I-Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO ibimnandi kakhulu kulo nyaka.
Ngezwa amandla akhona nangaphakathi kimina – ngemva konyaka noma emibili ngaphandle kwezingqungquthela angizange ngibone ukuthi ngangikukhumbule kangakanani ukuba phakathi kwabanye abalimi nezingcweti zezolimo. Impela kwazwakala kumnandi.
U-Dan Brainard waseMichigan State University Horticulture wahlanganisa ezinye zesifunda sethu ezihamba phambili nezigqama kakhulu ukuze akhulume ngokulawula ukhula, futhi ngomlingo wobuchwepheshe saphinde sizwe ngochwepheshe waseCalifornia. Kulesi sihloko ngizochaza izinhlobo eziyisisekelo zama-robotic weeders, izibonelo zalokho abakwaziyo nokuthi basetshenziswa kanjani ukuhweba eCalifornia.
USteve Fennimore ovela eNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, uDavis usebenzisana nabalimi abasebenzisa la marobhothi okutshala emifino. Okokuqala wenza umehluko omncane phakathi kwezinhlobo ezahlukene zokhula lwamarobhothi. Eyokuqala, enezinga eliphansi kakhulu lobunkimbinkimbi, amahithi aqondiswa yikhamera (isithombe 1). Lawa adonswa ngemuva kukagandaganda ngehitch enamaphuzu amathathu futhi ibha yamathuluzi ihanjiswa kwesokunxele nakwesokudla (ibheke lapho kuhanjwa khona) ngamasilinda asebenza ngehydraulic. Ukunyakaza kulawulwa amakhamera “abona” isivuno, agcina amathuluzi egxile kumugqa wokunqampuna. Okhula oluqondiswa yikhamera bagcina nje amathuluzi okuhlakula endabuko egxile kumugqa.
Okulandelayo, ngezinga elimaphakathi lobunkimbinkimbi, ama-robotic weeders afakwe ngogandaganda (isithombe 2, esinesithombe phezulu). Lawa nawo adonswa ngemuva kukagandaganda ngokuhitshwa amaphuzu amathathu, nokho, awasebenzisi amathuluzi okuhlakula endabuko, kunalokho, kunekhamera yomugqa ngamunye futhi ikhamera iqondisa ucezu lwensimbi olungena phakathi kwezitshalo ngazinye. Abalimi berobhothi abafakwe ngogandaganda badinga umuntu ozoshayela ugandaganda noma awulawule.
Uhlobo lokugcina lwerobhothi lokukhula, elinezinga elikhulu lokuyinkimbinkimbi, ama-robotic weeders ezizimele (isithombe 3). Le mishini ayidingi ugandaganda noma u-opharetha futhi uma ibalazwe lendawo selifakiwe lizihambela yodwa ensimini amahora amaningi, emini noma ebusuku. Okwamanje le mishini yokukhipha ukhula eyirobhothi ezimele ingathwala amathuluzi okukhula endabuko (ama-sweeps, ama-finger-weeders, njll.) hhayi ama-blade alawulwa yikhamera akhula phakathi kwesitshalo ngasinye.
U-Fennimore wenze izivivinyo eziningi, futhi wabelane ngedatha yakhe mayelana nesikhathi esidingekayo kuthuluzi ngalinye. Ukukhulisa ihektare le-ulethisi kubiza cishe u-$439 ihektare ukhula. Kulesi sikhathi sokuhlakula, ukuhlakula ngesandla kudinga u-68%, u-9% owokulima ugandaganda, kanti u-22% uwukufakwa kwe-herbicide. Ukukhipha ukhula ngesandla kuyizindleko ezinkulu zokulawula ukhula.
U-Fennimore uhlonze ama-robotic weeders amathathu ahlukene asetshenziswa eCalifornia. I-Stout (isithombe 2) iyirobhothi efakwe ngogandaganda efakwe phakathi. I-Titan (isithombe 4) nayo iyirobhothi efakwe ngogandaganda kodwa iphuma nogandaganda wayo, kanti i-Dino iyirobhothi elizimelayo elinamathuluzi esintu (isithombe 3). UFennimore wabelane ngemiphumela yezivivinyo eziqedwe nguye noRichard Smith ekhombisa ukuthi le mishini emithathu ingayenza.
Ukusebenza kwemishini kwakushintshashintsha (njengokulima). Isibonelo esivivinyweni esisodwa ensimini yezohwebo umshini we-Titan wasusa u-69% wokhula emgqeni futhi wanciphisa isikhathi sokuhluma ngesandla cishe ngesigamu (uma kuqhathaniswa nokutshalwa kwendabuko phakathi kwemigqa), kodwa kolunye uhlolo lwasusa kuphela u-31% wokhula. emgqeni futhi kuncishiswe isikhathi sokukhula kwesandla cishe ngo-10%.
Kolunye uhlolo locwaningo, ukutshalwa kukagandaganda phakathi kwemigqa kwasusa u-66% wokhula phezu kombhede kanti i-Titan yasusa ama-91%. Kulolu cwaningo i-Titan yehlise ukuhlakula kwezandla cishe ngesigamu uma kuqhathaniswa nokutshalwa kukagandaganda phakathi kwemigqa. Kolunye uvivinyo lwensimu yezohwebo i-Stout yasusa u-98% wokhula osemgqeni futhi yanciphisa isikhathi sokuhluma ngesandla cishe ngesigamu uma kuqhathaniswa nokutshalwa kukagandaganda phakathi kwemigqa (nakuba kwenye iphasi yehlisa ukhula ngo-52% - futhi, imiphumela iyashintshashintsha). I-Dino yafakwa ukhula lweminwe, futhi yasusa ukhula olungamaphesenti angama-61 uma kuqhathaniswa nokulinywa kukagandaganda phakathi kwemigqa okwasusa ukhula olungamaphesenti angama-41.
U-Fennimore wahlabeka umxhwele ngekhono lale mishini yokusebenza ngokunembile emasimini anokhula oluningi. NgoJulayi, kwakukhona insimu ye-ulethisi egcwele i-purslane (isithombe 5). Wacabanga ukuthi kufanele bakuhoxise ukuqulwa kwecala ngoba ikhompuyutha yayingakwazi ukubona umehluko phakathi kwezitshalo zikalethisi nokhula, kodwa inkampani yakwaStout yabona ukuthi ingakwenza. Ukutshalwa kukagandaganda okujwayelekile akuzange kususe nolulodwa ukhula emgqeni, kodwa iStout yasusa u-76% wokhula olusemigqa. Ngenxa yokhula oluningi kakhulu kwathatha isikhathi eside ukudlula ensimini - ukulima ugandaganda okuvamile kwakudinga amahora angu-78 ihektare kanti iStout idinga amahora angu-30 ihektha ngalinye. Nakuba ngokuvamile, abalimi abaseduze noSteve bathole ukuthi ama-robotic weeders afakwe ngogandaganda angahlakulela insimu engamahektha ayi-10 emahoreni angu-8-10.
UFennimore uthe njengochwepheshe be-Extension unendaba nezindleko zokukhiqiza; noma ngabe lezi zimila zamarobhothi zenza izimanga, uma zenyusa izindleko zokukhiqiza kakhulu, azilungile kubalimi.
Ubalule ucwaningo oluqhathanisa nezindleko zokhula lwamarobhothi nokukhipha ukhula ngesandla ku-ulethisi (u-Tourte et al., ekubuyekezweni). Bacabanga ukuthi kubiza ngokwesilinganiso u-$161 ihektha ngalinye ukunikeza ulethisi wokhula. Babe sebethola izindleko zezinhlobo ezintathu ezihlukene zokhula lwamarobhothi afakwe ngogandaganda - zahluka ukusuka ku-$166-$204 ihektha ngalinye (okuhlanganisa ugandaganda, opharetha, izindleko zomshini nokugcinwa). Ukusetshenziswa kwale mishini kunganciphisa izindleko zokususa ukhula zibe ngu-$100 ihektha ngalinye, kodwa izindleko zizonke zokulawula ukhula kusetshenziswa izimila zamarobhothi zazisukela ku-$266-$304 ihektare ngalinye.
Lokhu kusho ukuthi ukusebenzisa ama-robotic weeder kubiza ngaphezu kokukhipha ukhula ngesandla. Kungani-ke abanye abalimi eCalifornia besebenzisa lezi zikhula ezingamarobhothi?
UFennimore wenze ucwaningo futhi wacabanga ukuthola ukuthi kungani. Uthole ucwaningo lwe-CEO ebabuza ukuthi kungani befuna ukusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe (Economist, 1/16/21). Bathe imishini ingakwazi ukunciphisa ubungozi (bambalwa abantu abalimalayo), ithembeke kakhulu kunabasebenzi futhi isize ekwenzeni izindleko zibonakale kakhudlwana. Ukwengeza, imithi yokubulala ukhula ikhombisa imbuyiselo enciphayo futhi bambalwa abantu abasha abafisa ukuba okhula ngezandla.
Ngenxa yokuthi lezi zikhula ezingamarobhothi zidinga ukutshalwa kwezimali (imodeli ye-Stout ejwayelekile ingu-$350,000) ezinye izinkampani zinkontileka zisebenzisa umshini - njengoba nje ungaqasha isifutho noma isivuni sangokwezifiso.
Okwamanje, lezi zikhula zamarobhothi ezizimele kanye nezikhula zamarobhothi ezibekwe ngogandaganda zigxile ezindaweni ezikhiqiza izitshalo ezinkulu kakhulu zesizwe sakithi e-Southern California nase-Arizona. Kodwa ngikhulume no-CEO we-Stout, u-Brent Shedd, futhi ungitshela ukuthi banemishini eFlorida naseGeorgia, kanye nesithakazelo esivela eMidwest. Ngakho sizobona ukuthi lezi zimila zamarobhothi zisakazeka kanjani.
- USam Hitchcock Tilton, umlobi we-VGN