Smart agricultural robots in China have begun executing tasks related to harvesting, transporting, and sorting asparagus, in a move aimed at reducing reliance on manual labor and boosting production efficiency, especially for crops requiring care and precision during harvesting.
The Chinese newspaper South China Morning Post reported on Sunday that a group of specialized robots appeared late last month in one of the greenhouses belonging to the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences. They are designed to perform multiple stages of agricultural work, starting from harvesting through to transportation and sorting.
The newspaper quoted Xia Xianfei, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization under China's Ministry of Agriculture, who leads the robot development team, stating that the overall mechanization rate in asparagus cultivation in China remains below 20 percent. He noted that harvesting and sorting the crop after collection represent the most significant challenges in developing this sector.
He clarified that while fertilization, pest control, and weed removal have already seen some signs of mechanization, the cutting of asparagus stalks and their sorting still rely heavily on manual labor due to the necessity of handling them with precision to maintain quality.
The importance of this technology is highlighted in Lianshui County in Jiangsu Province, eastern China, where greenhouses dedicated to asparagus cultivation cover an area exceeding 1,333 hectares. They produce approximately 50,000 tons annually, with an economic value exceeding one billion yuan, according to local government data.
The researcher pointed out that the high economic value of the asparagus crop makes it suitable for applying agricultural robot technologies. However, he noted that widespread adoption still faces challenges related to manufacturing costs and their ability to adapt to different agricultural and climatic conditions across Chinese regions.
This experience reflects a growing trend toward employing smart technologies in agriculture, aiming to improve productivity and alleviate burdens associated with manual labor.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)