An evaluation of pollination methods for strawberries cultivated in plant factories: robot vs hand

Abstract

The cultivation of strawberries in plant factories with artificial lighting (PFAL) has recently been recognized as it makes pesticide-free and stable year-round production possible. Conventional strawberry cultivation uses bees for pollination. Considering the global decline in bee populations and the difficulty of managing these living creatures in a closed environment, it is essential to establish an efficient and sustainable alternative for pollination in PFAL. This study investigated the feasibility of robotic pollination in PFAL by comparing the effects of hand and robot pollination on strawberry fruit quality and yield. No differences between the two pollination methods were found in the percentages of marketable and non-marketable fruits. Also, there were no differences in weight, volume, sugar content, and the number of achenes among the fruits of the same grade. Although robot pollination, as it is, is not perfectly comparable to or exceeds manual pollination yet, it has already reached a level of practical use to solve the problem of pollination by bees.

Keywords

• bee pollination
• fertilization rate of achenes
• fruit quality
• marketable fruit
• sustainability