Editor's note: A new wave of technological innovation is sweeping across China's agricultural landscape. From intelligent harvesters to agricultural robots and artificial intelligence-powered drones, cutting-edge farm machinery is transforming farming practices in the country. Equipped with high-precision positioning, machine vision, AI and real-time data systems, these machines are making farming more precise, automated and data-driven. These innovations are reshaping agriculture, with intelligent machines playing an increasingly important role alongside land and crops. China Daily reporter Zhao Yimeng will walk you through these pieces of equipment.

GEAIR Intelligent Breeding Robot

The world's first intelligent breeding robot, GEAIR automates cross-pollination with remarkable precision. Using deep-learning technology, it identifies flowers and performs precision pollination.

The system combines biotechnology, AI and robotics, allowing it to patrol fields continuously and perform pollination round the clock. This reduces the labor and time required for conventional manual breeding.

In tomato hybrid breeding, it shortens the breeding cycle from five years to just one year and reduces labor costs by over 25 percent. In soybean breeding, it reduces manual pollination time by 76.2 percent, automating a traditionally labor-intensive process.

Source: Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Science

Humanoid Tea-Picking Machine

Developed for premium tea plantations in Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces, this intelligent harvesting machine uses machine vision, biomimetic mechanics and intelligent control to selectively pick spring and autumn tea buds.

Inspired by the movements of a human hand, its picking mechanism performs a "pinch, lift, store and release" sequence. An integrated "eye-brain-hand" system locates tender shoots despite obstruction from leaves and branches, enabling precise harvesting on flat and gently sloping plantations.

The equipment has been developed to address rising labor costs and an aging workforce in the labor-intensive tea industry. Future models are expected to feature multiple robotic arms and lighter designs.

Source: Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Smart Corner Irrigation System

This intelligent add-on for center-pivot irrigation systems addresses a common challenge: ensuring the corners of square or irregularly shaped fields receive sufficient water.

The system adds an adjustable "corner arm" to the end of a center-pivot irrigation system. When the machine reaches a field corner, the arm automatically extends and swings into position to cover areas that would otherwise be missed. The arm retracts as the machine moves on. Combined with Beidou positioning, intelligent trajectory algorithms and drone-generated irrigation prescription maps, the system adjusts water and fertilizer application according to crop moisture and growth conditions. Farmers can remotely control irrigation speed and water volume using smartphones. The system has been deployed in Henan province and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Source: Institute of Farmland Irrigation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

DJI Agras T100S

The T100S is a flagship drone model designed for large-scale agricultural operations. It combines spraying, spreading and lifting functions, making it ideal for field crops, orchards, forests and aquaculture.

Equipped with 256-line LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar and vision systems, it is built to operate in complex terrain and demanding agricultural environments. Outside China, it is being used for crop protection, fertilizer delivery and aquaculture feeding in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Thailand.

DJI Agras T55

Designed for single-person operation, the lightweight T55 targets smaller farms, scattered plots, orchards and mountainous farmland.

Its radar, four-eye vision system and lowlight full-color camera facilitate obstacle detection and autonomous avoidance, helping farmers carry out spraying, spreading and material transport in difficult terrains.

Source: DJI Agriculture

Intelligent Corn Breeding Detasseling Robot

The robot enables precise, automated detasseling and topping, enhancing breeding efficiency while reducing labor and equipment costs.

Source: China Agricultural University

Machine Cow Phenotyping Robot

Developed for crop-breeding acceleration in plant factories, the Machine Cow is a robot designed to collect crop phenotypic data.

Using autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance and AI-powered image recognition, the robot can move along preset routes and precisely measure features such as plant height and structure. It replaces slow and subjective manual measurements with continuous, standardized data collection.

The system supports rapid generation advancement in controlled plant-factory environments, helping integrate environmental control, accelerated breeding and intelligent phenotyping into a data-driven workflow.

Source: Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences