Grapes intended for fresh consumption, winemaking, raisin production and processing differ markedly in quality requirements and tolerance to harvest damage, making a universally suitable mechanised harvesting pathway unlikely. This review synthesises low-damage grape harvesting from an end use-oriented sustainability perspective. A structured literature search and thematic narrative synthesis covered studies mainly published from January 2000 to May 2026, with 184 studies included. The evidence indicates that harvesting suitability is determined by the compatibility among end use, grape and bunch traits, vineyard architecture, damage tolerance, labour and operating constraints, and downstream requirements. Manual and assisted harvesting remain preferable where selective whole-bunch handling and marketability dominate; vibration-based bulk harvesting provides greater capacity for wine and processing grapes in compatible vineyards; dry-on-vine (DOV) collection is closely coupled with raisin-specific drying systems; and selective robotic harvesting remains promising but requires stronger commercial vineyard validation. Across these pathways, higher automation does not inherently provide greater sustainability because reductions in labour demand may be offset by quality loss, capital and energy requirements, or insufficient system utilisation. The principal contribution of this review is an end use-specific framework linking vineyard design, harvesting pathway, damage and loss mechanisms, and environmental, economic and social sustainability considerations. Because experimental conditions, damage definitions and reporting metrics remain heterogeneous, the available literature supports context-dependent qualitative comparison rather than a unified quantitative sustainability ranking.
Mulched drip irrigation is an important water-saving production system for soybean cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions. However, soybean materials harvested from this system exhibit specific physical characteristics, including relatively dry pods and seeds and high stem moisture content. This study characterized the physical and mechanical properties of soybean seeds at the harvest stage and established a discrete element method (DEM) parameter system for harvesting simulation. Key properties and contact behaviors were experimentally measured, and DEM parameters were calibrated and validated through physical tests and virtual simulations. The results showed that the calibrated parameters accurately reproduced the macroscopic stacking behavior of soybean seeds, with the angle of repose validation showing a relative error of only 0.545%. The proposed parameter system considers the geometric and mechanical characteristics of harvest-stage soybean seeds and improves the applicability of DEM simulations for harvesting process analysis. This study provides digital support for optimizing soybean harvesting machinery, reducing seed damage, and improving harvest quality in water-efficient production systems.
Strawberry production is economically important but remains highly dependent on labour-intensive harvesting. The delicate texture, irregular distribution, and non-uniform maturity of strawberry fruit create substantial challenges for mechanised and robotic operations. This review examines the development of strawberry-harvesting technologies from the broader perspectives of crop value, cultivation management, harvesting methods, robotic systems, post-harvest handling, and sustainable production. The nutritional and economic significance of strawberries is first outlined, followed by an analysis of cultivation environments, production patterns, and crop-management practices that influence fruit accessibility and robotic operation. The historical transition from manual harvesting to mechanised and intelligent harvesting is then reviewed. Particular attention is given to the principal technologies of strawberry-harvesting robots, including mobile platforms, robotic manipulators, path planning and obstacle avoidance, end-effectors, visual recognition, multispectral sensing, and software control. Robotic systems designed for elevated and ridge-based cultivation are also compared to clarify the influence of cultivation layout on platform configuration and harvesting strategy. In addition, the integration of harvesting with fruit transfer, post-harvest handling, and sustainable cultivation is discussed. The reviewed studies indicate that effective robotic harvesting depends on the coordinated design of cultivation systems, perception, motion planning, compliant manipulation, and system control. Future research should prioritise robust perception under occlusion, low-damage harvesting, improved operational speed, scenario adaptability, cost reduction, and closer integration between agronomic practices and robotic design.
