone by poor handling or transport. The results will help the industry develop guidelines to manage G-forces through the supply chain and keep melons in the best possible condition for consumers.”
