Last month, Harvest Automation showed how their potted plant moving robots are changing the way nurseries operate. These drones are a huge labor savor and can run virtually non-stop with changeable batteries. Co-Founder and COO Charles Grinnell says nurseries are a familiar industry for them, however new farming techniques led them to the Produce Marketing Associations Tech Knowledge Conference.
Grinnell says other than the labor saving qualities, the drone becomes beneficial in several different ways when a plant is no longer stationary. He believes some growers are looking into this style of farming because the technology to make it beneficial is already developed.
Some smaller produce growers are starting to look into potted farming as labor issues continue throughout the nation. Grinnell says there is another benefit the robots create when applied to that style of farming. He talked with a California blueberry grower and was able to produce some interesting numbers.