Self-driving Robot to Solve Ecuador Mango Problem

Mango, known as the “king of fruit”, contains a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Its fragrant sweetness, rich flavor, and succulent texture have made it to the top of the list of the most popular fruits.

However, before mango gets onto our plate, it has to go through a tough growing journey of fighting pests and diseases in its plantations. It is estimated that mango can be attacked by over 400 species of insects and mite pests around the globe.

Recently, the R150 autonomous robot is introduced into a mango farm in Ecuador, ready to provide crop protection to this delicious fruit. Ecuador is the world’s major mango producer and exports around 50,000 tonnes of mangoes each year, most of which are cultivated in the province of Guayas. The wide range of varieties in this juicy fruit that Ecuadorian farmers manage has gained space in the global market and maintain a good reputation.

Mango trees require consistent warm temperatures to breed flowers and small fruits, but the hot and humid tropical climate there also causes a boom in pests and diseases. Farmers must maintain a stable pesticide spraying frequency to prevent crop damage and yield loss brought from these disasters.

Labour shortage is another problem that troubles farmers and local plantation owners during busy seasons. The aging rural population can hardly support the demand for production, whereas the younger generation is reluctant to take on a job of farming since agriculture used to involve extensive manual work and unpredictable income.

When mango growers are seeking an effective solution, XAG works actively with users in Guayas, Ecuador to introduce XAG R150 as a lightweight ground vehicle to solve their problems. This agricultural robot can conduct sprays with high precision with reducing chemical usage, and its smart design enables autonomous traverses between dense orchards with ease.

In the immediate future, farmers could be relieved from the heavy workload and free from concerns of hiring seasonal workers. The R150 would become the smart companion of mango growing safer and better with less pesticide.

Reference: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/5ikdK3rhROAmDgGCHqDMgw