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Automated harvests a game-changer for ag farmprogress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from farmprogress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Farm groups, researchers strive for automated harvests
A trio of West Coast land-grant universities are teaming with farm groups and other researchers in a major global push to automate the harvests of apples, pears and other tree fruit.
Scientists from Washington State University, Oregon State University and the University of California are working with researchers, fruit growers and technology companies in Washington state and the Netherlands to find ways to use robotics and automation to overcome labor shortages and other tree-fruit challenges.
In a project called Fruit Orchard of the Future, the parties will seek to create a network of local field labs and testing grounds, set up exchanges for education and research, connect companies with growers, and build access to funding, according to WSU.
Burro
Burro markets autonomous, rugged cart robots that follow farm workers in the field and can haul goods for them and are currently used in table grape production in California. Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission makes a $200,000 donation toward the effort.
A West Coast produce organization wants to teach the specialty-crop world how to automate its harvests, and a tree fruit group in Washington state has pledged $200,000 toward the effort.
The Irvine, Calif.-based Western Growers on Feb. 11 launched an ambitious Global Harvest Automation Initiative, in which dozens of international partners will seek to automate 50% of harvests over the next 10 years.
WSU partners with Netherlands, Washington growers to improve orchard robotics & automation
Washington State University scientists are joining forces with researchers, fruit growers, and technology companies in the Netherlands and Washington State to solve major tree fruit challenges through orchard automation and robotics.
On Feb. 3, 2021, André-Denis Wright, dean of WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, joined representatives from the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Netherland’s Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Wageningen University & Research, and other partners in a virtual signing of the Fruit Orchard of the Future Collaboration Agreement.