1.The Rise of New – type Remote – control Mowers.

Tracked zero – turn – radius remote – control mowers emerged in agriculture, bringing high – efficiency, precision and labor – saving changes.

(1) Rich product categories

Many brands of tracked zero – turn – radius remote – control mowers exist in the market. Shandong Hancheng Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd.’s products have a 14,000 – yuan minimum wholesale price, made in Jining. Maideen’s small – sized mower for home lawns and orchards costs 17,000 – 24,500 yuan depending on quantity. Jining Haichuan Machinery Co., Ltd.’s mowers also have various prices. These mowers, with displacements from 196cc to 225cc, are widely applicable in many places.

(2) Significant performance advantages

Track – type zero – turn – radius remote – control mowers possess significant performance advantages.

Firstly, they are powerful, structurally compact, and operationally flexible, enabling them to work under trees. Some mowers, with 16 – hp engines and alloy blades, can easily handle various weeds.

Secondly, with track – driven power, they have strong climbing abilities. The Zhihu series of slope – protection remote – control mowers can climb slopes up to 45 degrees, fulfilling the requirements for land reclamation and maintenance in mountainous steep slopes and high – speed slope protection areas. These mowers truly achieve the separation of man and machine. Their mowing efficiency can reach 2,000 – 3,000 square meters per hour, liberating operators from heavy physical labor and dangerous areas.

In addition, they have a grass – crushing function. When the crushed grass is spread in the field for a long time, it can turn into fertilizer, nourishing the land with grass, which fully complies with the requirements of modern agriculture.

Moreover, they can be flexibly controlled and rotate 360 degrees in – place, facilitating operations in different terrains.

2.Technical characteristics and advantages

(1) Advanced technology support

Track – type zero – turn – radius remote – control mowers are equipped with a great many advanced technologies. The remote – control function enables the operator to easily control the operation of the mower from a long distance, which greatly improves the convenience and safety of operation. For example, the remote – control distance of some models of mowers can reach 200 meters or even further, allowing users to operate from a safe position without having to be on the mowing site in person.

The automated mowing system can automatically carry out mowing tasks according to the preset mowing areas and schedules without the need for manual intervention. This not only saves labor costs but also improves the efficiency and accuracy of mowing. The positioning and navigation systems usually adopt high – precision positioning technologies, such as GPS, which can accurately locate the position of the mower and ensure that it mows along the predetermined routes. In this way, repeated mowing or missed areas can be avoided, and the quality and efficiency of mowing can be improved.

The lawn mower’s anti – collision function is a highlight. Equipped with sensors, it can detect and avoid obstacles or people to ensure safety.

(2) Optimize control methods

In order to provide a better user experience, the track – type zero – turn – radius remote – control mower has been optimized in terms of control methods.

In terms of signal stability, strong wireless communication technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth or dedicated remote – control frequencies are adopted to ensure accurate signal transmission and timely response. This reduces interference and delay problems, enabling users to control the mower more smoothly.

Regarding operation convenience, the design and layout of the remote control have been optimized. The layout of the buttons conforms to the principles of ergonomics, which is convenient for finger operation and button identification. At the same time, considering the habits and needs of users, an intuitive interface and easy – to – understand instructions are provided, allowing users to quickly get started.

In terms of multi – function control, multi – function remote controls or mobile phone applications are provided, allowing users to perform more operations and make more choices. For example, the adjustment of mowing speed, mowing height or mowing mode can be added to meet the changes of different lawns or user requirements.

（3）Security protection

In terms of safety protection, the collision detection and safety protection functions of the remote – control system have been optimized. Ensure that it can stop in time or avoid collision when encountering obstacles or dangerous situations. For emergencies, convenient and fast emergency – stop buttons or triggers are provided, allowing users to take measures immediately.

Some mowers now have intelligent route planning and navigation functions. They can do intelligent path planning based on terrain, lawn shape and boundaries. High – precision positioning technologies and map data make mowing more accurate, enhancing efficiency and quality.

Simultaneously, the mower’s energy management system has been optimized. It uses energy more efficiently and extends battery life. Energy monitoring and early – warning functions remind users to charge or replace batteries promptly.

Also, mowing data recording and analysis functions have been added. This helps users know about mowing task completion and effect. Via mobile apps or cloud platforms, users can view mowing stats and history, which is useful for future mowing plans and maintenance.

3.Needs and challenges of orchard weeding

(1) Ensure the growth of fruit trees

Weeds in orchards compete with fruit trees for nutrients, water and sunlight, which seriously affects the growth of fruit trees. According to statistics, malignant weeds in orchards can lead to a 10% – 20% reduction in orchard yields and a decline in the quality of orchard products. Meanwhile, weeds are also the breeding and inhabiting places for pests and diseases, increasing the occurrence probability of pests and diseases on fruit trees.

In order to ensure the growth of fruit trees, it is crucial to reduce weed competition. Growing grass in orchards can improve the orchard ecological environment to a certain extent, but the growth of weeds needs to be reasonably controlled. For example, when growing grass in orchards, some grass species that are beneficial to the growth of fruit trees can be selected, such as Vulpia myuros. During its growth stage, Vulpia myuros can form a canopy for the orchard, reducing the ground temperature and water evaporation; during its withering stage, it can decompose into organic fertilizers, nourish the roots of fruit trees and improve the soil structure.

In addition, reducing the breeding of pests and pathogens is also the key to ensuring the growth of fruit trees. Growing grass in orchards can create habitats for natural enemies of pests, form a natural food chain, reduce pesticide use and improve fruit quality. For example, after some orchards are interplanted with Vulpia myuros, the fruit quality has been significantly improved and the pesticide use has been reduced by more than 30%.

(2) Facing many challenges

Weed control is difficult

There are a wide variety of weeds in orchards, which requires herbicides to have a broad – spectrum killing effect. Compared with other farmlands, the growth environment of weeds in orchards is superior, and their roots are deep, which makes weed control more difficult. For example, in apple orchards, pear orchards, and peach orchards, there are not only annual and biennial weeds, but also perennial perennial weeds, so appropriate herbicides need to be selected for prevention and control.

Although non – selective herbicides can be used safely, they must be sprayed directionally; otherwise, they are likely to damage fruit trees. Meanwhile, the resistance of weeds is constantly increasing, which brings greater challenges to weed control.

High Labor CManual weeding requires a large amount of labor, time, and energy, with high labor intensity and low weeding efficiency. For orchards with a large area of fruit tree cultivation, the cost of manual weeding is too high and not feasible. For example, in a medium – sized orchard, the annual cost of manual weeding may be as high as tens of thousands of yuan.

Mechanical weeding is efficient, but not thorough and requires multiple operations. Moreover, there are also some precautions in its use. For example, it is not advisable to use a tiller for weeding in spring, as it will damage the roots of fruit trees.

（3）Environmental Protection Issues

Although chemical weeding saves time and effort, it is likely to cause soil compaction, water pollution, and harm to fruit trees. For example, glyphosate is a broad – spectrum non – selective herbicide with systemic conduction. Improper use will damage the roots of fruit trees, causing yellow leaves of fruit trees in mild cases and root rot and death in severe cases.

Although growing grass in orchards is environmentally friendly, it needs to be managed reasonably; otherwise, it is easy to lead to excessive growth of weeds and affect the growth of fruit trees. Meanwhile, orchard mulching for weeding also has problems such as high investment cost, inconvenience for orchard top – dressing, easy to cause soil film fragmentation pollution, or excessively high soil temperature under the film in summer / high humidity under the film after rain, which may damage tree roots.

4.Shortcomings of traditional weeding methods

(1) High cost and low efficiency

Manual weeding requires a lot of manpower input. Taking an orchard with an area of ​​10 acres as an example, manual weeding may require 5 to 8 workers working continuously for several days to complete a comprehensive weeding. Based on a salary of 150 yuan per person per day, the cost of manual weeding for one time is thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan. Moreover, manual weeding is inefficient. As labor costs continue to rise, this traditional weeding method puts great cost pressure on orchard operators.

(2) Environmental and root damage

Chemical weeding can quickly eliminate weeds to some extent, but its harm to the environment and fruit tree roots is significant.

Glyphosate and other chemical herbicides damage soil ecology and quality when remaining in the soil. In Germany, over 40% of crops use glyphosate for weeding, and nearly one – third in the EU rely on herbicides. In China, the use and dependence on herbicides are even greater. These herbicides enter the soil through roots and then the food, potentially harming human health.

When accidentally sprayed on fruit trees (e.g., peaches, pears), herbicides damage roots, affecting yield/quality. On some trees, glyphosate can cause problems after rain/watering.

Moreover, weeds tend to regrow after chemical weeding, requiring repeated use of herbicides, which increases costs and environmental harm.

5.Advantages of remote control lawn mowers in orchards

(1) Efficient and flexible

The high efficiency of remote – control mowers in orchards is extremely prominent. Taking a common orchard area as an example, the mowing efficiency of a remote – control mower can reach 2,000 – 3,000 square meters per hour. Compared with traditional manual weeding, it can complete the mowing tasks in large – area orchards within a very short time, greatly saving time and labor costs. For example, for a 50 – mu orchard, manual weeding may require dozens of people to spend several days, while a remote – control mower can finish it in just a few hours.

At the same time, its flexibility is a great advantage.

Fruit growers can control the remote – control mower via remote control or mobile app anywhere, without being on – site. Whether patrolling the orchard or resting at home, they can easily manage the mower’s working state.

This flexibility helps fruit growers better manage orchards and handle weeding timely. For example, if a grower notices rapid weed growth in an area, he can start the mower remotely at once to prevent weeds from harming fruit trees.

(2) Protect orchards

During operation, the remote – control mower can avoid harming fruit tree roots effectively.

Its compact design, with low height and narrow width, suits weeding in low – lying fruit forests. It is less likely to collide with or damage roots compared to traditional machinery.

In some orchards, fruit tree roots are shallow. Traditional mowing equipment may cut roots accidentally during operation, affecting growth and yield. But the remote – control mower can operate precisely near trees, removing weeds while protecting roots.

In addition, the remote – control mower can also meet various operational requirements in orchards. It can achieve various functions by replacing different attachments. For example, by selecting different attachments, it can perform rotary tilling, ditching, fertilizing, spraying pesticides, ridging, transporting, and many other functions. Taking the pesticide – spraying function as an example, some mowers are equipped with seven nozzles, and the spraying height can reach 8 – 10 meters. Using air – assisted spraying, it can realize the integration of spraying and lifting. This multifunctionality makes orchard management more convenient and efficient. One machine can meet multiple needs at different stages in the orchard, which greatly improves the efficiency and quality of orchard management.

6.New technologies for comprehensive agricultural control

(I) Weed Control by Deep Plowing and Soil Turning

Deep plowing and soil turning can greatly change the living environment of weeds in severely weed – infested farmlands.

For instance, when purslane, amaranth, and crabgrass are buried deep in the soil, they struggle to emerge and cause harm. Wild oat seeds have trouble germinating if buried over 15 centimeters deep, and are almost unable to if over 30 centimeters.

Also, deep plowing can expose the rhizomes of reeds and cogongrass to the surface. After exposure to the elements and manual treatment, the number of weeds can be significantly reduced, lessening the harm they cause.

(II) Weed Control by Selecting High – Quality Seeds

There are over 50,000 weed species globally, with more than 8,000 causing economic harm to farmlands.

We can utilize differences in weed seed characteristics like size and weight, using manual or mechanical means to remove them. For example, sieving and winnowing can remove many wild oat seeds from wheat effectively.

For dodder seeds in soybeans, sieving can achieve 80% – 90% prevention. In rice seedling fields, manual removal of barnyard grass based on different morphologies can have a 75% – 95% prevention effect.

(III) Crop Rotation

Scientific crop rotation is effective in preventing and controlling farmland weeds.

In wild – oat – infested wheat fields, continuous wheat planting for three years followed by another wheat planting in the fourth year results in 104 wild oat plants per square meter. But if potatoes are planted instead, there are only 7 plants per square meter, achieving a 93.3% prevention effect.

Changing from wheat – maize to wheat – rice rotation can mostly prevent wild oats. Switching to different crops puts dominant weed populations at a disadvantage, reducing harm. For example, changing peanuts and soybeans to rice can have over 90% control effect on green bristlegrass and other weeds.

(IV) Weed Control by High – Temperature Composting of Organic Fertilizers

Organic fertilizers often contain many weed seeds. Applying them to farmlands without high – temperature composting may cause serious weed problems.

The high – temperature composting method for organic fertilizers involves choosing a flat area. First, spread straws, then chopped straws, pour some water, sprinkle lime, cover animal manures like pig, cow, and horse manure layer by layer until a certain height, and finally seal it.

Typically, the compost temperature can reach 40°C – 50°C in 3 – 5 days and a maximum of 60°C – 70°C. In summer, after 1 – 2 months, and in winter, after 2 – 3 months, the weeds and their seeds in the compost can be completely killed, along with most crop pathogens.

(V) Increasing Crop Coverage

The shading effect of crop height and density can control or eliminate weeds.

In corn fields, first use 40% Atrazine – Acetochlor water – dispersible granule for weeding. As the corn grows, it inhibits weed growth.

When summer – sown cotton density is 8,000 – 10,000 plants per 667 square meters, after initial weeding, its weed control effect can exceed 90%. For soybeans, with a sowing density of 12,000 – 13,000 plants per 667 square meters, the weed control effect can be over 95% and the yield can increase by 20% – 30%. Increasing early – stage orchard cultivation density can achieve an 80% – 90% weed control effect.

(VI) Weed Control by Delayed Sowing and Inducing Weed Emergence

Delaying sowing, making weeds emerge first and then sowing after weeding works well.

For dry – land crops, plowing/harrowing 10 – 15 days before sowing/transplanting can eliminate 40% – 60% of weeds.

For rice seedling fields, plowing/harrowing twice every 10 – 15 days 25 – 30 days before can remove 60% – 80% of weeds.

Using this method for four years can basically eliminate wild oats.

(VII) Weed Control by Managing Water Sources

Weeds such as wild oats and barnyard grass are mainly spread by flowing water and floods. Scientific management and control of water sources can prevent and control weeds. For example, placing nylon gauze at the water inlet to intercept weed seeds, irrigating the field until the water layer reaches 10 – 15 centimeters, and then collecting the weed seeds after they gather can reduce the number of weed seeds in the soil.

7.Future Outlook

As an innovative weeding tool, the track – type mower shows great potential and broad prospects.

As agricultural modernization progresses, demand for efficient equipment will grow. The track – type mower, with good performance and easy operation, will play a more important role in future farming.

In market scale, industry reports forecast global remote – control mower market will grow steadily. For example, in 2023, its slope – mower market size was about $1559.1 million. With a 5.1% CAGR in six years, it’ll reach $2200.9 million by 2030. This will drive the development of track – type mower market.

In terms of technological innovation, future track – type zero – turn – radius remote – control mowers will be more intelligent. They may integrate more advanced sensors and automation technologies to achieve autonomous navigation, intelligent obstacle avoidance, and precise operation. For example, using GPS, mowers can plan optimal paths to improve efficiency and accuracy. Meanwhile, with IoT, users can remotely monitor and adjust mower parameters via apps for convenient operation.

In terms of environmental protection, future mowers will place more emphasis on energy conservation and emission reduction. They will adopt more efficient engines and power systems to reduce energy consumption and emissions. Meanwhile, more environmentally – friendly mowing methods may be developed, such as using solar or electric drives to reduce environmental impacts.

With global focus on sustainable agriculture, track – type mowers’ application in it will expand. They can combine with other technologies to promote sustainable agriculture.

In terms of market competition, as more and more enterprises enter this field, the market competition will become more intense. Enterprises should improve product and service, innovate and build brands for users’ needs. Meanwhile, the government will support the industry for its healthy development.

Summarize

In conclusion, the track – type mower is important in agricultural weeding with broad prospects. As technology and market grow, it’ll benefit farming and modernization.

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