With the accelerated development of science and technology such as new generation information, biology, new energy, new materials, intelligent manufacturing, artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet of Things, agricultural production has entered a stage of high-quality development featuring multi-functional, multi-level, wide-ranging and cross-border integration. Internationally, more than 200 types of agricultural robots have been commercialized and applied in fields such as sowing, plant protection, harvesting, grafting, picking, sorting, weeding, transplanting, milking and monitoring agricultural conditions. As a big agricultural country and a big country in the production and use of agricultural machinery, China has also made certain progress in the research and development and application of agricultural robots. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly calls for "accelerating the construction of an agricultural power".  The "14th Five-Year Plan" robot industry Development Plan pointed out that "promote the development and application of agricultural robots such as orchard weeding, precise plant protection, picking and harvesting, livestock and poultry feeding, and silt cleaning, and promote the high-end and intelligent development of products." Agricultural robot technology is not only an important symbol in the process of agricultural modernization, its research and industrial application will also promote modern agriculture towards the direction of intelligence and precision, thus enhancing the overall competitiveness of national agriculture.

Agricultural robot technology and equipment is an important driving force to enhance the automation of agricultural production and promote the intelligent transformation of modern agriculture. In order to further accelerate the innovation of agricultural equipment industry, accelerate the formation of new quality productivity of high-end intelligent agricultural equipment, focus on the application scenarios and high-quality development needs of agricultural robots, and accelerate the practice and landing of agricultural robots, the magazine plans to launch the special topic of "Agricultural robots". Professor Wang Xiaochan, College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, is specially invited as the chief editor of the special topic. This special topic is open to the public at home and abroad. Experts, scholars and scientific researchers in relevant research fields are welcome to contribute.

I. Chief editor of the topic

Wang Xiaochan, chief professor of Zhong Shan in Nanjing Agricultural University, doctoral supervisor and academic leader of "Qinglan Project" in Jiangsu Province. Wang is also an expert of undergraduate teaching evaluation in colleges and universities, a member of the Agricultural Electrification Professional Group, a national expert on agricultural mechanization technology innovation, and an executive director of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Machinery. Chairman of Jiangsu Tractor Industry Technology Innovation Alliance, Director of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Modern Facility Agricultural Technology and Equipment, vice president of Jiangsu Agricultural Machinery Industry Association and Vice chairman of Jiangsu Agricultural Machinery Society. He has been engaged in teaching and scientific research in the fields of electrification, light simplification, intelligent equipment and agricultural robots of facility agriculture for a long time, presided over a number of National Natural Science Foundation and national key research and development programs, and published more than 200 research papers, including more than 130 SCI papers, more than 50 authorized patents, including more than 20 invention patents. The related achievements have won the second prize of Technological Invention Award for Outstanding Scientific Research in Universities, the second prize of Jiangsu Agricultural Science and Technology Award, the second prize of Jiangsu Agricultural Technology Promotion Award, and the first prize of Jiangsu Agricultural Machinery Industry Science and Technology Award.

2. Scope of solicitation (including but not limited to)

1. Field robots (sowing, fertilizing, managing, harvesting, etc.)

2. Orchard robots (spraying, weeding, harvesting, sorting, etc.)

3. Facility robot (seedling, cultivation, inspection, harvest, etc.)

4. Animal and poultry robots (inspection, feeding, milking, slaughtering, etc.)

5. Aquatic robot (feeding, water quality, fishing, inspection, etc.)

3. Details of solicitation

1. Paper requirements: unpublished original research papers, either Chinese or English, in line with the scope of this topic, clear views, accurate materials, correct data, reasonable argument, standard format. The text is refined and the content is substantial, including Chinese and English title, author information, abstract, key words, fund projects, text, references, charts can be edited, and word document submission.

2. Forms of solicitation: research papers, reviews, etc.

3. Submission deadline: March 15, 2025

4. The submission site: http://znhnyzbxb.niam.com.cn

5. Contact Email: jiam@caas.cn

6. Special Editor: Qiao Lu 15366092883 (wechat number)

                         Zhu Bing 15366092857 (wechat number)

7. Special Note: The Journal will open up a green channel for fast review of special articles. The manuscripts that pass the expert review will be published in the 2nd issue of 2025.