Research status and prospects of full-process mechanization technologies and equipment for fruit tree prod uction

China is a leading global producer of fruit, ranking at the forefront of the world in both fruit tree cultivation area and total output. However, it is not yet a powerhouse in the fruit industry, as it still lags behind developed countries in production efficiency, fruit quality, and industrial profitability. Fully mechanized production can significantly improve efficiency and reduce costs, serving as a key pathway to promote the transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development of China's fruit industry. This article outlines the global and domestic distribution of fruit tree cultivation, reviews the current state of technologies and equipment across various stages- seedling propagation, standardized orchard establishment, production management, mechanized harvesting, storage and transportation, and fruit processing. Furthermore, it also identifies weaknesses in the full-process mechanization of fruit production in China. In light of practical challenges such as small- scale orchard operations, diverse cultivation models, uneven technical expertise, difficult terrain in hilly and mountainous areas, and imbalanced mechanization across production stages, the following development goals are proposed: (1) Given that the industrial reality that most orchards in China are located in hilly and mountainous areas, it is necessary to focus on the innovative research and development of equipment that is“compact, low-cost, and based on a versatile operating chassis.”Through modular design, rapid interchange between the power platform and operational attachments can be achieved, enabling the development of a universal chassis compatible with multiple operational scenarios such as pruning, fertilizing, plant protection, and harvesting. The use of lightweight materials will reduce the overall machine weight to a range of 50-150 kg, making it easier to transport and operate on slopes, and adaptable to complex terrain with gradients exceeding 25°. Additionally, scaling up production and standardizing interchangeable components will lower manufacturing costs, thereby enhancing affordability for small and medium-sized farmers. (2) For plain orchards, develop large and medium-sized intelligent equipment to establish a closed-loop“perception-decision- execution”intelligent system, thereby comprehensively enhancing production efficiency and quality. Finally, the following development recommendations are proposed for mechanized orchard production in China: (1) Deepen theoretical research on the integration of agricultural machinery and agronomy, combining botany, soil science, and mechanical engineering to build a full-cycle digital model for fruit tree production. Specific research priorities should focus on studying the growth and development patterns, physiological and biochemical characteristics of fruit trees, the adaptability between cultivation methods and mechanized operations, as well as the biomechanical properties of tree branches and fruits and their coupling mechanisms with machinery. (2) Accelerate the adaptation of orchards for mechanization and deepen the integration of machinery and agronomy. First, we must promote the standardized orchard establishment model of“wide rows and dense planting, ”which involves selecting dwarf root stocks, controlling tree height, and performing standardized pruning to create simplified, uniformly structured trees while ensuring sufficient row spacing to provide unobstructed access for machinery. Second, through land leveling and terracing on slopes, eliminate fragmented plots, ensure flat and firm ground between rows, and plan and construct an operational road network with appropriate width, gentle slopes, and turning areas to meet the needs for smooth passage and safe maneuvering of various machinery. (3) Currently, significant gaps persist in the mechanization of fruit production in China. Key production stages such as trenching and planting, branch pruning, trellising and vine tying, and harvesting still rely heavily on manual labor. Moreover, there is a lack of small-scale machinery designed specifically for facility-based orchards. To address these bottlenecks, it is essential to prioritize the development of specialized equipment, including machinery for fruit tree cultivation and planting, intelligent pruners adaptable to various trellis systems, selective harvesting robots, and compact electric agricultural machines tailored for protected horticulture, thereby overcoming the weak links in the mechanization of fruit production. (4) Based on the fruit production needs of different regions, advance the formulation of technical requirements for machinery products, standardized operating procedures for mechanized operations, and quality standards. This will provide technical support for mechanized, standardized, and large-scale fruit production. Leveraging the National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System, accelerate the demonstration and promotion of new technologies, innovative processes, and intelligent equipment in the fruit industry. Implement specialized projects for deep processing of high- quality fruits, focusing on breakthroughs in diversified product development, extraction of high-value components, and research on functional products. Establish a collaborative innovation mechanism involving industry, academia, and research to enhance the economic efficiency of the fruit industry and drive the progress of mechanization. (5) Conduct research on intelligent equipment to build unmanned orchards. Future research should integrate technologies such as 5G communication, BeiDou navigation, and machine vision to develop UAVs equipped with multispectral imaging for pest and disease monitoring and soil moisture sensor networks, enabling all-weather intelligent perception in fruit production. Develop intelligent operational robots with path-planning capabilities, while building a fruit tree growth model and an equipment coordination control platform based on agricultural big data. Through a collaborative “edge-cloud-end”architecture, achieve unmanned operations from planting to harvesting.