Advances in Robotic Systems for Precision Orchard Operations
A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 March 2026 | Viewed by 47
Special Issue Editor
Interests: robotic vision; deep-learning; autonomous navigation; field robot; robot planning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The application of robotics in agriculture, particularly in orchards, represents a frontier in addressing labor shortages, increasing productivity, and promoting sustainable practices. Driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, sensing technologies, and intelligent machinery, precision orchard robotics has evolved from simple automation to complex systems capable of making autonomous decisions.
This Special Issue aims to compile cutting-edge research on the development and integration of robotic systems for precision orchard management. We seek to explore innovative solutions that enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and sustainability of fruit production. The scope of this Special Issue encompasses a wide range of technologies, including precision spraying, intelligent weeding, automated pruning, flower and fruit thinning, growth monitoring, pest and disease identification, yield estimation, field survey, remote sensing, and selective harvesting.
We encourage submissions that present original research on cutting-edge technologies, such as novel sensor fusion, advanced machine learning algorithms for perception and decision-making, robust robotic manipulation under uncertainty, and seamless multi-robot coordination. Studies on field validation, scalability, and the economic and environmental impacts of these systems are also highly relevant.
We invite contributions of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and case studies that demonstrate significant scientific and practical advancements in orchard robotics. Interdisciplinary studies that bridge robotics, computer science, horticulture, and agricultural engineering are particularly welcome.
Prof. Dr. Hongjun Wang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- precision spraying
- intelligent weeding
- automated pruning
- flower and fruit management
- growth monitoring
- pest and disease identification
- yield estimation
- field survey
- remote sensing
- selective harvesting
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