The Institute of Agricultural Equipment at Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ZAAS), a branch of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences, was founded in 2018 with a focus on the research and industrial development of modern agricultural equipment to meet the needs of the entire agricultural production and processing chain. With five disciplinary areas and a machinery testing center, the institute conducts research on integrating agricultural machinery with cultivation techniques and equipment measurement and testing to address key challenges and promote the development of agricultural equipment for modern agriculture.
The institute aspires to build a first-class platform for equipment R&D, commercialization, and testing for modern agriculture in China, while supporting the quality development of the agricultural equipment industry in Zhejiang. It is responsible for the development of three national platforms: the MARA Key Laboratory of Agricultural Machinery in Mountainous Regions of Southeast China, the MARA Vegetable Production Mechanization in the Yangtze River Delta Region, and the Zhejiang Checkout Test and Evaluation Center for Agricultural Machinery. These platforms lead the province with their overall capabilities.
The institute has released over 30 techniques and pieces of equipment, including plant protection robots, light self-propelled tea harvesters/trimmers, pick robots for pears, cultivator-hillers, rail transportation systems in mountainous regions, tuber mustard harvesters, digitalized production systems for bayberries, smart farming systems with water recirculation, quality control and traceable production in edible fungi factory farming, floating cultivation systems for leafy greens, and wind- and snow-resistant greenhouses suitable for mountainous regions.
More information (in Chinese): http://www.zaas.ac.cn.
