# Design and Comparative Analysis of a Ground-Level Trellising Tool for Greenhouse Tomato Cultivation
## 1 Introduction
For their adoption to be profitable and for farmers to overcome technical and cultural reluctance [16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21], it is essential to address the high economic investment required for their implementation [22]. Until then, it is necessary to incorporate technological advances that are easy to handle, improve productivity and worker safety, and minimize costs for farmers. This is the aim of the tool designed in this study. The incorporation of robots and automation in greenhouses would be a great step forward for farmers in Almeria, who face various occupational risks due to the intensive nature of agricultural tasks. Among the most common accidents are those related to the use of manual tools, the handling of phytosanitary products, and falls from heights or greenhouse structures [9; 23]. Repetitive and prolonged work in hot and humid conditions, together with the handling of heavy loads, also contributes to musculoskeletal injuries [24; 25], such as low back pain, sprains, and joint strains. The number of work accidents in the agricultural sector in Almeria varies annually, although the most recent statistics report an average of 1200 accidents per year. Of these, the majority are minor accidents, such as cuts, bruises, and minor burns, which occur when handling tools such as pruning shears and knives or when coming into contact with hot surfaces inside the greenhouse. However, more serious accidents are also recorded, such as falls from ladders or support structures, which can cause fractures or more serious injuries. Poisoning problems due to excessive exposure to phytosanitary products are another significant cause of serious accidents. In 2023, the number of workplace accidents resulting in sick leave during working hours in the agriculture sector in Almeria amounted to 1298. The causes of accidents related to falls in agriculture were classified as \"breakage, fracture, bursting, collapse, or material failure\" and \"slip or trip with fall of individuals\", accounting for a total of 76 and 299 such accidents, respectively [26]. The main reason for accidents is usually related to a lack of adequate training in occupational safety and the incorrect use of personal protective equipment. In some cases, workers do not use the necessary safety measures, such as gloves, masks, or harnesses, increasing the risk of injury. The lack of ergonomics at work, manual handling of heavy loads, and physical exhaustion due to long hours under conditions of extreme heat also contribute to the number of accidents. These factors highlight the importance of implementing mechanisms and tools to prevent the presence of occupational risks, such as working at heights and improving workplace safety, to reduce the rate of incidents in the agricultural sector. The aim of this study is to reduce the risk of accidents, improve efficiency, and reduce costs in the task of trellising tomatoes in greenhouses. To achieve this, it aims to design and develop a user-friendly tool that facilitates trellising from the ground. The manuscript continues in the next section with the design and modeling of the tool. In addition, the experimental validation method is described in Figure 3. The Results and Discussion Sections present the real greenhouse implementation of the tool, followed by its validation and comparative analysis against current trellising methods, confirming its proposed advantages. Finally, the main conclusions of the study are described.