Labour shortages leave millions of dollars of crops unharvested. This research develops touch-sensitive robots that navigate complex plants using force sensors rather than vision, reducing damage and improving fruit-reaching success by 66%. By learning from human movements, these robots could support sustainable agriculture and address critical workforce gaps.

This research investigates Trichoderma fungi as a biological control against Armillaria honey fungus, a major plant pathogen with no effective treatment. Forty Trichoderma strains were tested; seven reduced disease in plants and one prevented infection entirely. These findings suggest plants could be inoculated like a “vaccination” to protect forests, crops, and gardens.