How to harvest coriander: best practices for farms

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is a strategic crop both for the fresh herb market and for the food industry that uses its seeds. For agricultural companies and professional growers, knowing how to harvest coriander means accurately planning the harvest timing, using the most efficient techniques and employing the right machinery to achieve high and consistent yields.

How to know when coriander is ready to harvest

For a professional farm, identifying the exact harvest time is crucial to optimise yield and product quality:

• Fresh leaf production (fresh market and fourth range): harvesting should take place when plants reach 15–20 cm in height, approximately 30–45 days after sowing. Leaves must be uniform, without yellowing, and with maximum aromatic intensity.
• Seed production (food and spice industry): harvesting is scheduled when 60–70% of the umbels have reached physiological maturity, with fruits turning light brown.

Scheduling is fundamental: harvesting too early means losing aroma and commercial weight, while harvesting too late causes seed dispersion and yield loss.

How long the coriander harvest cycle lasts

The harvest cycle depends on the crop’s purpose:

• Fresh leaves: harvesting starts 30–35 days after sowing and can continue with staggered cuts up to 70–80 days, allowing for multiple harvest passes.
• Seeds: the cycle takes on average 100–120 days, with yields ranging from 1 to 1.5 t/ha under optimal conditions.

For farms, knowing these timings precisely is essential to plan work shifts, labour use and machinery operation efficiently.

How to harvest coriander on a professional scale

Harvesting techniques vary depending on the production chain:

• Fresh leaves: manual harvesting is not sustainable for large surfaces. The Ortomec belt harvesters are designed for intensive operations: they guarantee a homogeneous, adjustable-height cut while preserving leaf integrity and minimising mechanical damage or waste. This ensures the quality standards required by the fourth-range (fresh-cut) market.
• Seeds: mechanical harvesting is performed with combine harvesters or uprooting systems, followed by controlled drying. It is essential to minimise field losses and ensure harvest uniformity.

Mechanisation is now essential: it reduces labour costs, increases productivity and allows farms to respect increasingly narrow harvest windows.

Post-harvest management of coriander

The post-harvest stage is decisive for commercial quality:

• Fresh leaves: they must be immediately sent to pre-cooling and maintained at 0–5 °C. The cold chain is indispensable to preserve freshness, aroma and shelf life.
• Seeds: they must be dried to 9–10% humidity, followed by cleaning and storage in ventilated silos or warehouses. Poor management can compromise entire batches, causing aroma loss and mould development.

For professional operators, post-harvest logistics are just as important as field operations.

Conclusione

Knowing how to harvest coriander for a professional farm means combining agronomic expertise with technological investment:

• Identifying the correct harvest stage.
• Planning production cycles based on the crop’s purpose (leaves or seeds).
• Using reliable machinery that ensures productivity and quality.

The Ortomec harvesters, specifically designed for leafy vegetables, offer farms the opportunity to reduce operating costs, increase efficiency and deliver coriander that meets the highest quality standards required by the market.

Want to learn more? Don’t hesitate to contact us.