Advancing specialty crop management: a review of recent developments in robotics, remote sensing, and machine learning systems

Abstract

Abstract Specialty crop production is labor-intensive. Rising labor costs and uncertainty regarding labor availability are threatening the financial viability of many agricultural producers in the United States. In response, stakeholders are searching for alternatives to labor-intensive production systems, thus driving technological innovation. This article aims to review current technological developments at the forefront of specialty crop production. We specifically review recent literature in the past decade to highlight trends in technology advancement based on the category and functionality of the technology and discuss the economic impact and limitations of these technologies.