Arabfields, Farah Benali, Economic Correspondent, China — China is turning to artificial intelligence and robotics to modernise wheat breeding, as the world’s largest grain-producing country seeks to improve crop yields and strengthen food security amid mounting pressure on agricultural resources.

Researchers at Shandong Agricultural University have developed a prototype robot designed to identify promising wheat plants, helping breeders select varieties with desirable characteristics more efficiently. The technology combines computer vision, artificial intelligence and measurements of individual wheat ears to support decisions traditionally made through years of human experience.

The system was trained using images of 2,000 wheat varieties grown under different conditions. Experienced breeders assessed the plants, and their evaluations were converted into data used to train the machine’s decision-making model.

In the field, the robot moves between plants, uses an articulated arm to position wheat ears for inspection and captures images with eight miniature cameras. It can measure characteristics such as ear length and grain number before identifying plants that merit closer examination.

For breeders, the potential benefit is practical. Selecting suitable plants from thousands of hybrid offspring requires repeated inspections and considerable time. Automating the initial screening could allow researchers to examine more candidates while concentrating their expertise on the most promising varieties.

The technology is not intended to eliminate human involvement. The robot conducts preliminary assessments and marks selected plants for further inspection, leaving breeders responsible for the final decisions.

China’s agricultural ambitions provide a strong incentive for such innovations. The country produced a record 715 million metric tonnes of grain in 2025, according to figures cited in its 2026 agricultural policy discussions. Its new five-year strategy aims to increase grain production capacity to 725 million tonnes by 2030, with improvements in seeds, farming techniques and land productivity central to the plan.

Wheat remains particularly important to China’s food system. The country produced more than 140 million tonnes of wheat in 2025, according to agricultural research published in 2026. Higher yields and more resilient varieties could help maintain supplies as farmers contend with changing weather patterns, water constraints and pressure on cultivated land.

The robot’s development also reflects a broader shift in agricultural research, where data and automation are increasingly being used to accelerate crop improvement. Chinese authorities are investing in technologies intended to improve disease detection, predict harvests and develop varieties capable of performing under difficult growing conditions.

For farmers, the impact will depend on whether these laboratory and research advances translate into affordable, reliable tools. A machine that identifies promising plants more quickly could shorten selection work, but its performance must be tested across different soils, climates and growing seasons before its wider value can be established.

The research team has reached a preliminary agreement with Shandong Jizhi Biotech, a company specialising in genetics and intelligent breeding, to explore commercial development. No confirmed timetable for large-scale deployment or independently verified productivity gains has been established.

The next stage is likely to focus on field validation, technical reliability and the cost of operating the equipment. If the system proves effective beyond experimental plots, it could become part of a wider network of automated breeding tools and help researchers process larger populations of plants.

Such progress could support China’s goal of raising grain production capacity by 2030, although the robot alone cannot guarantee higher national output. Weather, seed quality, farming practices and access to agricultural inputs will continue to shape harvests.

For now, the technology represents an attempt to turn the accumulated knowledge of experienced plant breeders into a repeatable digital process. As China seeks to produce more food from limited agricultural resources, the ability to identify better wheat varieties faster could become an increasingly important part of its food security strategy.