Fundamentals in agriculture and food

Advances in automated seedling production 
Automated seedling production is a critical technology for ensuring high-
quality yields in vegetable and fruit production. Over the years, various 
seedling production operations, such as seed selection, transplanting, seeding, 
grafting, irrigation, staking and pruning, have undergone mechanization or 
automation. (Kittas et al.,2001; Edan et al.,2009). 
There are even reports of fully automated factories for seedling 
production, including specialized seeders that can seed in a similar orientation 
(Edan et al., 2009). 
In addition, commercial transplanting and grafting robots have been 
developed for transferring seedlings from one cellular provider to another or to 
a cellular tower(pot) (Van Henten,1994; Weiss and Biber,2011). 
These advances in automated seedling production are revolutionizing the 
agricultural industry and ensuring that high-quality products are always 
available. 
Advances in automated spray technology 
Automation of chemical sprays is necessary to enable precise crop 
production while reducing chemical exposure. In recent years, the 
commercialization of robotic sprayers has been reported (Gavric et al.,2011; 
Bac et al.,2014). A key feature of these robots is their ability to control the 
vehicle independently, which allows for more precise application of chemicals. 

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161 | FUNDAMENTALS IN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD 
To achieve this, the front axle of machines with self-steering can be easily 
rotated about an axis A-B that is diagonal to the body, resulting in a change in 
the direction of the vehicle's motion (Morimoto and Hashimoto, 2000). To 
achieve a higher accuracy in the steering angle, a decrease of 35 millimeters in 
the rear tread is implemented compared to the front tread. 
Another automatic spray technique is electromagnetic induction. 
Induction wires are laid under headland and/or ridge cuts, and a vehicle with an 
induction sensor can automatically move along the wires, ensuring more 
precise application of chemicals. Various techniques have been devised for 
vehicles journeying towards the next ridge to cut thin headlands in greenhouses, 
such as four-wheel steering, a pivot shaft protruding for rotation, an added rail 
system transporting the vehicle to the subsequent cut, and a manual approach.
In 1993-1994, automatic sprayers utilizing induction tubes and wires 
were created and used in orchards, respectively (Arima et al., 1994a, b). The 
use of remote-controlled helicopters for spraying has also been reported in the 
fields. These advances in automated spraying technologies are revolutionizing 
the agricultural industry and making precision farming more efficient and 
effective.