Agricultural Mechanization and Automation for Specialty and High-Value Crops

Dear Colleagues,

High-value crops such as spices, sesame seeds, ginseng, saffron, garlic, and mushrooms are increasingly important in global agriculture due to their premium market prices, health benefits, and cultural significance. However, their cultivation and processing present unique technical challenges, including sensitivity to environmental conditions, variability in plant characteristics, and high labor demands for planting, harvesting, sorting, and post-harvest handling. As global demand for these crops increases, and agricultural labor becomes scarcer and more expensive, the need for advanced mechanization and automation has never been greater. This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest developments, innovations, and applications of engineering technologies tailored to the efficient and sustainable production of high-value crops.

This issue will focus on engineering innovations that address the full value chain for high-value crops, from precision sowing, irrigation, and crop monitoring to selective harvesting, grading, and processing. The scope will cover a broad spectrum of technologies, including robotics, machine vision, AI-based decision support, sensor integration, autonomous machinery, and post-harvest automation systems. Contributions may include original research, technology demonstrations, system design studies, and reviews that highlight practical applications, challenges, and opportunities in different production contexts.

Dr. Jay Sul
Dr. Ramadas Narayanan
Dr. Tieneke Trotter
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. AgriEngineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1600 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.