Advancing agroecology and sustainability with agricultural robots at field level: A scoping review

Abstract

Agricultural robots show a growing potential to improve resource management and reduce the environmental impacts of farming. However, the evaluation of robots’ contribution to support sustainable farming is still lacking. This study specifically reviewed the operationalization of four agroecological principles at the field level: recycling, soil health, biodiversity and synergy. To this aim, a scoping review was conducted on the Scopus database, with a query within titles, abstracts, and author keywords mentioning robots, and agroecology or sustainability. The body of literature was screened to include only open field robots. The resulting 78 documents were coded inductively on three macro areas: (1) academic background, (2) robot operations, (3) contribution to agroecology principles, whether explicitly or implicitly mentioned. The results highlight that robots operationalize agroecology principles through non-chemical and selective weeding to preserve diversity and soil health, lighter designs that reduce soil compaction, and advanced data collection systems to optimize resource use and synergy. Solar-powered robots represent early steps toward recycling, but this principle remains understudied. The discussion expands on the potential of robotics in other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture, such as agroforestry, conservation agriculture, and novel farming system design. Key challenges include ensuring farmers are enabled to master data collection and management, as well as integrating high-tech robotics with low-tech solutions. These efforts are critical for leveraging agricultural robotics to advance agroecology and sustainability across diverse farming systems.