Abstract:The cultivation of fruit trees in facilities is a new format in the development of China's fruit industry, which changes the external environment of fruit production through human factors, thus changing the production cycle of fruit trees, making fruit ripening ahead of or behind schedule, and improving the production efficiency of fruit trees.Compared with open-air cultivation and field production, protected fruit tree cultivation has the outstanding advantages of being unaffected by climatic conditions, high degree of automation, high utilization rate of space per unit area, and continuous production throughout the year. Facility fruit tree cultivation equipment is a key element for realizing the facility cultivation of fruit trees. In recent years, with the continuous progress of science and technology and the deepening of agricultural modernization, significant achievements have been made in the research and application of facility fruit tree cultivation equipment in China This article focuses on analyzing the current research and application status of key equipment in fruit tree facility cultivation, including architectural facilities, monitoring systems, environmental control equipment, production equipment, and machinery. The issues identified in the research and application of fruit tree facility cultivation equipment in China are summarized as follows:(1) Simplistic facility structures,fruit tree facility cultivation requires specialized facilities such as greenhouses, large sheds, and irrigation and fertilization systems. However, market supply is limited, and orchards often rely on general agricultural facilities. These facilities are inadequate for meeting the specific needs of fruit trees, leading to poor growth and low yields. Due to economic and technical constraints, fruit farmers tend to opt for low-cost, structurally simple large sheds or greenhouses. While these basically meet growth requirements, they lack insulation, ventilation, and shading functions, resulting in significant environmental fluctuations and cramped spaces that are unfavorable for mechanized operations, thereby limiting the production efficiency of facility fruit trees.(2)Lack of specialized covering materials,fruit tree facility cultivation necessitates specialized covering materials and suitable substrates, but the market offers limited specialized materials. Orchards frequently use ordinary agricultural materials as substitutes, yielding unsatisfactory results. These alternative materials often have poor light transmission and weak weather resistance, prone to damage and aging, leading to insufficient illumination and temperature fluctuations. Simultaneously, unsuitable substrates cause poor root development and frequent pest and disease outbreaks in fruit trees. These issues collectively affect the effectiveness of facility cultivation and fruit quality, highlighting the urgency of research and application of specialized materials.(3)Weak environmental control capabilities,facility fruit tree cultivation requires precise control of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and lighting to meet the needs of fruit trees at different growth stages. However, due to simplistic facility structures, many orchards lack corresponding environmental control equipment, such as temperature control systems, humidity control systems, and light supplementation systems. This results in ineffective environmental control within the facilities, failing to meet the optimal conditions for fruit tree growth, which subsequently affects fruit tree yield and quality.(4)Outdated agricultural machinery and equipment with insufficient intelligence,facility fruit tree cultivation requires specific agricultural machinery and equipment to adapt to its production environment and operational needs, such as miniaturized agricultural machinery to fit the cramped spatial layout within facilities. However, most fruit tree facilities still use general agricultural machinery and equipment, whose operational accuracy and efficiency fail to meet the requirements of facility fruit tree cultivation. Additionally, the level of automation and intelligence of agricultural machinery and tools is low, with many requiring manual assistance, preventing automated operations and precise control. This increases the production costs of facility fruit tree cultivation and limits production efficiency.The future development directions for fruit tree facility cultivation equipment in China are pointed out as follows:(1) Future architectural facilities will not only provide basic functions such as insulation and shading but will also integrate smart materials and Internet of Things technology to achieve automated adjustment and ecological cycling. Simultaneously, an ecological cycling system will be constructed within the facilities, such as rainwater collection and reuse, and natural degradation of waste through the synergistic effects of plants and microorganisms. This development direction aims to enhance the adaptability and ecological sustainability of the facilities.(2)Monitoring and control devices will be upgraded to comprehensive intelligent systems that perceive the growth status of fruit trees through the addition of biosensors. The data analysis terminal will employ deep learning and pattern recognition technologies to analyze data in real-time and provide precise guidance for environmental control. Combined with big data and AI, the system can automatically formulate management plans, such as irrigation, fertilization, and pest and disease control, thereby improving the management level and production efficiency of facility fruit tree cultivation.(3)Water and fertilizer integration equipment, combined with high-precision sensors and control systems, will monitor fruit tree growth and soil conditions in real-time, precisely control irrigation and fertilization, and achieve personalized customized management. This will enhance water and fertilizer utilization efficiency, reduce waste, and improve fruit tree quality and yield. Simultaneously, facility agricultural machinery and equipment will incorporate advanced navigation, recognition, and communication technologies to achieve automated and intelligent operations, such as precise pruning and efficient harvesting. Multiple agricultural machinery and equipment will also share information in real-time and work in coordination to complete complex cultivation tasks. This trend will significantly enhance the efficiency and quality of facility fruit tree cultivation, promoting higher-level development of facility agriculture.
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