Robot-ready strawberries in development 

Strawberries specially bred for automated picking will soon become a reality in Australia thanks to a new initiative to develop bot-ready strawberries.

Scientists will meld together flavour, colour and aroma traits with premium strawberry varieties around the world that feature single-stemmed fruit suitable for robotic picking. The $11.5m, four-year effort is being delivered through Hort Innovation and led by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland (DAFQ).

According to Brett Fifield, Hort Innovation chief executive, recent data has shown the horticulture workforce has decreased by 20% over the past three years, which has resulted in 40% of Australian growers adopting advanced machinery.

Fifield said developing a strawberry that is suitable for automation will be a game changer for growers who want to apply new technologies on-farm. Though this is not yet a common practice in Australia, it will grow in popularity.

Hort Innovation is working with tech companies and researchers on various horticulture-related automation projects, and discussions to identify opportunities for technology adoption are underway.

Jodi Neal, DAFQ principal plant breeder, said the program will reduce the time needed to pick and pack strawberries, which may result in a more profitable outcome for growers.

“It takes the same amount of time to pick a small strawberry as it does to pick a large one,” Neal said. “This breeding program is focusing on delivering a consistent fruit size that is preferred by consumers on unbranched flower stems — meaning that the fruit can be picked faster — either by conventional methods or through automation.”

Mark Furner, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, said Queensland will be at the forefront of agricultural innovation and this will create thousands of jobs in the state.

“I commend the great work of Hort Innovation and my department and look forward to seeing the fruits of this investment benefiting the industry for years to come,” Furner said.

Rachel Mackenzie, Berries Australia executive director, said the program will reduce the cost of harvesting.

“Breeding bespoke varieties to suit strawberry growers across the country is a priority for our industry,” she said. “We are looking forward to this program equipping us to profitably deliver consistent, high-quality fruit for Australians and the world.”

The Australian national strawberry industry has an estimated farm gate value of $417 million (2021/22 Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook). Varieties developed by the Australian Strawberry Breeding Program currently capture 45% of the national market and 90% of the subtropical industry. These varieties currently provide approximately 11,000 jobs in production alone in Australia and were estimated to have a farm gate value of approximately $174 million last year.

Image credit: DAFQ