Ukutshalwa kwezimali, isivuno samasitrobheli “esithengiswayo” kanye nenzalo yomlimi evuvukalayo ihlanganisa unyaka omuhle Advanced Farm Technologies (AFT).
Inkampani ezinze e-Davis, eCalifornia, i-T-6 robhothi yokuvuna ama-strawberry sitrobheli ingenye yemishini embalwa ethathelwa phezulu imboni, ngenxa yokwanda kwezinselelo zabasebenzi.
I-T-6 ihlonza ngokuzenzakalelayo amajikijolo abomvu futhi iwakha ngezingalo ezimbili zerobhothi, kuyilapho u-opharetha ongumuntu eyishayela phezu kwemibhede yama-strawberry angaphakathi enhlabathini.
U-Kyle Cobb, omunye wabasunguli abane be-AFT, uthe i-T-6 yenze isivuno sokuthengisa ngesizini edlule epulazini elingamahektha ayi-100 esifundeni sase-Santa Maria eCalifornia. Ama-strawberries avuniwe, uthe, adayiswa emakethe yokudayisa.
Isivuni sigingqa phezu kwemibhede yamasitrobheli angama-intshi angu-48-56 ububanzi, futhi singakwazi ukuzivumelanisa nokuphakama okuhlukile, kusho uCobb. Ucezu olubalulekile lomsebenzi bekuwukuthola ukuthinta okuthambile kwezingalo zerobhothi.
"Akukho okunye ongakwenza ngaphambi kokuthi uthole ukuthi ungaphatha kanjani isithelo ngokucophelela nangokucophelela," kusho uCobb.
Nokho, wenezela ngokuthi “sisafunda izinto nsuku zonke.” Enye yezinhloso zamamodeli wesikhathi esizayo ukususa isidingo somshayeli ongumuntu.
Amarobhothi awathengiswa. Kuze kube manje, isikhi sama-strawberry sisebenza ngokwezinga lezilinganiso. Iwebhusayithi ye-AFT yamukela abalimi ukuthi bahlele umboniso. UCobb uthe akazi ukuthi lobu buchwepheshe buzotholakala nini kabanzi kubalimi.
Kodwa ukukhululwa kungase kufike ngokushesha kunalokho obekulindelwe ngaphambili. Ngasekupheleni kwehlobo, i-AFT yathola ukukhushulwa kwezigidi ezingu-7.5 zamaRandi kubalingani abasha, okuhlanganisa nengalo yokutshala imali ye-Yamaha Motor, Kubota, Catapult Ventures kanye ne-Impact Venture Capital. U-Nolan Paul, uzakwethu kanye nomholi we-agtech womhlaba wonke we-Yamaha Motor Ventures & Laboratory Silicon Valley, uthe iqembu labatshalizimali lika-Yamaha linentshisekelo kubuchwepheshe bezitshalo obukhethekile. Ubuchwepheshe buka-Yamaha no-Kubota bulele ekukhiqizeni ngezinga elikhulu. I-Yamaha ineqembu lamarobhothi futhi inentshisekelo yokuhlukanisa ibhizinisi layo, obekungokwesiko ligxile kwezezimoto. Okunye ukutshalwa kwezimali kwayo kuze kube manje kufaka phakathi isikhethi sama-apula esizenzakalelayo i-Abundant Robotics kanye neRoboticsPlus ezinze eNew Zealand, kusho uPaul.
Intshisekelo ka-Yamaha kubuchwepheshe bezitshalo obukhethekile isekelwe phezu kwesisekelo sokuthi izithelo nemifino zithandwa kakhulu ngabathengi, kanye nezinsiza zazo zonke izinhlobo - abasebenzi, amapulazi, ukudla - ngokuya ngokuntuleka, kusho uPaul. Ukushoda kwezisebenzi kwesinye isikhathi kubangela ukuthi amahektare esithelo angavunwa, futhi ukukhiqizwa kwama-strawberry, ikakhulukazi, kusengozini yezinkinga zabasebenzi.
“Uma uke waphuma ukuyozama ukukha ama-strawberry, kufanele kube umsebenzi onzima kunayo yonke emhlabeni,” kusho uPaul. “Uphuma phandle usuku lonke, futhi ugobile. Ugijima uye phambili.”
Ngokwengxenye ukuze benze umsebenzi ungabi nzima kubasebenzi basemapulazini asebekhulile, abanye abalimi baye bathuthela izitshalo zamasitrobheli ezindaweni eziphakeme, noma “eziqongweni zamatafula.” Futhi izixazululo eziningi zamarobhothi zingamathebulethi ahlosiwe noma imibhede ephakeme.
Kepha uPaul uthe u-Yamaha utshale imali ku-AFT ngokwengxenye ngoba "bangezinye zezinkampani ezimbalwa ezizama ukuxazulula inkinga enhlabathini ngokungafani nezinhlelo ze-tabletop eziphuma enhlabathini."
"Njengamanje, e-US i-acreage yomhlabathi, ngingasho, i-99.9% ye-acreage," esho. “Lapho kubuhlungu khona. I-US ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ingase ithuthele ku-tabletop eyengeziwe (ikhula i-strawberry), kodwa ibiza kakhulu; kudinga ithalente elengeziwe. Ubunkimbinkimbi bokuthi ungakhula kanjani endaweni yetafula - lelo chibi lamathalente alikho e-US ”
Okunye okukhanga i-Yamaha ku-AFT, uPaul uthe iqembu elihlangene kakade seliqede enye iphrojekthi yamarobhothi. I-Greenbotics - isiqalo esine-automation yokuhlanza amaphaneli elanga angangemboni - yathengwa yi-SunPower ngo-2013.
Ukuthuthukiswa kwamarobhothi - njengokukha ama-strawberry kanye nokutshala ama-strawberry - kuwumsebenzi oyinselele.
"Sizama nje ukuthobeka ukuthi kunzima kangakanani ukuba umlimi," kusho uCobb. “Kunzima ngempela ukwakha imishini yamarobhothi futhi uma uhlanganisa lezo zandla, kuba nzima nakakhulu nxazonke. Sizama ukuzithoba ngezinkinga. Uqhubeka ufunda futhi uthuthuka.”
- UStephen Kloosterman, umhleli ohlangene