Breeding Precision Improved: Qingdao Agricultural University Develops New Agricultural Machinery

Recently, the National Public Welfare Industry (Agriculture) Scientific Research Special Fund project "Research, Development and Demonstration of Precision Planting and Harvesting Equipment for Crop Variety Plots," undertaken and hosted by Qingdao Agricultural University in Shandong, has achieved breakthrough progress in key technologies such as precision control and breeding self-cleaning, and has successfully developed 12 types of equipment, including hill-row seeders, ear-row seeders, and plot drills, of which 11 models are the first of their kind in China.

According to Shang Shuqi, a project expert at the university and a professor at the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, there is currently a large gap in domestic models in the field of plot breeding and harvesting. Because plot trials cover small areas and involve a wide variety of varieties, this field still mostly relies on manual operation, which has affected the progress of breeding work and modern agricultural development. The research project focuses on the planting patterns and agronomic requirements for plot breeding trials of major crops such as cereals and corn, and can effectively solve the problems of efficiency and precision in breeding work. At the same time, its price is moderate, which is conducive to the overall improvement of breeding work in terms of speed and benefit.