China boosts hybrid crop development speed by 400% with world-first robotic breeding plant

Chinese scientists have boosted the speed of new hybrid crop development fivefold with a combined strategy of “robot-friendly” gene editing and artificial intelligence-driven robotics.

Using gene editing to generate plants with parts that were more accessible for robots, the researchers enabled the breeding of new plant generations much more quickly than using manual methods.

The team’s combined biotechnology, AI and robotics strategy was used to create an intelligent breeding factory that allowed for the development of new hybrid varieties with desirable traits – such as better flavour and resistance to stress and disease – in just a year, whereas it could take five years in the past. It will also reduce costly human labour.

“The integration of AI technologies is revolutionising agricultural systems, with robotics finding expanding applications in precision agriculture,” the team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell on Monday.